Government Affairs and Communications Director

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AND COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

County-wide open recruitment to establish an eligible list to fill a current vacancy in the County Executive Office and may be used to fill future vacancies in other agencies within the County of Orange. The eligible list may also be used to fill similar and/or lower classifications throughout the County of Orange.

This recruitment will be open for a minimum of five (5) business days and will remain open until August 4, 2025 at 11:59 P.M. (PST).

The Government Affairs and Communications Director is a senior manager position serving as the County’s principal strategist for government/legislative affairs, communications, and community relations. This position will provide direct management of the CEO Legislative Affairs Director and the CEO Public Information Manager, as well as their teams, integrating legislative advocacy, stakeholder relations, media engagement, and strategic messaging into one cohesive, forward-thinking unit.

The ideal candidate will be a visionary and collaborative leader who excels in aligning internal communications, public information, and legislative priorities across a complex organization. This position will lead high-level strategic initiatives, promote transparency and trust, and support the County’s mission to serve the public through effective governance and communication.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as principal advisor to the Chief Operating Officer and CEO Executive Team on strategic government relations and communications.
• Lead and mentor both the CEO Legislative Affairs and CEO Communications Directors and their respective teams.
• Develop and implement a countywide strategic communications and legislative engagement plan.
• Coordinate executive messaging across departments to ensure consistency, accuracy, and alignment with County goals.
• Cultivate strong relationships with federal, state, and local elected officials, media representatives, and community stakeholders.
• Represent the County at legislative hearings, media briefings, intergovernmental meetings, and public forums.
• Guide issue and crisis communications, ensuring rapid, transparent, and accurate messaging during emergencies or high-profile events.
• Oversee contracts, consultants, and initiatives related to legislative advocacy and media strategy.
• Champion innovation and continuous improvement in government transparency, branding, and civic engagement.

The ideal candidate will be a seasoned professional with a background and understanding of municipal governments and possess the following:

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Political Science, Communications, Journalism, or a closely related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• A minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience in communications, government affairs, public relations, or community relations, including at least four (4) years in an executive or senior leadership role within a complex organization.
• Proven experience supervising a multidisciplinary team, including the ability to build cohesiveness, provide strategic leadership, and align individual and team performance with departmental and organizational goals and objectives; experience leading large teams and/or multidisciplinary units is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated success developing and implementing large-scale communication and legislative strategies.
• Experience managing teams of professionals across disciplines, with a proven ability to coach and inspire high performance.
• Expertise in federal, California state and local legislative processes
  , public sector communications
  , and policy development
  .
• Ability to thrive in a high-stakes, politically sensitive, and fast-paced environment
  .

In addition, the ideal candidate will have proven experience related to the following key competencies:

Strategic Leadership — Ability to see the big picture, align competing priorities, and navigate political environments with tact.

Political Acumen — Strong understanding of the intergovernmental landscape and adeptness in dealing with elected officials and external…