Montgomery County (MD)

Compensation

Full Description

About the Position Please note: The salary range above represents this position's earning potential. The anticipated hiring range for this position will be based on the candidate's qualifications and experience: Grade N22: $73,569 - $96,488, Grade N25: $83,556 - $129,679 WHO WE ARE Our mission is to build a strong and resilient County workforce. We are a highly motivated, versatile, and people-oriented team dedicated to serving our community by hiring, training, and retaining a well-qualified, high-performing, diverse, and inclusive workforce to serve over one million County residents. We serve 10,000 employees in 35 different departments and 6,000 retirees. We promote positive management/union relationships in coordination with our four union organizations. We value diversity, inclusion, and equity for all employees. WHO WE ARELOOKING FOR The Office of Human Resources (OHR) is seeking a Strategic Communications Specialist (HR Specialist II/III) to collaborate with our teams in creating informative, engaging, and accessible communications for diverse target audiences. Join our team and help us tell the story of our workforce, benefits, and programs while improving the way we deliver and communicate our services to our customers. This job is for you if: You understand that great communication isn't just about what you say - it's about how, when, and where you say it. You are passionate about the employee and customer experience. You are eager to be part of transformative work to develop and engage the County's workforce. You are excited by complex, high-visibility projects where your work makes a real difference. You are equally comfortable drafting an executive memo, designing an infographic, developing a change management communication plan, and reviewing training materials for clarity and impact. What You'll Be Doing As a Strategic Communications Specialist, you'll be at the heart of how we communicate with County employees, job seekers, retirees, and leadership. Your work will span end-to-end communications across the employee lifecycle-from recruitment to retirement-and touch every corner of the organization. You'll help ensure OHR programs and services are clear, accessible, and usable for the people we serve, shaping strategies and deliverables that build engagement, drive measurable outcomes, and strengthen partnerships across the organization. Major duties will include: Create a wide range of HR communications materials from concept through final, polished delivery, including emails, newsletters, user guides, FAQs, flyers, surveys, forms, posters, and other resources Translate complex, technical, or sensitive HR and legal information into clear, accurate, audience-appropriate messaging Review and refine training and informational materials (emails, presentations, recordings, handouts) developed by internal HR partners to ensure accuracy, usability, and alignment with organizational voice and branding Develop communication strategies and messaging approaches aligned with organizational priorities, timelines, and the needs of diverse audiences. Serve as a communications lead for HR-driven change initiatives and program redesigns Identify communication gaps, risks, and inconsistencies prior to launch and proactively address them Partner with HR experts to create and distribute communications about HR programs, policies, and services, including benefits, workforce planning, occupational medical services, records management, and customer service Support year-round health insurance communications, including annual open enrollment, plan updates, reminders, and decision-support materials. Manage multiple communications projects and competing priorities simultaneously, coordinating with colleagues and stakeholders to align content, timing, distribution channels, and approval workflows Develop reusable communication assets (guides, FAQs, templates, frameworks) to support consistent, efficient delivery Serve as backup support for team portfolios in communications and customer service operations Minimum Qualifications If filled at the II Experience: Two years of professional experience in the area of public relations, human resources management, change management, or a related field. Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree inhuman resources management, business administration, industrial psychology, public administration, or related field. Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted. If filled at the III Experience: Three years of professional experience in the area of public relations, human resources management, change management or related field. Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in human resources management, business administration, industrial psychology, public administration, or related field. Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted. Preferred Criteria, Interview Preferences Preference for interviews will be given to applicants with experience in the following: Strong technical writing skills in developing mass or corporate communications for broad audiences Experience serving as an editorial reviewer for high-visibility communications, ensuring consistent adherence to established voice, branding, and style standards Experience developing and implementing comprehensive communication and change management strategies Exceptionalprojectmanagement skills, especially in collaboration with varied stakeholders Experience producing accessible digital communications consistent with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Strong editing and production skills in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Adobe Acrobat IMPORTANT INFORMATION The Office of Human Resources (OHR) reviews the minimum qualifications of all applicants, irrespective of whether the candidate has previously been found to have met the minimum requirements for the job or been temporarily promoted to the same position. This evaluation is based solely on the information contained in the application/resume submitted for this specific position. Montgomery County Government(MCG) is an equal opportunity employer, committed to workforce diversity. Accordingly, as it relates to employment opportunities, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, in accordance with the law. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should email OHR at Hiring@montgomerycountymd.gov. Individual determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made in accordance with all applicable laws MCG also provides hiring preference to certain categories of veterans and veterans/persons with a disability. For more information and to claim employment preference, refer to the Careers webpage on Hiring Preference. All applicants will respond to a series of questions related to their education, relevant experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities required to minimally perform the job. The applicant's responses in conjunction with their resume and all other information provided in the employment application process will be evaluated to determine the minimum qualifications and preferred criteria or interview preference status. Based on the results, the highest qualified applicants will be placed on an Eligible List and may be considered for an interview. Employees meeting minimum qualifications who are the same grade will be placed on the Eligible List as a "Lateral Transfer" candidate and may be considered for an interview. This will establish an Eligible List that may be used to fill both current and future vacancies. If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume. Montgomery County Ethics Law: Except as provided by law or regulation, the County's "Public Employees" (which does not include employees of the Sheriff's office) are subject to the County's ethics law including the requirements to obtain advanced approval of any outside employment and the prohibitions on certain outside employment. The outside employment requirements of the ethics law can be found at 19A-12 of the County Code. Additional information about outside employment can be obtained from the Ethics Commission website.