Emergency Communications Specialist - (Communications Specialist 3)

Salary: $92,678.68 - $118,404.65 Annually
Location : Tacoma, WA
Job Type: Career Service - Full Time
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Job Number: 26-01115
Department: Communications
Division: Com-Administration
Opening Date: 10/27/2026
Closing Date: 11/8/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Description
This is a hybrid position with 3 days onsite at Emergency Management, 1 day onsite at Communications, and 1 day remote, based on business needs.

Summary
Do you have a passion for managing public information in high-stakes, emergency situations? Then this Communication Specialist 3 position may be the role for you.

The Communications Department provides communication counsel and support to all three branches of Pierce County government. Our goal is to create engaging and timely information about programs, projects, activities, and actions taken by County leaders and departments. To learn more about the Communications Department, please visit our

Why It's a Great Opportunity:

As a member of the Communications team supporting Emergency Management, you will be an influential key partner in sharing Pierce County's emergency preparedness story. Your immediate primary focus will be on reviewing and updating the County's Crisis Communication Plan to effectively reach and inform people during emergencies. You will be given the flexibility to create unique content, design public education campaigns, and promote the Department of Emergency Management through social media and community engagement. This position is only limited by your creativity and energy!

Core Daily Responsibilities:

• Design and lead communications strategy and campaigns for an assigned group, which may be a department, major program area, or portfolio.
• Own the assigned group's proactive external communications agenda, including identifying stories, campaigns, educational opportunities, and public-facing content.
• Meet directly with leadership of assigned group to understand priorities and translate them into communications objectives and strategic plans.
• Advise leadership of assigned group on communications opportunities, risks, messaging, and public response.
• Write speeches, talking points, briefing materials, and other leadership communications.
• Participate in and support development, measurement, and execution of the mission, goals, and objectives of the county, department, division, and individual work groups.

This announcement is not intended to reflect all duties to be performed by our next team member, but shall present a descriptive list of the range of duties that may be performed. To view the complete classification, click

Minimum Qualifications

• Post-secondary education in a related field may substitute for up to four (4) years of the required experience on a year-for-year basis.
• A resume, cover letter, and three (3) work samples are required for this position. Applications without a resume, cover letter, and three (3) work samples will not be considered.
• Seven (7) years of related experience, to include three (3) years in a marketing, public relations, or communications role involving public-facing communication.

Preferred Qualifications

• Leadership experience, such as leading projects or providing work direction to other staff.
• Experience serving as a department or organizational spokesperson

As a condition of employment, the applicant will need to authorize and complete a background check. Information received from the background check is reviewed case-by-case basis and will not necessarily remove an applicant from consideration.

Supplemental Information
How to Apply:

• Complete and submit a detailed online Pierce County Employment Application by selecting "APPLY" above or visiting www.piercecountywa.gov/jobs.
• If you have questions about this opportunity, email the Recruitment Team at PCHRRecruit@piercecountywa.gov and include the job number and title.
• Individuals who need accommodation in the application or interview process may contact Human Resources at (253) 798-7480 at least two days prior to the need.
• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship.

Upon offer, compensation is based on a range of job-related factors, including the requirements of the role, your skills and experience, and internal pay equity.

We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

Employee benefits are not just about the kind of services you get, they are also about how much you may have to pay out of pocket. Pierce County offers a competitive benefits package that offers flexibility and peace of mind. We are proud to offer Employee Resource Groups, a focus on professional development in our , and a County Book Club.

We understand that your life revolves around more than just your career and that your priority is making sure that you and your family maintain health and financial security. That's why choice is a key component of our benefits package. We have a selection of and , , staff training and other compensation benefits that you can mix and match to meet your current and future needs.

Our benefits:

Vacation (Annual Leave)
After approximately six months, employees receive six days of vacation leave.
Since we value your experience, the amount of vacation you can accrue increases the longer you work with us. Vacation accrues on a bi-weekly basis for full-time employees as follows:

Vacation Accruals:
During years 1-3, 12 Days
During years 4-7, 16 Days
During years 8-13, 20 Days
During years 14-18, 23 Days
During years 19, 24 Days
During years 20, 25 Days
During years 21, 26 Days
During years 22, 27 Days
During years 23, 28 Days
During years 24, 29 Days
During years 25 & thereafter, 30 Days

A maximum of 45 days may be carried from one year into the next.
Pro-Rated for Part-Time based on % of 1.0 FTE.

Military Leave:
Pierce County has a proud history of supporting the armed forces and provides members of the armed forces with up to 21 days paid military leave per state fiscal year.

Holidays:
Some full-time employees are entitled to eleven paid holidays as follows:
New Year's Day - January 1
Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday - Third Monday in January
President's Day - Third Monday in February
Memorial Day - Last Monday in May
Juneteenth - June 19
Independence Day - July 4
Labor Day - First Monday in September
Veteran's Day - November 11
Thanksgiving Day - Fourth Thursday in November & Friday after
Christmas Day - December 25

Personal Holidays:
Regular full-time and regular part-time employees, and employees occupying limited duration positions, shall also receive two additional paid personal holidays. Paid personal holidays shall only accrue for those employees on County payroll as of January 1 of each year or the first work day following January 1 and must be taken during the calendar year in which it was accrued.

Furlough:
Some Pierce County employees may be designated to receive 10 "furlough" days per year in lieu of holidays. Furlough days are available for use on January 1 and must be scheduled and taken within the calendar year. Employees who leave employment with Pierce County must reimburse the employer for used furlough days based upon the number of remaining holidays.

Sick Leave:
Sick leave accrues on a bi-weekly basis, at the rate of one day per month.

Insurance Benefits:
Employees and families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance. There are multiple medical plans with very affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout Pierce County. Employees are eligible to enroll each year in a flexible spending plan, which enables them to use tax-deferred dollars toward their health care and dependent care expenses. Employees also have the opportunity to participate in supplemental life and long term disability insurance plans. To view premium rates, summary of benefit coverage, and other information, please visit the website.

Retirement and Deferred Compensation:
Pierce County employees are members of the State of Washington's Department of Retirement System (DRS) and depending on the position or previous DRS enrollment will be able to enroll in one of many programs DRS offers. For additional information, check out the web site.

Employees also have the ability to participate in the Nationwide Deferred Compensation Plan. This is a supplemental retirement savings program that allows you control over the amount of pre-tax salary dollars you defer as well as the flexibility to choose between multiple investment options.

Social Security:
All Pierce County employees are covered by the federal Social Security and Medicare systems. The county and the employee pay an equal amount into the system.
ORCA Passport Program
Pierce County employees may participate in the County's ORCA (One Regional Card for All) Passport program.
Your Pierce County issued ORCA card is loaded with an annual Passport pass. The pass automatically renews every year. The pass will provide you with free transportation on regularly scheduled service on several public transit systems.

Miscellaneous Benefits:
Please visit website for more information.

Telework/Remote Options:
Some departments allow for telework or work-from-home options dependent on the body of work. Learn more about our telework policy
**All employees are required to be WA State residents after 30 days of employment.
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