Salary : $88,015.20 - $107,103.36 Annually
Location : San Jose
Job Type: Full-Time
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Job Number:
DEPART: Fire Department
Opening Date: 09/22/2026
Closing Date: 10/1/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

About the Department
The San José Fire Department's (SJFD) mission is to serve the community by protecting life, property, and the environment through prevention and response. SJFD is a high-volume, high-performance, "all hazard" fire department, responding to approximately 110,000 calls for service each year from 34 Fire Stations. SJFD's service area includes a number of high-hazard occupancies, including an international airport; a general aviation reliever airport; five major hospitals (including two trauma centers, and five emergency departments); the SAP Center, home of the NHL's San Jose Sharks (17,500 capacity); PayPal Park, home of MLS's San Jose Earthquakes and the NWSL's Bay FC (18,000 capacity); San José State University (the oldest public institution of higher education on the West Coast) with a student population of 36,000; three super regional malls; approx. 100 high-rise structures; and the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Position Duties
The Fire Department is currently seeking to fill one full-time Public Information Representative I/II in the Office of the Fire Chief.
Reporting to the Public Information Manager, the Public Information Representative I/II (PIR) will support the San José Fire Department's public information and community engagement efforts, with primary responsibility for overseeing the Department's community outreach program, developing multilingual public education materials, and creating content for the Department's social media channels.
The PIR will oversee and coordinate community outreach efforts designed to build strong relationships between the San José Fire Department and the diverse communities it serves. This includes developing and supporting public education programs, coordinating community presentations and engagement opportunities, and working with firefighters and Department personnel to provide the resources, guidance, and support necessary for effective community outreach.
The PIR will develop multilingual public education materials and messaging for a diverse audience, with an emphasis on fire prevention and life safety. Materials and programs may address a variety of occupancies and audiences, including restaurants, small businesses, apartment buildings, single-family residences, and other community settings. The PIR will also develop and promote focused safety campaigns throughout the year, including campaigns associated with holidays, seasonal changes, and emerging fire and life safety concerns. The position will maintain appropriate inventories of public education materials and supplies, including brochures, activity books, and other outreach resources.
The PIR will develop engaging, timely content for the Department's social media channels and other digital platforms. This includes identifying opportunities to highlight Department programs, services, community partnerships, events, safety information, personnel, and other activities that support the Department's mission to protect life, property, and the environment.
The PIR will also support the Department's media relations efforts, including providing assistance with incident-related media updates as needed and coordinating proactive media opportunities to promote Department programs, safety campaigns, community events, and other initiatives. The position will support internal and external events, press conferences, and other Department activities; provide updates to the Department's website; and assist with other public information and communications needs as assigned.
Salary range(s) for this classification is/are:

• Public Information Representative I: $88,015.20 - $107,103.36
• Public Information Representative II: $97,144.32 - $118,067.04

This salary range(s) includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation. Actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates' qualifications and experience.

Minimum Qualifications
Public Information Representative I

Education and Experience: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in journalism, communications, advertising, marketing, public relations, public administration, or closely related field. No minimum experience required.
Public Information Representative II

Education and Experience: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in journalism, communications, advertising, marketing, public relations, public administration, or closely related field and two years of progressively responsible professional public information, marketing, or public relations experience. No substitution for education.
Acceptable Substitutions: Additional years of professional experience in public relations, public information, or other related experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis up to two years.

Licensing requirements for both classifications:
Valid California driver's license or the ability to obtain one.

Other Qualifications
The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history:

• Communication Skills - communicates and listens effectively and responds in a timely, effective, positive, and respectful manner; written reports and correspondence are accurate, complete, and current; well-organized, legible, concise, neat, and in proper grammatical form.
• Customer Service - demonstrates ability to anticipate internal and external customers' needs and deliver services effectively and efficiently in a timely, accurate, respectful and friendly manner.
• Flexibility - makes effective decisions and achieves desired results in the midst of major changes in responsibilities, work processes, timeframes, performance expectations, organizational culture, or work environment.
• Political Skills - demonstrates an understanding and consideration of how actions will affect stakeholders and other areas in the organization.
• Job Expertise - Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations
• Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills - Develops effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.
• Project Management - Ensures support for projects and implements agency goals and strategic objectives
• Planning - Acts to align own unit's goals with the strategic direction of the organization; defines tasks and milestones to achieve objectives, while ensuring the optimal use of resources to meet those objectives.
• Initiative: Exhibits resourceful behaviors toward meeting job objectives; anticipates problems, is proactive, and avoids difficulties by planning ahead; displays willingness to assume extra responsibility and challenges; pursues continuing education opportunities that promotes job performance.

Selection Process:

The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to all the job specific questions. You must answer all questions to be considered or your application may be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Only those candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews.

If you have questions about the duties of these positions, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Laura Black at
Additional Information:

Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email and we will research the status of your application.

AI and the Hiring Process

We recognize that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming part of daily life and can be a valuable tool for learning, research, and professional growth. We encourage candidates to use AI responsibly as a support in preparing application materials, live assessments, and interviews. However, we value authenticity, accuracy and truthfulness. Application responses and interview answers must reflect your own knowledge, skills, and experiences. While AI can supplement preparation, it cannot replace the originality and judgment we look for in our employees. This ensures fairness, transparency, and equity for all applicants in the hiring process.
The City of San Jose offers a wide range of core health benefits including Medical, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Disability, and Savings Plans. Please visit the City's for detailed information on coverage, cost, and dependent coverage.

For information on the City's Retirement Plan(pension for full-time employees), please visit the Office of Retirement Services You will be able to view information based on different Sworn/Federated job classification.

In additional to the benefits above, there is an to explore further benefits of working for the City of San Jose like paid leave, educational reimbursements, and holiday pay are specific to the job classification and union membership.
01

Please select how you best meet the minimum qualifications for this position:

• I have a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in journalism, communications, advertising, marketing, public relations, public administration, or closely related field, and a CA drivers license, or the ability to obtain one.
• I have a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in journalism, communications, advertising, marketing, public relations, public administration, or closely related field, two years of progressively responsible professional public information, marketing, or public relations experience, and a CA drivers license or the ability to obtain one.
• I have one year of full-time college credit, at least 3 years of progressively responsible professional public information, marketing, or public relations experience, and a CA drivers license or the ability to obtain one.
• I have an AA/AS degree, at least 2 years of progressively responsible professional public information, marketing, or public relations experience, and a CA drivers license or the ability to obtain one.
• I do not meet the minimum qualifications for this position.

02

Please describe your experience developing and delivering public information, public education, or community engagement programs. Include the audiences you have served, types of programs or materials you have developed, and your role in planning and delivering these efforts.
03

Please describe your experience with media relations. Include your experience responding to media inquiries, developing media materials, coordinating interviews or news conferences, and proactively identifying opportunities to promote programs, events, or initiatives.
04

Please describe your experience creating photo, video, and written content for social media and other digital platforms. Include the types of content you have created, platforms you have used, and your role in developing, editing, and publishing the content.
Required Question