Communications Consultant

Job Title

This role is with the Office of the Governor in Thurston County – Olympia, WA.

Job Description

The starting salary offer will be determined based on the successful candidates' qualifications within the starting salary range of $86,000 - $97,000 annually. This is a hybrid position with the ability to telework however, you will need to travel to in-person activities, meetings, and events according to business needs.

Why work for the Office of the Governor?

Are you a strong communicator who enjoys telling stories, connecting people with useful information, and helping make complex issues easier to understand? As part of the Governor's Office communications team, you'll help share the Governor's priorities, policies, and initiatives with people across Washington. Your work will include creating clear, accurate, and accessible written and visual content that helps the public better understand the work of state government.

The job opportunity

In this role, you'll collaborate with communications professionals across state agencies, research and gather information, and help ensure messaging is clear, timely, and consistent. You'll also support the Governor at public events, capturing photographs and video and helping turn those moments into engaging content for digital channels.

This is a fast-paced role for someone who enjoys variety, can manage multiple priorities and deadlines, and pays close attention to detail. If you're a thoughtful communicator who values accuracy, collaboration, and public service—and want to use your skills to help connect Washingtonians with the work of their government—we encourage you to apply.

Duties

What you'll work on

• Draft accessible and accurate press releases, statements, announcements, and other written communications for the Governor's Office based on established policy objectives, initiatives, events, and other source materials.
• Coordinate with communications staff in Cabinet agencies and other state agencies to gather information, confirm facts, support consistent messaging, and promote clear, plain-language communications regarding the Governor's priorities and initiatives.
• Staff the Governor at public events and appearances, capturing photographs and video for use by the Governor's Office and digital communications channels.
• Monitor and track communications and event-related deadlines, assignments, approvals, and final materials to ensure deliverables are completed accurately and on schedule.
• Collaborate with the digital content team to adapt written, photographic, and video content for social media, websites, and other digital platforms to increase public awareness and engagement.
• Research and gather information from state agencies, public sources, and other appropriate resources to support the development of accurate communications materials and respond to routine requests for information.
• Review and proofread communications materials for accuracy, clarity, grammar, consistency, plain-language use, and alignment with established messaging and formatting standards.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Experience with the following:
• Writing and editing clear, accurate, concise communications for different audiences and platforms, using plain-language principles.
• Adapting written and visual content for different communication channels, audiences, and formats, including digital and social media.
• Reviewing communications materials for accuracy, grammar, clarity, consistency, and alignment with established messaging, style, and formatting standards.
• Using basic photography and video techniques to capture usable photographs in a variety of event or public settings.
• Proficient in researching information from multiple sources, synthesizing key details, and identifying information that needs clarification, verification, or additional review before it is communicated publicly.
• Ability to work collaboratively with communications professionals, policy staff, subject-matter experts, event organizers, and other partners to gather information, coordinate activities, and produce timely communications.
• Ability to manage multiple assignments and competing deadlines, adjusting priorities as needed while maintaining accuracy and quality in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to receive and incorporate feedback, adapting work to meet established expectations, and communicating when additional direction or clarification is needed.
• Ability to use sound judgment when working with sensitive, unclear, or potentially high-impact information, including recognizing when an issue requires additional review or direction and appropriately protecting confidential, privileged, or personal information.
• Ability to learn and grow: Curious about themselves and others, take responsibility for knowing their own strengths and weaknesses, and use their learning to make government programs and processes more efficient and effective to serve all in Washington.
• Ability to meet the needs of others: Flexible, adaptable, customer-service focused, and willing and able to empathetically respond to the unique needs of the people we work with and serve.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience applying knowledge of legal issues, public policy, or policy implementation when researching, developing, or reviewing communications materials.

We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may be one from a less traditional background. Don't let doubts stop you from applying for this position. If you have transferable experience, please tell us about it or contact us with questions about the required qualifications and how your experience relates to them.

Supplemental Information

What we offer:

We foster a culture of integrity, innovation, inclusion, and belonging. We value both learned and lived experiences, believing that diversity makes us stronger. To support your health and well-being, we offer a variety of benefit programs for our employees.

Please visit our website for a full list of benefits available to employees. Here's a quick glance at some of the unique benefits that we offer:

• An environment of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging
• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance
• 12 paid holidays, 14 paid vacation days (minimum), and 12 days of sick leave per year
• State retirement programs

Application Process:

Once you've decided to apply for a state government job, you'll complete an online application to showcase your qualifications. Keep in mind that once you submit the application, a real person is going to read it. We do not use AI or other technology that screens your application and rejects it. So please be sure to provide clear and detailed information about your work history so your qualifications can be accurately assessed. We will contact the top candidates directly to schedule interviews. If you need reasonable accommodation in applying, please call 7-1-1 or View phone number on click.appcast.io.

When completing your application, we encourage you to attach all of the following:

• Cover letter: describing your qualifications for this specific position
• Resume: that details your applicable experience and education.
• References: at least three professional references and their contact information.

Questions:

Our Staff ASL interpreter is available to all deaf and hard of hearing applicants. For questions about this recruitment or to request a reasonable accommodation in the application or interview process, please email us at View email address on click.appcast.io.

The Office of the Governor is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, and disabled and Vietnam-era veterans are encouraged to apply.