Job Details

Public Information Officer 1/2

At the Louisiana Department of Education, our mission is to ensure equity and excellence for every student. Our Division of Communications makes that mission visible — translating complex policy into clear, accessible information that families, educators, and the public can understand, trust, and act on.

We are looking for a Public Information Officer 1/2 to serve as a Communications Specialist within the Division of Communications, supporting the Office of Early Childhood and program offices across the agency. In this role, you will produce public-facing content across newsletters, social media, the LDOE website, and event-related communications keeping our message clear, accurate, accessible, and consistent. You will partner closely with the Office of Early Childhood on a core programmatic partnership, helping develop content, newsletters, and ongoing website updates, and you will support public engagement tools like the LDOE call center and the Ask LDOE Zendesk portal. Success in this role means strong writing and editing, an eye for plain language and accessibility, comfort with digital content tools, and a collaborative, service-minded approach. If you enjoy turning technical information into content people can actually use and want your work to reach families and educators statewide, this is an exciting opportunity to make an impact.

Applicants with the following experience are encouraged to apply:

• Experience producing public-facing communications such as newsletters, press releases, talking points, memos, and FAQs
• Strong plain-language writing and editing skills, including translating technical or policy content for public and educator audiences
• Experience managing organizational social media and creating platform-appropriate content
• Proficiency with website content management systems and applying web accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG)
• Experience creating basic graphics, photos, and short video clips for digital outreach
• Familiarity with customer-support or public-engagement tools (e.g., a call center or help-desk/ticketing platform such as Zendesk)
• Proficiency with Google Workspace (Google Suite) and Microsoft Office
• Proficiency with Constant Contact
• Experience supporting communications in a government, education, or other public-sector environment

Candidates with the following skills and competencies are encouraged to apply:

• Accepting Direction: The ability to be open and willing to follow guidance or instructions.
• Communicating Effectively: The ability to convey information, ideas, and emotions using structured communication methods that promote understanding and engagement.
• Thinking Critically: The ability to analyze information objectively, identify connections across sources, and form logical, well-supported conclusions.
• Driving Results: The ability to set and pursue goals, maintain focus amid competing demands, and deliver results.
• Thinking Strategically: The ability to anticipate trends, understand context, and align actions with long-term priorities.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Three years of experience in public relations, journalism, marketing, content creation, social media management, or graphic design; OR Six years of full-time experience in any field; OR A bachelor's degree. EXPERIENCE SUBSTITUTION: Every 30 semester hours earned from an accredited college or university will be credited as one year of experience towards the six years of full-time work experience in any field. The maximum substitution allowed is 120 semester hours which substitutes for a maximum of four years of experience in any field.

Job Duties and Other Information:

• Draft, edit, and distribute public-facing content — newsletters (including the monthly Early Childhood Connections newsletter), press releases, talking points, memos, FAQs, and internal updates
• Create and update LDOE website content, ensuring it is clear, accurate, accessible (WCAG and LDOE standards), and well-organized
• Develop, schedule, and publish social media content aligned with agency priorities, and monitor channels and engagement
• Translate technical or policy content into accessible, plain-language materials for public and educator audiences
• Partner with the Office of Early Childhood to identify messaging gaps and develop proactive outreach strategies
• Provide support for the LDOE call center and the Ask LDOE Zendesk portal during high-volume periods, and summarize inquiry trends for leadership
• Create basic graphics, photos, and short video clips for digital outreach
• Coordinate with program offices, IT, and Communications leadership to keep content accurate, consistent, and on-brand
• Perform routine website audits to identify outdated or missing content and post time-sensitive updates
• Track and report on engagement metrics, flagging emerging topics or misinformation

Position-Specific Details:

Appointment Type: Probational, Promotional, or Job Appointment. The person hired for this position is expected to regularly report to the Baton Rouge office. Current permanent classified state employees may be required to accept a probationary appointment, if selected.

Career Progression: This position participates in a Career Progression Group. As part of a Career Progression Group, vacancies may be filled from this recruitment as an Public Information Officer 1/2, depending on the level of experience of the selected applicant.

Work Schedule: Work hours are Monday - Friday. Work hours will be determined.

Compensation: The salary offered will be determined based on qualifications and experience.

Hourly: $19.30 – $37.88

Biweekly: $1,544.00 – $3,030.40

Annually: $40,144 – $78,790

Note regarding the advertised pay range: The maximum amounts listed are the maximum salary amounts a person can make over their career and not the maximum amount we are allowed to pay a new hire. Louisiana is a State As a Model Employer (SAME) that supports the recruitment, hiring, and retention of individuals with disabilities.

How To Apply:

No Civil Service test score is required in order to be considered for this vacancy.

To apply for this vacancy, click on the "Apply" link above and complete an electronic application, which can be used for this vacancy as well as future job opportunities.

You may attach a resume; however, only the information listed on the online application will be considered to determine qualification. All education, prior experience, including dates related to education and prior experience MUST be listed in the online application.

** Resumes WILL NOT be accepted in lieu of completed education and experience sections on your application. Applications may be rejected if incomplete. **

Note: Applicants are responsible for checking the status of their application to determine where they are in the recruitment process. Further status message information is located under the information section of the Current Job Opportunities page.

Contact Information:

For further information about this vacancy contact:

Louisiana Department of Education – Human Resources

PO Box 96064

Baton Rouge, LA 70804

lodejobs@la.gov

Louisiana is a State As a Model Employer (SAME) that supports the recruitment, hiring, and retention of individuals with disabilities.