About the Department of Housing and Community Affairs

The Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA) works to preserve and increase the supply of affordable housing, maintain existing housing in a safe and sanitary condition, preserve the safety and quality of residential and commercial areas, ensure fair and equitable relations between landlords and tenants, and support the success of common ownership communities – all with a focus on reducing racial inequities and climate change impacts.

About the Position

DHCA is seeking a Program Manager I to coordinate community relations and outreach activities related to DHCA programs, working with DHCA staff, communities, business leaders and advisory boards and committees. This position operates under broadly stated guidelines that require extensive interpretation and considerable judgment for appropriate application.

This position reports directly to the DHCA Deputy Director and serves as a liaison between DHCA, county agencies, and the community.

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/IRC.

Montgomery County Government 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 a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Office of Human Resources via email to OHR@montgomerycountymd.gov. Individual determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made in accordance with all applicable laws.

Montgomery County Government also provides hiring preference to certain categories of veterans and veterans/persons with a disability. For more information and to claim employment preference, please 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 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 Eligible List as a "Lateral Transfer" candidate and may be considered for interview.

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.

Experience: Considerable (3 years) of professional experience in a program/specialization area directly related to communication, outreach, community engagement and other related tasks.

Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree.

Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.

No Preferred Criteria. All applicants will be reviewed by OHR for minimum qualifications. Applicants who meet minimum qualifications will be rated "Qualified," placed on the Eligible List, and may be considered for interview.

Qualified applicants will be selected for an interview with demonstrated experience in the following:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Effectively coordinate and produce outcomes amidst ambiguity or without clearly defined requirements or parameters.
• Meet deadlines, work independently, and handle competing requests from elected leaders, executives, County officials, staff, and internal and external stakeholders.
• Planning and conducting community outreach and communication activities.
• Defining and documenting program policies and procedures.
• Reviewing and analyzing data, financial documents, and complex regulations and laws that govern programs.
• Conducting program reviews and evaluations to include metrics, analyses, and program storyboards and presentations.
• Delivering new and/or enhanced communication and outreach strategies in an effective and respectful manner that supports communication across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic communities.
• Developing policies and procedures.
• Knowledge and experience of principles and practices of journalism, public relations.
• Knowledge and understanding of the Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA).
• Knowledge of National, State, and County government housing and community development issues, programs, and activities and the executive, legislative and judicial branches and how they interact.
• Experience in communication strategy using social media platforms.
• Experience in conducting policy and legislative research and data analysis.
• Strong writing, editing, and grammar skills to effectively address different audiences across various platforms, proficient in Associated Press Style Book and other writing styles to show attention to audience, context vocabulary, tone, nuance, and syntax.
• Ability to think critically and analytically under pressure in a fast-paced political environment to consistently meet deadlines while producing high quality work.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective and harmonious relationships with the news media, the public, and with people from culturally diverse backgrounds.
• Collaborative, team-player with great networking skills.
• Ability to attend meetings and perform other assignments at locations outside the office.