Outreach and Public Relations Specialist

Yolo County Flood Control & Water Conservation District

Outreach and Public Relations Specialist

Job Announcement

 Yolo County Flood Control & Water Conservation District (District) invites qualified applicants to apply for the position of Outreach and Public Relations Specialist to join the District and the Yolo Subbasin Groundwater Agency Team.

The (District), established in 1951, manages over 200,000 acres in Yolo County, providing conjunctive surface and groundwater resources for irrigation, municipal/industrial uses, groundwater recharge, habitat enhancement, and flood control. Key assets include the Cache Creek and Indian Valley Dams, the Capay Diversion Dam and an extensive canal system. The District’s mission is to plan, develop, and manage water resources for a safe, reliable supply at reasonable cost, to help sustain the socio-economic and environmental well-being of Yolo County communities such as Woodland, Davis, Winters, and throughout the Capay Valley.

The Yolo Subbasin Groundwater Agency (YSGA), formed in 2017 as a Joint Powers Authority with 26 members representing municipal, agricultural, and environmental interests (including the District, cities of Davis, West Sacramento, Woodland, and Winters, local reclamation districts, and the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation), is the exclusive Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) for the Yolo Subbasin. YSGA’s mission is to provide a dynamic, cost-effective, flexible, and collegial organization ensuring compliance with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The YSGA adopted its Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) in January 2022, focusing on sustainability goals such as maintaining groundwater levels, preventing subsidence, and protecting water quality through monitoring and implementation of projects and management actions. The YSGA contracts with the District to provide staffing, technical services, and facilities.

We are seeking a motivated Outreach and Public Relations Specialist to serve as a key member of the YSGA and District team, reporting directly to the General Manager of the District. This position will lead and coordinate public outreach, stakeholder engagement, and communications efforts to support the development and implementation of surface water and groundwater projects within the Yolo Subbasin. The role will involve building strong relationships with diverse stakeholders (agricultural, municipal, environmental, tribal, and community members), developing accessible messaging about groundwater sustainability, managing YSGA Management Area Committees and associated meetings and workshops, creating outreach materials, and helping maintain transparency and trust in the YSGA and District. The successful candidate will contribute to the District’s broader public engagement efforts related to water resources, recharge projects, and conjunctive use initiatives.

Examples of Essential Functions

The primary role of the Outreach and Public Relations Specialist is to lead and coordinate outreach, public relations, and stakeholder engagement activities for YSGA’s GSP implementation and support District public-facing projects and programs, including but not limited to the following:

1.    Plan, organize, and facilitate public meetings, workshops, community events, and listening sessions with urban, agricultural, environmental, tribal, and other stakeholders.

2.    Develop and distribute clear, accessible outreach materials (fact sheets, newsletters, website content, social media posts, infographics, presentations, and videos) explaining groundwater sustainability, SGMA requirements, and YSGA and District projects and programs.

3.    Manage and update the YSGA & District websites and social media channels with timely, accurate, and engaging content.

4.    Build and maintain positive working relationships with member agencies, landowners, water customers, community organizations, media outlets, and the public.

5.    Coordinate with technical staff to translate complex hydrogeologic and water management information into plain-language communications.

6.    Track and respond to public inquiries, comments, and concerns in a timely and professional manner.

7.    Develop and implement public involvement plans, community surveys, and feedback mechanisms to inform GSP updates and projects.

8.    Support grant applications by preparing outreach-related sections, budgets, and public benefit narratives.

9.    Organize and staff outreach booths at conferences, community events, farm days, fairs, and other public venues.

10. Prepare and support YSGA & District board agenda reports related to outreach and engagement; present updates at board meetings and committee meetings as needed.

11. Monitor media coverage and manage responses to press inquiries related to YSGA and District activities.

12. Collaborate with consultants and partners on communication campaigns and materials.

 Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

To be considered for the position, candidates for the Outreach and Public Relations Specialist must have the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:

Knowledge of:

1.    Principles and practices of public relations, community outreach, and stakeholder engagement.

2.    Effective communication strategies for diverse audiences, including agricultural producers, municipal residents, environmental groups, and tribal communities.

3.    SGMA, Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs), and basic concepts of groundwater management (enough to communicate accurately without performing technical analyses).

4.    Surface water rights, agricultural water management plans, and basic concepts of agricultural water management (enough to communicate accurately without performing technical analyses).

5.    Media relations, social media platform use and engagement analysis, and digital communication tools.

6.    Event planning and facilitation techniques for public meetings and workshops.

7.    Plain-language writing and visual communication best practices.

8.    California public agency processes, including Brown Act requirements for public meetings.

9.    Basic water resources issues in California (surface water, groundwater, conjunctive use, flood control).

 Required Skills

Proficient using or applying the following skills:

1.    Microsoft Office suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams) to create reports, presentations, and manage outreach data.

2.    Content creation, management, and engagement on social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, LinkedIn) and website (e.g., WordPress or similar).

3.    Graphic design tools (Canva, Adobe Creative Suite basics, or equivalent) to produce outreach materials.

4.    Organizing, promoting, and facilitating public meetings, both virtual and in-person.

5.    Writing and editing clear, accurate, and engaging content for non-technical audiences.

6.    Building trust and resolving concerns through active listening and responsive communication.

7.    Managing multiple projects and deadlines while maintaining attention to detail.

 Desirable Skills

Proficient using or applying the following skills in addition to “Required Skills” listed above:

1.    Experience using tools like Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or similar for email campaigns and newsletters.

2.    Using artificial intelligence large language models (e.g., Claude) to conduct research and support development of outreach work products.

3.    Familiarity with survey tools (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Google Forms) and basic data visualization (e.g., Tableau Public, Google Data Studio).

4.    Bilingual skills (English/Spanish) to reach diverse community members.

5.    Previous work in water resources, environmental issues, agriculture, or public agency settings.

6.    Experience supporting public processes under SGMA or similar regulatory frameworks.

 Minimum Qualifications

Experience: At least six (6) years of professional experience in public relations, community outreach, stakeholder engagement, communications, or a closely related field. Experience in water resources, environmental policy, agriculture, or public agency settings is highly desirable.

 Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in communications, public relations, journalism, environmental studies, public administration, or a related field.

 Required Licenses and/or Certifications

1.    California Class C driver license

 Work Environment

The Outreach and Public Relations Specialist primarily works in an office environment and is required to sit and/or stand for extended periods of time at a computer workstation. Persons in this position may work variable and/or extended hours when facilitating public meetings and events. The Outreach and Public Relations Specialist must regularly lift and/or move objects up to 25 lbs., use typical office, audio and visual equipment, and possesses hearing and vision with normal ranges, with or without correction. Persons in this position drive to meeting and project locations along paved and unpaved roads. This position also requires the ability to drive in a pickup along paved and unpaved roads, entering and exiting the pickup.

This is a full-time position based on a forty-hour workweek, with occasional extended hours necessary.

A physical exam and substance screening are required prior to job placement.

Compensation and Benefits

The District offers a competitive salary commensurate with the selected applicant’s experience and qualifications, and a generous benefit package. The expected salary range is: $90,000 – $105,000. Placement within the range will be based on the selected candidate’s qualifications, relevant experience, internal equity, and organizational considerations.

The District’s benefit package includes medical, life, vision, and short- and long-term disability insurance, dental expenditure reimbursement, 403(a) retirement plan contributions, 457(b) deferred compensation match, flexible spending account, employee assistance plan, paid holidays, sick leave, and vacation. To determine approximate total compensation, add an additional 35% to the salary. This more accurately represents the total benefits received as an employee.

This is an at-will, exempt position.

To Apply

Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply by submitting a cover letter and resume via email to Jennifer Reed at jreed@ycfcwcd.org.

 The deadline to apply is 5 p.m., July 3, 2026.

Job Posting Statement

Yolo County Flood Control & Water Conservation District prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.