Communications Specialist (Ventura Water)

Applications are accepted exclusively through the City of Ventura Career Site:

www.cityofventura.ca.gov/jobs. Submissions through other websites or methods will not be accepted.

Applications and supplemental questions will be accepted until Monday, November 9, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.

Pay & Benefits

Whether you're starting your career journey or seeking new opportunities, we welcome all and offer:

• Competitive pay and benefits
• Strong support for professional development
• Vacation & Holiday Compensation
• Deferred Compensation
• CalPERS Retirement
• Tuition Reimbursement & Bilingual Pay

Pay (Salary DOQ):

• $82,413.35 - $110,434.69 Annually

About the Opportunity

The City of Ventura is hiring a creative, collaborative, and community-focused Communications Specialist to join Ventura Water! This newly created position offers a unique opportunity to help shape and strengthen Ventura Water communications, community engagement, and customer service support efforts.

Reporting directly to the Ventura Water General Manager, the Communications Specialist will develop and implement strategic communications initiatives, coordinate community outreach and public education efforts, and create engaging content that connects residents and businesses with Ventura Water programs, services, and projects. The position will also support customer assistance initiatives, coordinate public events, and help communicate important information about water, infrastructure improvements, and VenturaWaterPure.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Developing, coordinating, and implementing communications, public relations, marketing, and community outreach initiatives to promote Ventura Water programs, services, projects, and customer support efforts.
• Creating engaging and informative content for various communication channels, including social media, websites, newsletters, press releases, presentations, public service announcements, advertising campaigns, and educational materials.
• Supporting Ventura Water customer assistance programs by conducting outreach, assisting customers with program enrollment, monitoring customer-facing communication portals, and coordinating timely responses to customer inquiries, concerns, and complaints.
• Leading and coordinating the Ventura Water Outreach Task Force, including scheduling meetings and outreach activities, recruiting and training participating staff, developing consistent messaging, and overseeing event logistics.
• Planning and coordinating community outreach activities, public meetings, educational workshops, facility tours, ribbon-cutting and groundbreaking ceremonies, community academies, and other special events to strengthen public awareness and engagement.
• Developing public communications, notices, and educational materials related to water and wastewater rate studies and adjustments, Proposition 218 noticing requirements, and water conservation regulations, ensuring information is clear, accurate, and accessible to the community.
• Coordinating communications, branding, and community outreach efforts for VenturaWaterPure, water and wastewater infrastructure improvements, capital improvement projects, and other major Ventura Water initiatives.
• Collaborating with the City's Communications Division, Ventura Water staff, City staff, and external stakeholders to ensure consistent messaging. Coordinating internal communications and presentations, and communicating critical information during planned service interruptions, water outages, and emergencies.
• Preparing and distributing media releases, feature articles, public service announcements, and promotional materials, coordinating media coverage, advertising placements, and public relations activities to increase awareness of Ventura Water's services and initiatives.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of communications and community outreach campaigns, analyzing customer feedback and engagement data, and identifying opportunities to strengthen public education, customer experience, and community relations.

The Ideal Candidate - Preferred Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Demonstrated experience in public relations, strategic communications, and community engagement.
• Experience providing one-on-one customer assistance, explaining programs and services, and responding to customer questions with clarity and professionalism
• A creative and collaborative approach to developing effective communication strategies and compelling content.
• Exceptional writing and interpersonal skills, including the ability to translate complex technical information into clear, accessible messages for diverse audiences.
• Strong organizational skills and resourcefulness, with experience managing multiple projects and coordinating public outreach initiatives.
• The ability to build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• A commitment to public service, environmental stewardship, and delivering exceptional customer experiences.
• Professional experience or knowledge of the water, wastewater, or public utilities industry, is highly desirable.

Minimum Qualifications - Required

A combination of training, education, and experience equivalent to a bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, or a related field, and two years of progressively responsible experience in marketing, media, fundraising, public relations or communications, including some supervision and coordination of major functions is required.

License: Depending on assignment, possession of a valid California Class C driver's license may be required.

About Ventura Water

Ventura Water provides drinking water to more than 109,000 people through approximately 32,000 water service connections. This complex water system has more than 391 miles of pipeline, 3 water treatment plants, 23 pump stations and 31 reservoirs. Our community relies on three 100% local water sources - the Ventura River, Lake Casitas, and local groundwater wells, as well as, providing reclaimed water from the Ventura Water Reclamation Facility to two municipal golf courses, the Ventura Marina area, and private customers for landscape irrigation. We maintain a full-service laboratory and monitor our water quality daily.

For more information about Ventura Water, visit https://www.cityofventura.ca.gov/2268/Ventura-Water.

How to Apply

Submit an online City job application and supplemental questionnaire by the filing deadline.

• It is important that your city job application show all the relevant education, training, and experience you possess. Resumes, CVs, and cover letters may be attached to your application but will not be accepted in lieu of a completed job application or supplemental questionnaire. Submitting an incomplete application or supplemental questionnaire may disqualify you from further consideration in the recruitment process.
• After you apply, all future correspondence from the city will be via E-Mail. Please check your messages regularly and keep your contact information up to date using your on-line application.

Selection Process

• All applications and supplemental questionnaires submitted will be screened in relation to the criteria outlined in this job announcement. Candidates will be reviewed, and only those candidates determined to be most qualified based on experience, training, and education, as submitted, will be invited to participate further in the selection process. Candidates will be notified about their status after the filing deadline.
• Those candidates whose qualifications most closely match the requirements of the position will be invited to a qualifying panel interview process examination. Candidates will be notified of specifics after the examination process has been completed. Initial panel interviews will be conducted in-person. Candidates will be notified of specifics at the appropriate time.

Eligibility List

The Eligibility List established for this classification may be used to fill other regular and temporary vacancies at the discretion of the City.

THE SCHEDULE

The timeline dates are subject to change. Candidates will be notified as necessary.

• Monday, November 9, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. - Application Deadline. Applications and supplemental questionnaires must be submitted by this date to be considered for the position.
• Week of November 16, 2026 - Candidates will be notified by email of their status by this date.
• Week of December 7, 2026 - Panel Interviews are tentatively scheduled for this week. Qualifying candidates will be notified by email if they are invited to the panel interview process.
• Department Selection Interviews will be scheduled promptly after the panel interviews have been completed. Qualifying candidates will be notified by phone or email if they are invited to the department interview process.
• December 2026 - Candidates will be notified of the outcome of the interview by this date.

Additional Information

For additional information on the duties and responsibilities of the position, refer to the job descriptions located on the City's Career Page at City of Ventura Jobs or by viewing here Communications Specialist.

To learn more about the City's hiring process, visit the City of Ventura Hiring Process page.

Questions? Contact the Recruitment Team:

recruitment@cityofventura.ca.gov

(805) 654-7802

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), if you need an accommodation in a selection process, please notify the Human Resources Department in writing by the final filing date of the position you are interested in. The Human Resources address is: 501 Poli Street, Room 210, Ventura, CA 93001, (805) 654-7853, e-mail: recruitment@cityofventura.ca.gov.

The City is an equal opportunity employer and strives to attract qualified applicants from all walks of life without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state and/or local law. We aim to create an environment that celebrates and embraces the diversity of our workforce. We welcome you to join our team!