PUBLIC INFORMATION SPECIALIST II (WORKING TITLE: COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST) - SES - 43005023

Requisition No: 869272 

Agency: Financial Services

Working Title: PUBLIC INFORMATION SPECIALIST II (WORKING TITLE: COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST) - SES - 43005023

 Pay Plan: SES

Position Number: 43005023 

Salary:  $55,000.00 - $70,000.00 

Posting Closing Date: 02/16/2026 

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*****OPEN COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY*****

CLASS TITLE: PUBLIC INFORMATION SPECIALIST II

WORKING TITLE: COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

DIVISION: FLORIDA PALM

CITY: TALLAHASSEE

COUNTY: LEON

What is the Florida PALM Project?
The Florida PALM Project is an enterprise project to replace the State of Florida’s legacy accounting, payroll, information warehouse, and cash management systems, using an enterprise resource planning solution. The replacement of the cash management systems, known as the CMS Wave, was completed in July 2021. The next major implementation, the Financials, Payroll, and Data Warehouse / Business Intelligence Wave, is currently underway and scheduled for Go-Live in January 2027. The Department of Financial Services is leading this statewide initiative, which impacts stakeholders and users of the State’s financial data, including all State agencies.

Who are we?
We are an innovative team of experts specializing in financial operations, business analysis, project management, change management and stakeholder relations. Working as part of the team at Florida PALM provides a great opportunity to be part of a mission-driven organization that strongly supports its employees’ professional growth and development through training opportunities and knowledge sharing. You will also be able to see your work directly supporting the transformation of business processes for the Florida State government.

Why work with Florida PALM?
Florida PALM is the State of Florida’s next-generation financial management platform, built on PeopleSoft, a technology that is used by national and international organizations across many industries to support a broad range of business and accounting functions.

Florida PALM is already a valuable part of Florida’s financial management processes. Since the CMS Wave Go-Live, the Florida PALM Solution Center has supported over 1,000 users across 35 agencies.

The next implementation will expand to over 3,000 users and integrate with more than 200 business systems, covering all major financial processes such as accounting, budgeting, payroll, and reporting.

Following this rollout, a dedicated support team will maintain and enhance the system through regular updates and new capabilities. Members of the Florida PALM Team experience valuable professional growth opportunities in areas like technology, project management, and change management – equipping them with skills that are highly transferable.

Check out this “We are Hiring” flyer, located on our Project Team page, for more helpful information.

To learn more about the Florida PALM Project Team, visit our Project Team page: https://myfloridacfo.com/floridapalm/project-team

SPECIAL NOTES:

In order to be considered for this position, applicant responses to the qualifying questions and work experience must be clearly defined within your work history, or the application may not be considered for the position.

Bachelor’s degree in a field such as public relations, marketing, communications, journalism, or design is preferred.

Requirements:

• Proficient in developing creative content (newsletters, websites, infographics) using creative tools such as Adobe Suite, Canva, and PowerPoint.
• Experience writing and editing content for both internal and external stakeholders, such as newsletters, communications or meeting minutes.
• Experience coordinating pre-meeting logistics and running in-person and virtual meetings, workshops, on-site meetings, or other events of various sizes.
• Ability to walk, kneel, bend, twist, lift, and carry light to medium load up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to travel in the vicinity of Tallahassee to support offsite meetings or events using own vehicle.

This position requires a security background check, including fingerprint as a condition of employment.

Salary Range: $55,000.00 - $70,000.00.

Employees of the Department of Financial Services are paid on a monthly pay cycle.

Responses to qualifying questions must be clearly supported by the state application and any omission, falsification, or misrepresentation in the answering of the qualifying questions will be cause for immediate elimination from the selection process.

Minimum Qualifications for this position include the following REQUIRED ENTRY LEVEL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of the principles and techniques of effective communication.
• Knowledge of operating virtual software and of audio-visual equipment for managing on-site meeting logistics.
• Skill in Microsoft Office suite, with proficiency in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint applications.
• Skill in web design.
• Ability to produce creative content (e.g., posters, flyers, marketing communications) using design applications such as Publisher, Canva, Adobe, Paint, and the Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to effectively communicate information, verbally, visually, and in writing to individuals or groups.
• Ability to independently plan, organize, and coordinate work assignments.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to communicate Project information through creative imagery and messaging and by using a range of medias.
• Ability to define new or refine current communication strategies and media opportunities.
• Ability to plan, organize and conduct workshops, meetings, and other events in-person or virtually, ranging from a group of 10 to more than 100 participants.
• Ability to research, collaborate, prepare reports, presentations, and other formal documents.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES:

OBJECTIVE:

This position will:

• Assist with leading, designing, delivering, and supporting the execution of Florida PALM communications to internal and external stakeholders through a variety of communication media and principles.
• Support the planning, presenting, and tracking of Project meetings and workshops.
• Be highly collaborative and supportive to all areas of the Project, and must excel in communicating to a wide variety of audiences; and
• Partner with Project team members and external stakeholders to help the State make a business transition according to the overall Project plan.

Operational:

• Creating and maintaining desktop procedures.
• Working with Communications Manager to coordinate daily and ongoing tasks and responsibilities to prioritize and ensure timely and effective completion.
• Adhering to DFS policies at all times (e.g., security, dress code, ethics).
• Working as a team player and demonstrating a “teamwork” attitude and professional demeanor.
• Applying critical thinking (e.g., don’t just solve the problem at hand, solve the core problem).
• Communicating concerns or issues to Communications Manager, Deputy Project Director, or Project Director, as appropriate.

Communications:

• Drafting communications to multi-tiered stakeholder groups across People, Process, Technology and Project Management.
• Managing timing and consistency of all Project communications, including agency tasks, Project updates, meetings, and production support.
• Protecting the Project brand through consistent information, accuracy, professionalism, and consistency.
• Reviewing and edits documents, deliverables, manuals, emails, presentations, and other artifacts used for external use.
• Designing marketing communications for meetings, agency activities, system enhancements, website material, and more.
• Proactively recommending communications to align with Project activities.
• Creating ad hoc communications and materials to support all areas of the Project.
• Maintaining and recommending updates to the external Project website.
• Maintaining internal collaboration website and recommends internal communications.
• Managing the Florida PALM inbox by reviewing, replying, or sharing stakeholder correspondence with the Project team.
• Providing creative solutions for innovative ways to communicate with stakeholders.
• Researching new or improved communication strategies.
• Managing the Project’s communication tools, including virtual meeting applications, marketing software, survey application, and audio-visual equipment.
• Traveling to, and managing on-site logistics for, monthly executive meetings.

If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS on how your current benefits will be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida. Your current retirement benefits may be canceled, suspended, or deemed ineligible depending upon the date of your retirement.

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.