The Northern California Division's Public Affairs Department, located in Pleasanton, California has an opening for a Director of Public and Government Affairs.

Qualifications:
• 4 year college degree, preferably in Journalism, Communications or Business.
• 5-7 years public relations experience.
• Local and state government relations experience, including legislative and regulatory issues.
• Media relations experience. Able to speak for the Company before print and broadcast media.
• Experience in community relations, managing a donation budget and organizing fund raising activities.
• Experience executing fundraising programs and managing partnerships with non-profit organization

Publication writing, editing and design experience.
• Strong negotiation, problem solving and decision making skills.
• Management/employee supervisory skills.
• Superior oral communications skills. Able to speak for the Company in a range of forums.
• Excellent written communications skills.

Ability to travel approximately 10% of the time (overnight travel) in Northern California.

Key Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
• Direct all media, government and community relations programs for 273 store network in California, Hawaii and Nevada.
• Manage media relations for business and charitable objectives, advise division management on handling of media inquiries, and serve as primary company spokesperson.
• Oversee state and local government relations by working jointly with regulatory agencies, industry associations and lobbyists to advance key legislative issues.
• Administer all division donation programs, including Safeway Foundation and general donation budget.

Create fundraising programs to support the Safeway Foundation campaing for hunger relief, education, health and human services and people with disabilities

• Coordinate division events, including new store openings, annual store managers' meeting, and others as assigned.
• Develop written communications, including quarterly newsletters, labor updates and web content, for public and internal audiences.
• Prepare letters, speeches, talking points and other communications for Division President.
• Manage highly-sensitive customer relations issues as well as the general public affairs function, including oversight of the department's administrative assistant.


Salary: Salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Closing Date: May 8, 2009