External Communications Officer

Location : Various, UK

About the job

Summary

This is an exciting opportunity to join the external communications team, supporting the delivery of our clients business strategy. You will work with senior managers, communication experts, wider government agencies, journalists and other press offices.

Within this role, you will provide specialist professional external communication skills and advice to support their overarching communication strategy. You will support senior communication colleagues with the planning, management, delivery and evaluation of external communications for them.

Job description

Main duties:

You will be;

• Designing and delivering communication plans and campaigns to support their Business Strategy and objectives.
• Supporting the delivery of communication content across a range of channels, ensuring products are delivered to a high quality.
• Building strong working relationships with external stakeholder bodies to develop collaborative approaches to communications activities.
• Working in partnership with internal stakeholders and subject matter experts to design and deliver multi-channel communication campaigns using the GCS OASIS framework and ensuring a cohesive approach to all communications.
• Providing advice to colleagues about best practice in content (including use of plain English and style guides), target audiences, communication channels, layout and branding.
• Supporting the senior communication leads in providing strategic communication advice to leaders across the organisation and in developing their communication and engagement skills.
• Editing and proof-reading communications materials in line with their style guide, ensuring they are targeted to the right audience.
• Managing the commissioning and production process for communication materials across a range of strategic campaigns.
• Conducting evaluation of all communications activity, compiling reports for senior internal stakeholders and informing future campaign development.
• Working closely with media contacts to help inform and educate their customers and the public on all aspects of the organisation's work.
• Continuously improving the external communications function, implementing best practice and playing an active role in wider corporate communications development and planning activity.
• Aligning external communications to key programme delivery milestones and ensuring effective planning and scheduling of content.

Responsibilities

Essential Experience criteria:To meet the requirement of this role, you will have;

• Experience in a Communications role.
• Experience of planning, managing and delivering communication campaigns.
• Good understanding of current and emerging communication trends, audience groups and how to reach them.
• Proficient in communication tools and techniques, developing messages, and using low cost channels.
• Experience of working with external partners or stakeholders to share and support campaign messaging.
• Experience of assessing the effectiveness and impact of communications.
• Experience of writing press releases, statements, and other media briefing material.
• Ability to work on own initiative and quickly grasp complex issues.

Desirable Experience criteria:

• Familiarity of Government Communications Service (GCS) best practice and OASIS framework.
• Experience of working with journalists and the media to respond to enquiries, pitch stories, and arrange interviews.
• Experience across other communication disciplines, such as web design, social media and graphic design.
• Proficient in selecting appropriate visuals to improve the impact of communication.

Desirable Technical skills and qualifications:

• Relevant Chartered Institute of Public Relations or equivalent qualifications..

Where an individual taking up the responsibility will be based in the Swansea Office, the ability to speak Welsh is desirable.

The role is can be based in any of their 14 offices in line with their future ways of working. There may be a requirement for some travel for meetings and workshops.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

To apply you will need to enter your career history into the CV section of the online application form and complete a Statement of Suitability.

The sift will be completed shortly after the closing date.

In the event of a high volume of applications for this vacancy, an initial sift will be conducted on the CV section, followed by the lead Experience criterion, being:

• Experience of planning, managing and delivering communication campaigns.

and a full sift only carried out on those applications that pass the initial sift stages.

The final stage will consist of a blended interview and a pre-prepared presentation which will be conducted as a video interview in early October 2022.

The blended interview will test the experience and behaviours listed in the Vacancy Description within the attached Candidate Pack as well as the strengths associated with the role. They want to hear your first, unrehearsed, natural response to strength questions, and so They don't advertise which strengths are being tested.

Candidates may refer to notes within their video interview, but they should be used as a prompt only.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals