Communications and Engagement Officer

Salary: £24.8 per hour

Communications and Engagement Officer

£24.8 per hour PAYE / £25.75 per hour umbrella PAYE

JOB PURPOSE

To develop, manage and evaluate communications and engagement campaigns on Council services across a range of channels and media, as part of a multidisciplinary team. To manage the reputation of the Council through effective media relations, social media and stakeholder management.

DUTIES

1. To develop internal and external communications and engagement plans, campaigns and marketing activities across different media for Council services in accordance with the Council’s priorities.

2. To develop, write, edit and review content for the Council’s communication channels including websites, printed publications, speeches, press releases and social media accounts, ensuring that it is of a high quality, meets corporate standards, is suitable for the target audience, accessible, and useful.

3. To liaise with and establish a good rapport with local, national and specialist media, deal with media enquiries, and prepare press releases and statements to represent the Council’s position within agreed deadlines. To ensure that media calls and responses are logged appropriately on the Council’s systems.

4. To ensure a pro-active approach to communications through a positive use of forward planning and meetings with councillors and officers, including cabinet members and senior officers/Directors.

5. To take an active role in the development of the Council’s social media activities to ensure that the content of the Council’s social media profiles is closely monitored and kept up to date. To use social media to engage with residents and help protect the Council’s reputation.

6. To contribute to the delivery of the Council’s corporate web development projects, enabling delivery of online solutions to deliver services efficiently in line with Cabinet priorities.

7. To manage consultation and engagement projects in line with the council’s priorities including:

* carrying out desk research where appropriate

* designing consultations using an appropriate mix of consultation methods

* write reports on the outcome of engagement and consultation projects

* feed back to consultees, stakeholders, senior managers, councillors and partners

8. To advise council departments on engagement activity to ensure that it is carried out to a standard that will preserve the Council’s reputation and ensure the consultation or engagement is successful.

9. To work with designers and contractors to successfully deliver the council’s communications, publications and digital services, overseeing the quality of work.

10. To provide advice to senior officers, councillors, council departments and contractors and to work with them on a range of communications issues, including providing media training where required and guidance on dealing with the media and conducting interviews. To provide a daily wash up listing all communication issues from each day to keep senior officers and cabinet members informed.

11. To, when required, represent the Communications and Engagement Team and/or the council at public-facing meetings and at meetings with partners and stakeholders. To speak in public and deliver presentations as required.

12. To develop and implement public affairs campaigns when required, to lead on devising specific campaigns, and to develop strategies and campaigns that enable the Council to reach and influence key relevant decision makers. To assist in drafting and proof reading of key policy documents.

13. To assist with media-related Freedom of Information Requests in line with council processes.

14. To maintain a detailed knowledge of the issues affecting local government and the key corporate priorities of the Council.

15. To be part of a 24/7 communications and digital content team including being on an out-ofhours rota.

16. To follow established protocols for approval processes before content publication and work closely with service managers and chief officers to establish clarity of information.

17. Support other staff within Royal Borough of Greenwich to meet the Council’s strategic business objectives of improving online access to services and delivering efficient digital services and communications, providing guidance where appropriate.

18. Analyse and interpret of data and statistics from a variety of sources, presenting insight to support decision making and sharing knowledge.

19. Edit and approve web content that has been produced by other content providers, checking spelling, grammar, accuracy, usability and accessibility and the use of house style before publishing.

20. To continually test search results using the Council’s and widely-used search engines. To make adjustments to search engine configuration and metadata to ensure useful rankings.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

* Significant experience as a press officer, a communications officer, an engagement officer, journalist or web editor, or equivalent qualification.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

* A good understanding of the current issues affecting local government and in particular how they impact upon the Council and the way that it communicates with residents.

* Experience of developing and delivering communications and/or community engagement strategies.

* The ability to write clear, concise and accurate copy for a range of publications including websites, press releases, publications and social media.

* A strong news sense and the ability to effectively manage media interest in the Council’s activities – often on contentious matters – in a sensitive manner.

* Excellent communication, organisational and presentation skills, together with an ability to prioritise workloads, meet tight deadlines as part of a 24/7 team which operates an out of hours rota.

* Experience of operating standard IT packages including Microsoft Office, content management systems, engagement and media management systems.

* Ability to brief photographers to produce appropriate photographs suitable for use in newspapers and promotional literature.

* Working knowledge of HTML and the ability to tailor digital content to meet accessibility and usability standards.

* Experience of producing digital content, design and/or development of, online forms and other methods of digital engagement, and ability to develop these skills

* Knowledge and experience of using analytical and data