At Smart Energy GB, we aim to engage and communicate with our diverse nation about the smart meter rollout across England, Scotland, and Wales. We are an independent organisation set up by the government to deliver the national public engagement campaign, raise awareness of smart meters and drive adoption of this technology in everyone's homes. Smart meters are essential building blocks in the creation of a cleaner, greener energy system for the future.
Key Tasks / Responsibilities
Campaign strategy and planning
- Show initiative and take a forward-looking approach to delivering integrated communications campaigns from initial planning through to review, supporting Smart Energy GB’s strategic priorities and helping to protect and promote the reputation of smart meters and the rollout
- Turn organisational objectives, audience insight and research into campaign strategies that set out priority audiences, key messages, communications activity and intended outcomes
- Determine the channel mix and delivery approach for each campaign, and identify relevant news, consumer, cultural and policy moments that could increase their reach and impact
Campaign delivery
- Maintain oversight of several concurrent campaigns and workstreams, managing budgets, milestones, dependencies, risks and approvals, and taking action if delivery moves off track
- Work collaboratively with the Digital Team and colleagues across Smart Energy GB, as well as agencies, industry stakeholders and external partners, to coordinate and deliver joined-up activity
- Commission and oversee high-quality campaign content and materials, working with talent, influencers and other partners where appropriate to increase their reach and impact
- Set delivery requirements for agencies and suppliers, and oversee their performance against agreed objectives, timescales and quality standards, ensuring activity delivers value for money
- Ensure campaign content is engaging, accessible and accurate, and consistent with Smart Energy GB’s agreed messaging
- Work with the Insights Team to ensure campaigns are informed by relevant audience insight and assessed against agreed objectives
Corporate communications and media relations
- Deliver thought leadership activity that strengthens Smart Energy GB’s profile and that of the smart meter rollout
- Produce and commission high-quality communications content and proactively identify appropriate opportunities to pitch campaign stories and content to the media
- Respond to journalist enquiries, providing accurate, timely and accessible information
- Build constructive relationships with relevant journalists, stakeholders and external contacts, and manage high profile and sensitive issues
- Coordinate wider corporate communications activity and provide advice to colleagues on campaign and communications activity, escalating issues and reputational risks where appropriate
Wider responsibilities
- Identify practical opportunities to improve campaign planning, content development and ways of working within the Communications Team
- Work with the Digital and Website Teams to ensure SEGB’s communications content remains current, accessible and effective as search, AI and other tools evolve
- Deputise for the Senior Communications Manager when required and undertake other responsibilities as requested by the Head of Communications or other senior colleagues
- Work collaboratively with colleagues across Smart Energy GB and contribute to an inclusive and supportive working environment
- Take part in the Communications Team’s 24/7 duty press office rota, including responding to media enquiries outside normal working hours when necessary
Essential
Skills, experience and competencies
- A curious and growth-oriented approach, with sound judgement and the confidence to deputise for the Senior Communications Manager when required
- Demonstrable experience of using audience insights to independently develop and deliver effective communications or PR campaigns from initial planning through to delivery
- Demonstrable experience of independently managing several concurrent campaigns, including budgets, milestones, stakeholders and competing priorities
- Demonstrable experience of briefing and managing communications agencies, suppliers or other external partners, and providing clear, constructive feedback
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience of producing or commissioning clear, accurate and engaging content for different audiences and channels
- A strong understanding of what makes a good story and experience of responding to journalist enquiries and pitching stories to the media
- The ability to independently identify communications opportunities arising from policy developments and the wider news agenda, and translate them into effective communications activity
- Excellent relationship-building and stakeholder-management skills, with the confidence to coordinate input from multiple internal and external contributors
- Demonstrable experience of using AI tools to support and enhance communications work, with a strong understanding of the need for accuracy, responsible use, appropriate human oversight and the need to critically assess AI-generated content
- Appreciation of the objectives and activities of Smart Energy GB
- Appreciate the diversity of the people and communities of Great Britain and embrace this diversity in your approach to work
Desirable
- Experience of communications campaigns intended to support behaviour change, public engagement or the adoption of a service or technology
- Experience of working in the energy sector or in a high-profile or scrutinised environment involving consumer issues, government, public policy or a regulated industry
- Experience of managing project or campaign budgets and monitoring the performance of agencies or suppliers
- A strong understanding of how audiences discover, consume and share information across digital, social, search and emerging platforms
Diversity
Smart Energy GB is an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity. We use data to measure the effectiveness of our attraction and selection methods to ensure that they are fair and equitable and that opportunities at Smart Energy GB are accessible to people from all backgrounds.
We actively encourage applications from currently under-represented groups. We have identified ethnic minority, lower socioeconomic backgrounds, disability and gender as the key areas we would like to focus our recruitment efforts.
What do we do to promote diversity and inclusion at Smart Energy GB?
Every person who applies for a role at Smart Energy GB is asked to complete a diversity questionnaire and they are asked whether or not they consent to their diversity data being taken into consideration at the shortlisting stage.
We are building a team that is able to understand the needs of and effectively communicate with the whole of our diverse nation. We want our team to reflect the diversity of the wider population, in terms of the representation of people from ethnic minority and lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
If consent is given, of the candidates who meet the essential selection criteria for the role and who are from ethnic minority or lower socio-economic backgrounds, at least one will be shortlisted for the next stage in the recruitment process, which is usually an interview.
All disabled applicants who meet the minimum requirements of the job as set out in the job description will be guaranteed an interview if consent is given for this data to be considered at the shortlisting stage.
Please let us know if there’s anything we can do to make our interview process or working environment more inclusive and to meet your particular needs. Our offices have full wheelchair access.