Communications Officer

West Sussex County Council; Chichester; Hybrid; GBP 33,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Job summary

West Sussex County Council is seeking a Communications Officer in Chichester to deliver first-class communications to residents, stakeholders and partners. The role includes managing campaigns across print, digital and social media, and handling media enquiries with a strong understanding of the local media landscape.

You will join a team focused on delivering strategic communications, building relationships with diverse stakeholders, and evaluating activities to ensure impact.

Qualifications

• Ability to develop creative ideas across all forms of communication and input into platforms such as social media.
• Ability to write effectively for a range of audiences and deliver with accurate IT knowledge.
• Developed communication and interpersonal skills to engage with stakeholders and maintain relationships.

Responsibilities

• Deliver communications across campaigns and engagement work across print, digital and social channels.
• Support media enquiries on a variety of topics and monitor coverage.
• Evaluate activities to measure impact and adjust strategies accordingly.
• Build and maintain relationships with a range of stakeholders and understand local and national news agendas.

Skills

Creative ideas

Written communication

Stakeholder management

Problem solving

Workload management

Data interpretation

Education

Relevant degree or qualification

Tools

IT skills

Social media platforms

Job description

Salary: £32,597 to £35,412 per annum
Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract for 12 months
Working Pattern: Full-time - 37 hours per week
Location: Based at County Hall, West Street, Chichester PO19 1RQ with hybrid working.

We are looking for a creative individual to deliver first-class communications to our residents, stakeholders and partners.

Do you understand the media landscape alongside the political one? Do you have knowledge and experience of using communication channels to ensure messages get to the right people in the right way?

If the answer is yes, we want to hear from you! Read on to find out more about this exciting role

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do. Upon joining us you will have access to a range of benefits including the following:

For a full list, please visit our Rewards and Benefits page.

The opportunity

As a Communications officer, you will deliver a range of communications activities that align with our key strategic plans. You will work on campaigns and engagement work across a variety of channels, including print, digital and social media. You will also support with enquiries from the media on a variety of topics.

You will work on several creative projects at any one time and ensure that all communications activities are evaluated and assessed to ensure they are having the impact we are aiming for.

You will gain a full understanding of council services to successfully support the wider organisation and build and maintain key relationships with a variety of stakeholders. You will understand the news agenda, both locally and nationally, to ensure the council is in a good position to react and respond to anything of relevance.

You’ll be required to participate in an out-of-hours on-call rota, for which an additional allowance is provided.

About you

Some of the key skills, experience and knowledge required to be successful in the role include:

• Ability and knowledge to develop creative ideas across all forms of communication and inputting this into a range of platforms, including social media.
• Ability to write effectively for a range of audiences and communication channels and the sound and accurate IT knowledge to deliver this.
• Developed communication and interpersonal skills and experience to communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders and maintain relationships.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to anticipate and resolve issues, whilst making pragmatic decisions.
• Ability to manage and prioritise your workload effectively when demands and deadlines change.
• Excellent literacy and numeracy skills to understand and interpret research, data and feedback and present analysis accordingly.
• Relevant degree, alternative qualification or relevant professional experience.
• Relevant theoretical and practical knowledge of processes, procedures and
  policies associated with working within a demanding communications service.
• Understand the media and political landscape and the sensitivity of these as well as experience of handing and responding to press enquiries.
• Experience of working on a variety of communications, ideally in the public sector.

For more information on the key skills as well as the qualifications and/or experience required, please refer to the job description attached.

About us

West Sussex County Council is a diverse organisation that provides services to more than 900,000 residents every day. The Communication Team is currently supporting the council as we move through a period of change, and our priorities are at the heart of this change.

Further information

The reference number for this role is CRS01128.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to right to work in the UK, 3 years referencing and a health check.

Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.