Junior Communications Officer

Surrey County Council; South Yorkshire, Reigate, Reigate and Banstead; Hybrid; GBP 33,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading council's Communications and Engagement team as a Junior Communications Officer. This hybrid role focuses on content creation and social media management for Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, contributing to meaningful community engagement. Ideal for creative individuals eager to make an impact through storytelling and innovative campaigns.

Benefits

26 days' holiday

Employee Assistance Programme

Local government pension

Lifestyle discounts

Volunteering days

Qualifications

• Experience of content creation including blogging, photography, and video.
• Excellent knowledge of social media platforms.

Responsibilities

• Support content creation for social media channels.
• Evaluate social media effectiveness and lead campaigns.

Skills

Content Creation

Social Media

Media Relations

Filming and Editing

Job description

• Location: Woodhatch Place, 11 Cockshot Hill, Reigate, RH2 8EF

Description

We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

The starting salary for this full-time, permanent position is £32,512 per annum based on a 36 hour working week.

We are excited to be hiring a new Junior Communications Officer to our fantastic Communications and Engagement team.

This role will support the Community Protection and Emergencies directorate, which includes Surrey Fire & Rescue Service (SFRS), Trading Standards and more. It is a hybrid position with both office and home working, as well as occasional weekend working to support event coverage such as pass out parades. We spend, on average, two days per week working either at our Woodhatch office in Reigate, or at fire stations across Surrey, with the remainder of time working remotely.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the Role

You'll be joining an award-winning communications team, working alongside fantastic colleagues from Surrey County Council's wider Communications and Engagement team to keep people safe. This is an exciting time for Surrey Fire and Rescue Service as we head towards Local Government Reorganisation for Surrey, which is all about giving more powers to local areas. In the long term, Government have specified that a Mayor will ultimately take responsibility for the fire and rescue service and appropriate roles will be TUPED to a new service reporting to the Mayor.

The Community Protection and Emergencies Communications team is responsible for internal and external communications for SFRS, as well as some external comms for Trading Standards, Emergency Management and Resilience and Safer Communities. A key element of this is content creation for our social media channels. Members of our team have a range of skillsets - including videography, persuasive writing, social media and internal communications. Our aim is to create meaningful and creative campaigns, keep staff informed and continually strive to break down barriers. We also handle press enquiries and update the public on incidents we are supporting. Internal communications also forms an important element of our team as the fortnightly staff newsletter is vital to our organisation.

In this role you'll find yourself at the frontline of our communication efforts. You will play a key role in content creation for SFRS's social media channels and supporting the wider directorate with campaigns too. On an average day you might be filming a reel for Instagram to support a wildfire prevention campaign, or photographing a charity event with our new recruits. An important aspect of this will be to support with the evaluation of our social media channels – presenting back to the team on what is working well and opening discussions as to what can be improved.

You will also support the team on filming projects, creating story-boards and scripting, and even taking a more hands-on role. You will have the opportunity to lead on some of our campaigns and support some broader ones too, with autonomy (and encouragement) to come up with ideas. You will ensure our messaging aligns seamlessly with the SFRS Core Code of Ethics.

If you would like a role where each day brings a new storytelling opportunity, then we would love to hear from you!

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence the following:

• Experience of content creation (this can include blogging, photography, social media content creation or video)
• Excellent knowledge of social media platforms
• Understanding of media relations
• Good filming and editing skills

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. For an informal discussion please contact Sophie Whitfield by e-mail at [e-mail] .

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 28.05.2025 with interviews to follow.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Our Values

Our values are as important as our abilities and shape who we are as an organisation. Discover more about our values .

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description. OurLife at Surrey handbook also provides insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role.

We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.