Senior Communications and Marketing Officer

Leeds City Council; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 39,000 - 43,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in England is seeking a Senior Communications and Marketing Officer to lead on impactful campaigns supporting climate action and public engagement. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in strategic communications and marketing, with excellent writing skills. The role involves maximising the visibility of the council's visitor attractions and contributing to sustainability initiatives. Flexible working arrangements and competitive benefits are offered.

Benefits

Competitive salary and annual leave

West Yorkshire Pension Fund membership

Flexible and hybrid working arrangements

Clear career pathway and professional development

Qualifications

• Strong track record in strategic communications, public engagement, or marketing.
• Excellent writing, editing, and storytelling skills across digital and traditional media.
• Experience managing multi-channel campaigns with diverse stakeholders.
• Knowledge of environmental policy or urban greenspace management is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Maximise visibility and financial sustainability of visitor attractions.
• Lead audience engagement, brand development, and income generation.
• Support climate agenda through strategic communications and messaging.

Skills

Strategic communication

Public engagement

Excellent writing

Digital media skills

Marketing knowledge

Interpersonal skills

Education

Degree in a relevant field

Job description

Overview

Job title: Senior Communications and Marketing Officer

Salary: PO2 £39,862 - £42,839

Hours: 37 hours per week

Contract: Permanent

Location: Multiple (including City Centre, Tropical World, Temple Newsam, Arium and Lotherton)

Are you a strategic communicator with a passion for sustainability and public engagement? Leeds City Council is seeking a dynamic Senior Communications and Marketing Officer to lead on the development and delivery of impactful campaigns that support our Climate, Energy and Green Spaces Service.

This is a unique opportunity to shape how we promote our 4,000 hectares of green space, including our major parks, community parks, nature reserves, woodlands, visitor attractions and engage communities in climate action, biodiversity and environmental practices.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our ambitions.

About you

You’ll be an experienced communications professional with:

• A strong track record in strategic communications, public engagement, or marketing.
• Excellent writing, editing, and storytelling skills across digital and traditional media.
• A passion for visitor experience, climate action, sustainability, and community development.
• Experience managing multi-channel campaigns and working with diverse stakeholders.
• Knowledge of environmental policy, climate resilience, or urban greenspace management is desirable.

About the role

The Senior Communications and Marketing Officer role is to maximise the visibility, footfall, and financial sustainability of our visitor attractions and cafes, namely Tropical World, The Arium, Golden Acre, Lotherton and Temple Newsam. This post will lead on audience engagement, brand development, and income generation through targeted marketing and communications, ensuring our attractions remain competitive, accessible, and financially resilient.

This role will also support Leeds City Council’s climate agenda by enabling strategic communications around environmental education, biodiversity, and sustainable practices. The Senior Communications and Marketing Manager will lead climate-related messaging, engage audiences in sustainability initiatives, and ensure visibility of climate action across all our platforms.

They will help to build public trust and engagement in climate initiatives, aligning messaging with national and regional climate strategies. They will ensure that there is cross-directorate collaboration to maximise climate messaging. They will also help to translate complex climate data into accessible formats and engage stakeholders (internal and external) on climate risks, actions, and performance. In addition, they will lead on driving behavioural change.

Our visitor attractions are vital cultural and economic assets generating income through admissions, retail, events, and partnerships. They support local tourism and community engagement and contribute to organisational goals such as education, wellbeing, and sustainability. However, in a competitive and evolving market, we must invest in professional marketing leadership to grow audiences, diversify income, and future-proof our offer.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Please upload your CV and complete a personal statement of no more than 500 words.

Read our guidance for further advice on completing your application.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you’ll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description / Job Purpose

Job Purpose: Senior Communications and Marketing Officers play a pivotal role bringing professional knowledge and skills and taking a focus on outcomes and quality delivery that ensures excellence. The role will lead on all aspects of communication, marketing and promotions that supports the best council and best city priorities. They will be responsible for managing their own workload, working flexibly across communication and marketing disciplines on a range of projects and subjects, and ensuring their work is completed to deadline and a high standard. Senior officers will develop and maintain systems and ways of working within the team to ensure a consistent and professional service.

Team Offer: The Climate, Energy and Greenspaces Service’s communication team use insight, creativity and professional expertise to engage with everyone in Leeds – and beyond. Whether we are promoting services, attractions, events, life choices or the city ‘brand’ and reputation we start by listening. Then we use clear, targeted information to build trust, shift attitudes, drive actions and influence behaviour. Our work with services, politicians and partners delivers lasting benefits, focused on priority outcomes to deliver the shared ambition of being best council and best city.

Responsibilities:

• Act as both an individual lead and as the lead for project teams to deliver work on behalf of the Climate, Energy and Greenspaces Service.
• Demonstrate a proactive attitude and approach, and use judgement and insight to reach decisions.
• Provide professional advice across all communications and marketing disciplines, based on a high standard of competency across the insight, ideas, implementation and impact stages of the competency framework, and with a strong focus on outcomes.
• Work with colleagues to prioritise the team’s workload, ensuring efficient use of resources and appropriate levels of support for council and city priorities.
• Support the smooth running of a professional communications and marketing service by embedding and updating consistent ways of working across the team.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with internal and external partners and suppliers that help the council and team to meet priorities while spending money wisely.
• Represent the council at internal and external meetings and events.
• Lead on the development and embed the consistent use of the procurement framework for communications and marketing spend both in the team and across the council, in line with the organisation’s financial rules.
• Understand and work within the Council’s health and safety policies and practice, taking responsibility for both personal safety and that of colleagues and the public.
• Promote and deliver positive solutions to achieving diversity and equality in all aspects of service delivery, focusing on equality of outcome.
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade
• Participate in appraisal, training and development activities as necessary to ensure up to date knowledge and skills
• Improve own practice through observation, evaluation, discussion with colleagues and development programmes.
• To work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice.
• Contribute to the overall ethos, work, and aims of the service by attending relevant meetings, training days/events as requested.
• Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures e.g. child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding and promoting the values, standards and equal opportunities of Leeds City Council.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment or victimisation and any form of abuse of equal opportunities, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and procedures.
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and this role will be expected to work within these parameters.

The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Person Specification

Essential requirements: It is essential that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities: Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate on the application form that they meet all the essential requirements.

Method of assessment will be through one or more of the following: Application Form, Test, Interview, and Certificate.

Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to engage, influence and negotiate and to form positive relationships at all levels.
• Able to work to specified work programmes and timetables, prioritising effectively.
• Able to make swift decisions and judgements.
• Interpersonal skills.
• Able to foster and maintain useful contacts internal and external to the council.
• Able to contribute to partnerships involving various stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes.
• Able to develop productive working relationships that command trust and confidence.
• Able to work effectively with others to deliver cross-service projects.
• Able to manage competing priorities whilst delivering on a range of projects and adapting to changing circumstances and priorities.
• Able to offer persuasive professional and creative advice.
• Able to build relationships with service staff and play an influencing role.
• Able to brief for large-scale marketing, PR or communications projects.
• Able to produce marketing, PR or communication strategies and plans, reports, articles and news releases which are clear and articulate.
• Able to prepare and present written and verbal information in a concise and accurate manner to a wide range of audiences.
• Able to contribute effectively to a wide range of corporate projects from a marketing, PR and communications perspective.
• Able to demonstrate excellent communication skills both written and oral, confidence and the ability to present to a variety of audiences both internal and external to the organisation.
• Computer literate with ability to use relevant software packages.

Knowledge

• A degree or equivalent level qualification in a relevant field, and/or extensive relevant experience.
• Good knowledge of the operations of a marketing, PR or communications function.
• Good understanding of marketing, PR or communication issues facing large local authorities and the public sector.
• Thorough knowledge of marketing, PR and communications methodology.

Experience

• Demonstrable experience of dealing with matters which are highly sensitive and confidential.
• Delivering multiple projects to tight deadlines.
• Producing clear, accurate copy within tight deadlines and the ability to communicate in plain English.
• Working in a team environment but able to work independently without supervision.
• Considerable experience in a marketing, PR, communications or related environment.

Behavioural & other characteristics

• Be able to travel around Leeds effectively.
• Proactive approach, using professional judgement based on insight and innovation.
• Committed to continuous improvement.
• Ability to understand and observe Leeds City Council Equal Opportunities Policy.
• Health & Safety responsibilities for self and others.
• Willingness to participate in training and development to ensure up-to-date knowledge and skills.
• Understand and embrace our values, behaviours and codes of conduct.

Desirable requirements

It is desirable that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role. Candidates are not required to meet all the Desirable requirements; however these may be used to distinguish between acceptable candidates.

Method of assessment will be through one or more of the following: Application Form, Test, Interview, and Certificate.

• Understanding of the role of the media and ability to support press, media and issues management functions.
• Confidence, gravitas and authority to represent the team at a senior level and contribute to business development.
• Ability to manage suppliers, internal and external, in line with procurement guidelines.
• Plan, implement and monitor complex marketing, PR or communications campaigns.
• Project management, reporting, budgeting, and team development experience.
• Developing integrated marketing, PR or communications strategies with clear outcomes.
• Using market research, customer insight and intelligence to inform activity.
• Strong brand and identity management through multiple channels and understanding of customer experience, employer brand and reputation.

We encourage applications from diverse backgrounds and are committed to equality of opportunity.