Senior Communications Officer

Natural Resources Wales; Wales; Hybrid; GBP 41,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

Natural Resources Wales is seeking a Communications professional to deliver effective engagement strategies and high-quality content aligned with corporate goals. This permanent, full-time role requires substantial communications experience and offers a competitive salary, flexible working conditions, and strong commitment to staff development and equality.

Benefits

Civil Service Pension Scheme

28 days annual leave, rising to 33 days

Health and wellbeing benefits

Weekly wellbeing hour

Commitment to professional development

Qualifications

• Substantial communication experience across all disciplines.
• High level of skill in all communication channels.
• Ability to make sound judgement calls.

Responsibilities

• Deliver effective communications and engagements in support of our corporate plan.
• Produce high-quality content and manage projects to achieve strategic outcomes.
• Provide specialist communications advice to promote and protect our reputation.

Skills

Creative content delivery

Media relations

Social media management

Project management

Crisis communication

Education

Member of relevant professional body

Job description

Natural Resources Wales reserves the right to close this vacancy before the advertised closing date

Team / Directorate: Corporate Communications team / Communications, Customer and Commercial

Starting salary: £41,132 rising to £44,988 per annum through annual increments being paid each year (pro rata for part time applicants)

Contract type: Permanent

Work pattern: Full time, 37 hours per week(Part time, annualised hours, compressed hours or term time working considered - discussions at interview stage welcome)

Interview date: To be confirmed

Post number: 203935

The role

To play a leading role in delivering effective communications and engagement in support of delivering our corporate plan, communications and engagement strategy, building and protecting our reputation and brand. To shape and deliver high quality, creative content across all channels, as befits your target audience. To deliver essential communications services such as media relations, digital, social media, internal communications, video production, branding and design, Comms planning, content creation and evaluation.

As an organisation we support flexible working. You will be contracted to the nearest NRW office to your home and a suitable hybrid working pattern will be agreed on appointment. Any regular face to face meetings or training will be planned in advance.

Interviews will be conducted via Microsoft Teams.

Successful external applicants will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) check. We aim to make offers of appointment within 4 to 8 weeks of the closing date.

About us

You will be part of the corporate communications team, and work closely with colleagues working across a range of communications and external affairs disciplines. You will also work closely with operational teams as we streamline our planning and development, permitting and decarbonisation work

What you will do

• Produce high quality, engaging and effective content, campaigns and activity to achieve strategic outcomes in support of our communications strategy.
• Deliver integrated Comms across all specialist channels with an audience/customer focus, either as a business partner working with Directorates, or as a campaign manager working with Heads of Business. You will only ever be working as a BP or campaign manager, although these roles will be fluid and could change depending on priorities throughout the year.
• Manage projects in support of delivering the Comms strategy.
• Build relationships internally and externally in support of delivering our Comms strategy.
• Play a leading role in delivering effective incident and crisis Comms, including out of hours.
• Use insight and evaluation to inform Comms planning and help continuous improvement in everything you do.
• Specialist Comms advice to the business in order to promote and protect our reputation and brand, using sound judgement and your professional skills, in particular on the most contentious issues.
• Mentor Communications Officers and proactively seek ways to improve ways of working in the team
• Undertake health and safety duties and responsibilities appropriate to the post
• Be committed to your own development *and that of your staff through the effective use of your personal development plan (known as Sgwrs).
• Any other reasonable duties requested commensurate with the grade of this role.

Your qualifications, experience, knowledge and skills

In your application and interview you will be asked to demonstrate the following skills and experience using theSTAR method .

• Substantial Comms experience across all disciplines.
• High level of skill across all Comms disciplines and channels.
• Member of relevant professional body and visible commitment to your own CPD.
• Detailed understanding and knowledge of NRW's remit, roles, policies and priorities in order to be able to drive effective communications campaigns in support of these.
• Ability to make sound judgement calls, in particular regarding protecting reputation and during incidents.
• Desirable: : Level A1 – able to pronounce Welsh and use basic phrases

Please note if you do not meet the A1 requirement i.e., ability to understand basic phrases and ability to pronounce Welsh names correctly, then NRW offers a variety of learning options and staff support to help you meet these minimal requirements during the course of your employment with us.

This role will offer a range of benefits, including:

• Civil Service Pension Scheme offering employer contributions of 28.97% (successful internal staff will remain in their current pension scheme)
• 28 days annual leave, rising to 33 days
• generous leave entitlements for all your life needs
• commitment to professional development
• health and wellbeing benefits and support
• weekly wellbeing hour to use as you choose

If you think you have what it takes to do this role, but don’t necessarily meet every single point on the job description, please still get in touch and we will be happy to discuss the role with you in more detail.

We’re passionate about creating a diverse workforce and positively encourage applications from under-represented communities. We embrace equality of opportunity irrespective of disability, neurodivergence, ethnic origin,colour, nationality, gender expression and gender identity, marital status, sexual orientation,culture,or religion. We put the principles of human rights, equality, fairness, dignity and respect at the heart of our values .

We are committed to equal opportunities and we guarantee interviews for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

We want to attract and retain talented and highly skilled staff, so we make sure that our pay scales remain competitive. We advertise the full pay scale on our job descriptions. Appointed candidates start at the first point of the pay scale and annual increments are paid each year.

We want our staff to grow professionally and personally. From leadership development to access to further and higher education courses, our staff have opportunities to expand their knowledge on variety of topics, stay current in their field and continue to learn as their career progresses.

We are a Bilingual organisation which complies with the Welsh Language Standards . Welsh language skills are considered an asset to NRW, and we encourage and support staff to learn, develop and use their Welsh language skills.

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