Communications Officer (Internal)

at  BCP Council

Job Introduction
BCP Council’s Corporate Communications service is undergoing some exciting changes.
We have a great story and its yours to tell. We are looking for a creative and committed communications officer to join our internal communications team.
In this role you will design and deliver communications and campaigns that are strategically aligned to our Corporate Strategy.
Your creativity is critical to this role, and you will be an excellent writer across a range of platforms. You will also be skilled at taking complex information and transforming it into accessible, engaging and inclusive communications products. You will be confident in producing creative content for multiple channels.
This is an opportunity to be part of a passionate and committed communications team at an exciting time for BCP Council. The work is professionally stimulating: the challenges are real, but so are the opportunities and our determination to succeed.
You’ll enjoy talking to people and be as happy picking up the phone or on email. You’ll provide Officers and Councillors with communications advice, making sure we get the right message, to the right people, at the right time.
Confident and adept in telling stories across different channels you will need the ability to think on your feet, remain calm under pressure, prioritise and make informed decisions drawing on your communications experience.
You will support colleagues across the team which means there will be a requirement to work some weekends and evenings as part of the team’s out of hours rota.
Whether it is campaign, media, social media, events and newsletters your work will play a key role in our we engage with a wide range of stakeholders.
If you thrive in a fast-paced environment, have a keen news sense and can translate policy into punchy and compelling stories, then we’d love to hear from you.
Role Purpose
A tactical and operational communications role that will help to deliver campaigns to support the organisation’s priorities. This will include producing and/or managing production of targeted content for external and internal audiences, including engaging written work for online and print, and creative visual and video content. Responsive communications is also key, alongside the ability to defend and promote the councils’ position on a range of topics and issues. The post-holder will contribute to the management and development of a variety of communications channels, including social media and websites.

Main Responsibilities

• Work closely with the team to develop and deliver impactful, audience-focused communications activities
• Work with the wider team to contribute to the development, monitoring and management of communication channels, including web and social media content
• Monitoring the performance and effectiveness of communications projects and materials, by gathering and analysing audience engagement through analytics and qualitative means
• Produce, issue and publish media releases, responsive statements and quotes, social media content, and other materials including web content and email newsletters.
• Advise managers on proactive and reactive communications activities, attending meetings where required to advise and update
• Monitor and evaluate media coverage, and advise on possible responses to inaccuracy.
• Must prioritise discharging the council’s warning and informing duties, as part of the team’s incident response requirements

The Ideal Candidate

• 3 A Levels, NVQ 3, HND or diploma (or equivalent experience)
• Confident using IT platforms relevant to the role, such as social media management systems, email marketing software, Canva (or equivalent), Powtoon (or equivalent), imovie, digital asset management, media management tools, and website CMS software.
• Experience relevant to the responsibilities in communications and/or journalism
• Experience of writing copy/comment for the media, online channels and a range of publications and audiences
• Production of digital content to support the councils’ news agenda and social media activities
• Experience of exercising political awareness and providing impartial advice.

Personal Qualities & Attributes

• Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to communicate clearly both orally and in writing
• Ability to absorb subject matter quickly and convey it accurately and in an engaging way
• Ability to organise, prioritise and manage a number of projects
• Able to build credible and strong working relationships.
• Commercial acumen and ability to identify income generation opportunities for the team

Job Requirements

• Must be prepared and able to drive, or use public transport, to perform the role if necessary.

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Carly Hoyle carly.hoyle@bcpcouncil.gov.uk
About BCP Council
BCP Council provides services to a diverse community of 400,000 residents and employs more than 5,000 people. Our area includes over 15 miles of beautiful world-renowned coastline. We can offer career defining roles to transform and improve services. By working with us, you can help deliver a vision of a thriving, word-class, prosperous and inclusive place for generations to come.
Our Benefits
We offer an excellent benefits package to colleagues. Find out more on support.aspx” style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(54,30,84);text-decoration:none;">our website
As a result of the creation of BCP Council in 2019, we are working on simplifying our terms and conditions of service and will be creating a single pay structure which is to be applicable for all employees. It is important to us that we offer benefits that our colleagues value as part of their total employment package and we are reviewing these to make sure we have it right. We are in the process of establishing a timescale for implementation and colleagues joining us will be included in these changes. This is expected to be in place in 2024 or early 2025.

• Work closely with the team to develop and deliver impactful, audience-focused communications activities
• Work with the wider team to contribute to the development, monitoring and management of communication channels, including web and social media content
• Monitoring the performance and effectiveness of communications projects and materials, by gathering and analysing audience engagement through analytics and qualitative means
• Produce, issue and publish media releases, responsive statements and quotes, social media content, and other materials including web content and email newsletters.
• Advise managers on proactive and reactive communications activities, attending meetings where required to advise and update
• Monitor and evaluate media coverage, and advise on possible responses to inaccuracy.
• Must prioritise discharging the council’s warning and informing duties, as part of the team’s incident response requirement