Media & Communications Officer

JOB TITLE: Media & Communications Officer

LOCATION: Ealing (some remote working)

PAY RATE: £24 per hour paye / £31.71 per hour umbrella

DURATION/HOURS: 3 months (possible extension)/ Mon-Fri 35 hours

START DATE: ASAP


Role purpose:

• Develop, implement, and sustain communications activity in support of the council's corporate communications strategy using appropriate political awareness and sensitivity.
• Provide expert advice to protect the council's reputation in the media, responding quickly and effectively to sustain positive coverage and manage issues.
• Use effective pro-active skills to promote its policies, priorities and advance its corporate ambitions through communication activity
• Be aware of new developments in communications and use innovative techniques to advance council communications.
• Evaluate effectiveness of communications activity undertaken and make recommendations based on this data.

Key accountabilities:

• To work with senior managers and members to plan, cost and deliver a range of marketing, media and communications activities to support client departments' business plans and council priorities in liaison with colleagues across the department
• Develop and implement a wide range of media and communications strategies to support allocated portfolio briefs to secure positive coverage and influence opinion to further the council's position.
• Build and maintain excellent working relationships with internal client departments to provide an account management role for their communication requirements.
• To lead across the department on handling media issues including briefing and preparing spokespeople for media interviews. Escort members and senior officers to external engagements and interviews as required.
• Use creative approaches to secure positive media coverage for the council through an effective proactive and reactive media and communications service and rebut inaccurate and hostile coverage.
• Build and maintain close links with national, regional, trade and local media, key bloggers and social media influencers and develop contacts within specialist areas of activity to increase the amount of positive coverage about the council.
• Monitor emerging issues, both positive and negative, and advise senior managers and cabinet members, as directed by the senior media and communications officer, to ensure the council is positioned to capitalise on opportunities and defend against negative stories
• Develop new and interesting story ideas and research, write, proof-read, and edit copy for a range of communications purposes.
• Contribute to the maintenance of a corporate communications plan to underpin the corporate communications strategy.
• To be responsible for managing budgets associated with activity for which the post-holder is the lead and make recommendations on expenditure.
• To be responsible for evaluating the marketing and communications activity for which the post holder is the lead and make recommendations for presentation to senior managers.
• To commission a range of print and creative design services and other marketing campaign materials through internal and external suppliers, making detailed recommendations to ensure that creative campaigns meet the council's marketing requirements.
• To be responsible for writing and uploading of content to council websites and digital channels and social media.
• Occasionally participate in an on-call rota to deal with urgent calls from the media and provide advice to the council's senior officers, cabinet members and emergency response team 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
• Attend evening meetings and occasionally attend events outside normal office hours and undertake other duties as directed in line with the overall marketing and communications objectives of the council.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience:

• Detailed knowledge of the diverse media and communications requirements and techniques required by a local authority and its operational services
• Able to lead on the preparation and deployment of media, marketing and communication campaigns and recommend the most appropriate communication tools and techniques in each case.
• Able to prepare detailed briefs for senior officers and councillors for media interviews.
• Able to understand complex numerical and other performance data and make recommendations on the appropriate media or communication response.
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation, persuasion and negotiating skills.
• Able to write high quality, accurate copy for a range of publications, news releases and produce wide ranging and innovative online content.
• Able to produce detailed briefs for the design and production of marketing campaign materials
• Effective account and client management skills.
• Demonstrable experience and success in leading communications or media campaigns and generating positive coverage and feedback to improve service delivery in a local authority or closely related environment.
• Demonstrable experience of working as or with journalists at a senior or national level and in all types of media.
• Demonstrable experience of good project management skills

Adecco acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and an employment business for the supply of temporary workers. The Adecco Group UK & Ireland is an Equal Opportunities Employer.

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To speak to a recruitment expert please contact Rebecca Evans