Senior External Communications Advisor

About the role

Senior External Communications Advisor

Fixed Term/Secondment (up to 15 months), Full Time

£46,708 to £54,951 per annum

Location: Castle Point

Working Style: Anywhere worker

Closing Date: 5th January 2025

Please note this vacancy is available as a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity for up to 15 months.

The Role

The role of the Senior External Communications Advisor is to develop and deliver strategic and operational communications, marketing and engagement support.

The role brings a unique opportunity to be responsible for leading all communications activity across Castle Point Borough Council. This will include setting the direction, managing and delivering communications, marketing and engagement activities and monitoring standards and effectiveness. At all times ensuring the maintenance of the councils’ reputation with stakeholders and audiences at all levels.

The role is accountable for both internal and external communications and will operate within a framework of robust governance and assurance.

This role will require a qualification in marketing, PR, social media or a good knowledge of the full marketing mix, across all media and channels. It requires demonstrable experience of creating and delivering effective communications and marketing strategies. The ability to build strong working relationships is essential to success.

The role requires an individual who is adaptable and adept at working in a fast-moving and customer-first environment.

The Opportunity

Working as a member of Essex County Council Communications and Marketing and reporting to one of the Communications and Marketing Managers, the Senior External Communications Advisor will work specifically with Castle Point Borough Council, who are going through a period of transformational change. The Council are committed to raising their profile and using strategic communications to engage with residents and external stakeholders and enhance its internal communications approach.

Using a mixed communications and marketing skillset to benefit services, businesses, partners and residents across the Borough, the postholder will be accountable for development of a robust strategy, a realistic delivery plan and a programme of accessible communications and marketing programmes of work. These programmes of work are likely to include development of communications channels and content.

The role will work with other communications and marketing professionals at Castle Point Borough Council and Essex County Council. The role will require a mix of working from Castle Point Borough Council offices, Essex County Council’s County Hall and remote working.

Accountabilities

Working with the ECC Communications and Marketing Manager, provide strategic leadership and professional advice in relation to all communication considerations across the organisations and with key political, internal, external and commercial stakeholders.
Develop and implement a communications and marketing strategy in alignment with the organisation strategy, and keep strategy under regular review to ensure continued efficacy.
Responsible for establishing, implementing and delivering reputational and issues management, including crisis situations, consultations and changes to council services.
Together with colleagues, plan and deliver effective and engaging internal communications.
Together with colleagues, plan and deliver proactive and reactive external communications, including reputational and issues management.
Together with colleagues, plan and deliver multi-channel marketing and internal and external (B2B & B2C) communication, exploiting the use of digital platforms and social media, as well as media and PR, direct marketing, advertising and other outreach.
Responsible for creating a programme of activity to communicate the Council’s strategic priorities, both creating and curating content.
Guide and advise Council Members and staff who may need to act as spokespeople for the organisation.
Establish and provide a regular reporting approach for senior officers and political leaders on council communications and its effectiveness, utilising a range of metrics and data analysis techniques.
Work closely with, and provide leadership, training and mentoring to, other communications and marketing colleagues in the delivery of specialist requirements as needed
Ensure the production of creative, accessible design and digital content which is effective and engages audiences.
Utilise data and analytics to continually inform communications and marketing strategy, campaign development and delivery.
Maintain and manage the communications aspects of risk registers.
Effectively and proactively represent the council on multi-agency communication bodies.
Manage the communications and marketing programme budget so that money available is utilised to maximum benefit and effectiveness.
Ensure all councils’ communications and marketing activity conforms to legal and regulatory requirements at all times.
Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Educated to RQF level 6 (Bachelor’s degree) with a marketing or public relations qualification, or equivalent by experience.
Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in a relevant professional area, including membership of a professional body such as Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) or Institute of Internal Communications (IOIC)
Good knowledge of the full marketing mix across all media and channels with experience of developing and delivering campaigns.
Experience of leading project teams and working in a complex political environment.
Demonstrable experience of creating and delivering effective marketing strategies in a competitive, customer-facing organisation
A skilled communicator, able to collaborate with others and build support both internally and externally.
A creative thinker able to harness the latest communications thinking and technology for the councils’ benefits.
Experience of using data and insight and the use of this to determine strategy development as well as to monitor and evaluate deliverables
Evidence of a strategic and results driven method of operation.
Strong organisational skills with project management experience thus enabling the meeting of deadlines.
Budget management experience
Excellent project management skills.
Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build strong working relationships and communicate clearly and accurately to a variety of audiences.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

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If you have any questions with regards to this role, please contact Curve.Resourcing@Essex.gov.uk

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