Job Details
Job Description and Person Specification
Job details
Job title: Communications Officer (Social Media)
Grade: 4
Reports to: Senior Communications Manager
Responsible for: N/A
Directorate and Service area: Chief Executive’s – Communications and Policy
Purpose of the job
• Under the direction of the Senior Communications Manager, develop and maintain effective processes, plans and activities for communications, engagement and marketing between the Council and its customers, as well as internally with staff.
• Provide general marketing and communications support to the Communications team, with a particular focus on social media.
Principal responsibilities
• Assist the Senior Communications Managers in developing and delivering the communications service to ensure that residents, staff, and other stakeholders are kept informed and engaged.
• Support the delivery of communications and marketing plans through the creation and distribution of communications and campaign materials across a wide range of channels, with a particular focus on social media.
• Take an active role in managing back-office administration and processes ensuring the communication service runs efficiently and effectively.
• Support Communications Specialists across the remit of the service, which includes social media, campaign delivery, design, media relations, and internal communications.
Responsibilities applicable to this role
• Assist the Senior Communications Managers in developing and delivering the communications service to ensure that residents, staff, and other stakeholders are kept informed and engaged.
• Under direction of the Senior Communications Managers, provide support for the following areas:
1. Social Media and communications channels (internal and external)
• Share community stories, service updates and events across the council’s social media channels, tailoring content for different channels and audiences.
• Plan, create and deliver engaging social-first videos, including reels.
• Research and prepare creative copy as appropriate for Council social media channels, ensuring that it meets
Plain English, accessibility and corporate standards, and maintains the corporate brand.
• Measure social media metrics against benchmarks and corporate objectives and create clear reports to show impact.
2. Marketing support
• Support the Senior Communications Managers in all areas of the marketing function including planning and attending video and photoshoots.
• Support the scoping of future work schedules and assist the team in managing the relationship with internal clients.
3. Other duties:
• In addition to the above areas, you will be expected to undertake any other duties as may reasonably be expected by the Senior Communications Managers, commensurate with the level of the post.
General responsibilities applicable to all jobs
1. Demonstrate commitment towards the delivery of the Council’s vision, key commitments, values and behaviours.
2. Ensure corporate processes are followed and implemented for all areas of the postholders work and responsibility.
3. Carry out any other duties which fall within the broad spirit, scope and purpose of this job description and which are commensurate with the grade of the post.
This job description reflects the major tasks to be carried out by the post holder and identifies a level of responsibility at which they will be required to work. In the interests of effective working, the major tasks may be reviewed from time to time to reflect changing needs and circumstances. Such reviews and any consequential changes will be carried out in consultation with the post holder.
Person Specification
Attributes Essential criteria Desirable criteria
Education, Qualifications and Training
- Educated to degree standard in relevant subject, or equivalent relevant experience.
- Communications, marketing or social media qualification or formal training in a related field.
Experience and Knowledge Demonstrable experience of:
• Planning and delivering communications and marketing, including social media, for a large organisation
• Making sense of complex information and communicating it to others.
• Using relevant channels and language to communicate effectively with audiences
• Organising projects and events.
Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of:
• How social media can be used effectively to communicate.
• Evolving social media platforms and emerging trends.
Experience of:
• Communications, marketing or social media management within a political environment.
• Experience working on design and branding projects
Ability and Skills Demonstrable knowledge of the ability to:
• Create video and/or photography for communications and marketing.
• Produce copy for a range of social media posts.
• Develop social media plans.
• Analyse and make use of a range of information and insight, including technical/complex detail.
• Present information appropriate to the audience using Plain English.
• Use of IT systems effectively.
• Draft copy for social media, with an understanding of the political implications.
• Gather information in a timely and sensitive manner.
• Experience using tools such as Hootsuite to plan and schedule social media posts.
• Experience in using design software.
Equal Opportunities Ability to demonstrate awareness/understanding of equal opportunities and other people’s behaviour, physical, social and welfare needs.
Additional Factors Ability to drive with access to a vehicle.
