Communications Officer
Service: Communications and Strategy
Grade scale: Grade 3 Level 2
Reports to: Communications Adviser
Purpose of the job
To provide effective communications for the council’s diverse audiences by developing and delivering clear communications and processes for all media, formats and channels.
Key tasks and responsibilities
Provide council services with comprehensive advice on communications processes and projects (such as Mail, Multifunctional devices, Market Direct software). For the placing of orders and arranging of projects on all formats and publications.
Promote council policies, services and new developments using all available media and channels. Contribute to council publication processes and other public information.
Develop communication programmes reflecting findings/market research/survey work carried out by the council.
Advise on the production and delivery of all public and internal information using all media formats. Work in consultation with the Resources/ Services to develop and apply digital transformation.
Ensure continuity of style and corporate standards (both content and design) is maintained in all communications. Auditing and monitoring and improving all channels, such as performance and outcome reporting. Always protect the council’s reputation.
Liaise with external suppliers to ensure best value on products using existing contracts, in particular developing effective communications with the council’s partner agencies.
Advise and organise distribution for publicity for specific projects and processes.
Person specification
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Criteria |
Essential |
Desirable |
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Education, qualification and training |
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Hold communications qualification or equivalent experience |
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Skills, knowledge and experience |
Experience in providing communications advice and managing communications projects. Ability to promote policies and services using various media and channels. Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to adapt to change and support others through change. |
Demonstrate experience of communications processes for public sector organisation Understanding of environmental sustainability in communications. Demonstrate experience contributing as part of a team and / or complex projects |
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Personal qualities |
Self-motivated, enthusiastic and committed Personal resilience and flexible attitude, able to manage own wellbeing Inclusive and supportive team player |
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Other |
A genuine commitment to behave with honesty and openness, treating people consistently, fairly and with respect |
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Safer recruitment checks
As part of our approach to good practice and safer recruitment we carry out a number of pre-employment checks:
- Asylum and Immigration right to work in the UK.
- Reference check: external candidates require 2 references, one of which must be from their present or most recent employer. Internal candidates require 1 reference from their current line manager.
- Candidate Disclosure Scotland check, where applicable.
Behaviour framework
The council’s behaviour framework is a set of core behaviours that defines how employees approach work to enable the delivery of key tasks for the role. The expected behaviours for this role are:
Efficient
- Use initiative and drive to improve and develop systems and processes to increase efficiency achieving better outcomes in service delivery.
- Suggests ways to improve how others organise their own work.
- As a professional/expert you actively seek solutions to deliver improvements and involves others in the development of solutions and improvements.
- Coordinates SMART objectives for both team and individual employees reviewing progress to achieve successful outcomes.
- Manage budgets with no overspends and applying the council’s financial policies and procedures. Communicating to the Head of Service and Manager frequent monthly updates.
- Ensures sustainability and environmental awareness practices are being implemented and that they inform the development of new projects/initiatives.
Flexible
- Anticipates and responds flexibly to changing priorities and modifies practice to meet changing environment.
- Identifies and implements new ways of working.
- Supports individuals and team at times of both organisational and personal change making appropriate adjustments to accommodate individual needs where required.
- Expresses a positive approach to change and promotes the benefits of change to team and colleagues.
- Actively listens to customer feedback and takes action to improve customer experience.
Performing
- Applies Policies, audit processes and protects the councils reputation at all times.
- Use professional expertise and knowledge to ensure the council is communicating effectively leading best practice to improve strategic outcomes.
- Ensure that the council is meeting its legislative and statutory requirements by keeping abreast of new initiatives and legislation.
- Evaluates and reviews the impact of service improvements from the customers perspective.
- Identifies trends and creates solutions.
- Ensuring that health and safety practices, policies and procedures are applied keeping employees and customers safe and minimising workplace accidents and injuries.
- Implements the council’s maximising attendance policy and procedure ensuring action is taken and recorded on people connect.
- Considers risk in the context of service development and delivery.
- Seeks feedback on performance and learns from any issues raised to improve.
Working with others
- Promotes a positive team environment with good morale.
- Works with other teams and colleagues internally and externally, developing relationships and sharing knowledge, ideas and expertise to achieve common outcomes.
- Presents words and views clearly in a way that other people find meaningful.
- Use professional expert knowledge to work across disciplines breaking down professional barriers to improve outcomes for individuals and communities.
- Encourages colleagues to consider different perspectives in their work.
- Adapts communication to encourage desired behaviour.
Leading
- Understands what needs to be achieved and ensures that this is communicated to team members effectively and responses coordinated effectively.
- Expresses positive expectations of others to support their development.
- Recognise individual and team achievements thanking and praising others.
- Maintain a positive approach and motivate team when things go wrong, or demands are high.
- Uses professional judgement/expert knowledge to make informed decisions, communicating to Head of Service and Manager and other senior officers in a timely manner.