Senior Communications and Engagement Officer - Northern Ireland
Belfast, UK (Hybrid)
Posted 6 weeks ago
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Job Description
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Contents
- Location
- About the job
- Benefits
- Things you need to know
- Apply and further information
Location
About the job
Job summary
About the Electoral Commission
The Electoral Commission is the UKs independent body overseeing elections and regulating political finance. Everything we do is about ensuring trust, participation, and integrity in the democratic process.
As we progress through a bold new chapter under our five-year Corporate Plan, we are increasing our workforce and transforming how we plan and deliver core services. This post plays a central role in that journey.
Job description
About the role
The Senior Communications and Engagement Officer leads the Commissions communications and engagement activity in Northern Ireland, playing a key role in ensuring our work is clearly understood and trusted by the public and stakeholders.
On a day-to-day basis, you will:
- Lead media handling in Northern Ireland, including responding to enquiries and preparing press lines, releases and briefings
- Coordinate communications-led engagement activity around electoral events and public awareness campaigns
- Produce high-quality engagement plans, briefing papers, stakeholder updates and political briefings for senior leaders and the Northern Ireland Commissioner
- Support the delivery of consistent, accurate and accessible public information for voters, stakeholders and the wider public
This role is significant in ensuring that the Commissions work in Northern Ireland is understood, trusted and communicated clearly, and that stakeholders receive timely, accurate and impartial information.
About the team
You will join the Northern Ireland External Affairs function, part of the wider Northern Ireland Team, within the Devolution and Law Directorate.
The team builds and maintains strong relationships with journalists, political representatives, community and voluntary organisations, and a wide range of stakeholders across Northern Ireland, helping to ensure the Commissions work is well understood and trusted.
The teams ethos is collaborative, outward-facing and impact-driven. It works closely with colleagues across the UK to deliver consistent messaging, coordinated engagement and high-quality communications.
We place a strong emphasis on clear communication, effective delivery, and a shared commitment to supporting democratic participation.
Person specification
Who were looking for
This role is well suited to someone who is confident operating in a fast-paced communications environment, with strong political awareness and excellent interpersonal skills.
The successful candidate will be experienced in handling media enquiries, building effective stakeholder relationships and producing clear, accessible content.
To succeed in this role you will demonstrate proactivity, strong organisational skills and the ability to communicate complex information clearly and impartially.
We are seeking someone with:
- Experience delivering media handling, including drafting lines and responding to enquiries from journalists.
- Experience delivering stakeholder engagement in a communications or public affairs context.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong planning, organisational and time management skills.
- The ability to build effective working relationships with journalists, political representatives and civic stakeholders.
- A good understanding of political systems and structures in Northern Ireland (desirable).
Benefits
Why work for us?
At the Electoral Commission, you will be part of an organisation that plays a vital role in supporting and protecting UK democracy. Our work helps ensure elections are fair, transparent and accessible, and that voters have confidence in the democratic process.
In this role, you will have the opportunity to contribute to high-profile electoral events in Northern Ireland, working at the heart of public communications and stakeholder engagement during key democratic moments.
We offer a strong total reward package, including:
- Flexible working and hybrid model (40% office minimum)
- 28 rising to 30 days annual leave + bank holidays
- Civil Service pension scheme (28.97% employer contribution)
- Study support for professional qualifications
- Ongoing learning and development opportunities
- Ride2Work, eye care vouchers and more
Things you need to know
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Selection process details
How to apply
We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment. To help reduce unconscious bias and ensure all applicants are assessed solely on their skills, knowledge and experience, we use an anonymous recruitment process.
When applying, please provide an anonymised CV which omits your protected characteristics and any personally identifiable information:
Do not include:
- Your name, address, phone number, email or other contact details
- Your date of birth or age
- Gender, ethnicity, nationality or other personal identifiers
- A photo of yourself
- Educational dates (as these indicate age)
- Primary education details
Do include:
- Your employment history including employers and dates of employment
- Explanation for gaps in your history
- Your duties, responsibilities and achievements
If your CV contains personal details (such as your name or contact information), we will be unable to consider your application. Please double-check your documents before submitting, including the file name you use to save and upload your CV.
Supporting disabled applicants
The Electoral Commission is proud to be a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer. As part of this commitment, we aim to prioritise interviews for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria listed in the job description.
There may, however, be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. For example, during periods of exceptionally high application volumes or seasonal recruitment activity, the Commission may need to limit the overall number of interviews offered to both disabled and non-disabled applicants.
If you have a disability and would like to be considered under this commitment, please indicate this when you apply. We also welcome requests for reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process or within the workplace.
Key dates
- Application deadline: 29th June 2026 (23:59)
- Interviews (1st stage): Week commencing 4th August 2026
- Interviews (2nd stage): Week commencing TBC
- Anticipated start date: October 2026
Interviews may be conducted virtually via Microsoft Teams or in-person.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Working for the Civil Service
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Talent Acquisition Team
- Email : recruitment@electoralcommission.org.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : recruitment@electoralcommission.org.uk
Further information
At the Electoral Commission, we are committed to delivering fair, inclusive, and transparent recruitment. Our recruitment practices are guided by Civil Service values and comply with the Equality Act 2010 and other relevant legislation.
If you have concerns about the way a recruitment process has been conducted, we encourage you to raise them with us.
How to Make a Complaint
If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our recruitment process, you can contact us directly by email:
recruitment@electoralcommission.org.uk
Please include the following information:
The job title or reference number
A clear explanation of your concern
Any relevant supporting information
Your preferred contact details
We aim to respond to all complaints within two working days.
Our Commitment
All complaints are treated seriously and in confidence. They are handled in line with our Recruitment Policy and the relevant provisions of the Equality Act 2010, Employment Rights Act 1996, and the Data Protection Act 2018.
If you require this information in an alternative format, or need additional support, please contact us at recruitment@electoralcommission.org.uk.
The Electoral Commission
We are the independent body which oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK. We work to promote public confidence in the democratic process and ensure its integrity.We enable the delivery of free and fair elections and referendums. This includes focussing on the needs of voters and addressing the changing environment to ensure every vote remains secure and accessible.We regulate political finance – taking proactive steps to increase transparency, ensure compliance and pursue breaches.We use our expertise to make and advocate for changes to our democracy, aiming to improve fairness, transparency and efficiency.We have UK wide responsibilities and are accountable to the UK Parliament, the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd. Our work is directed to meeting the needs of each of the four parts of the UK.
