Communications Officer (Planning and Insights)

Responsibilities

• Improve the quality and timeliness of Directorate communications planning by ensuring planning products are accurate, consistent and up to date, enabling teams to coordinate activity effectively.
• Support alignment of communications activity with departmental objectives and ministerial priorities by providing clear insight on emerging risks, opportunities and recommended actions.
• Enable better prioritisation and decision-making by making dependencies, capacity pressures and delivery risks visible to senior colleagues and communications teams.
• Champion the use of evaluation, analytics and audience insight so communications activity is more evidence-led, coordinated and effective across the Directorate and global network.
• Lead the delivery of planning and insight products by gathering, analysing and synthesising information into accurate, timely planning outputs such as grids, weekly and monthly notes, and horizon scanning.
• Provide evidence-based advice using insight, evaluation, analytics and staff or user intelligence to support communications teams in shaping objectives, messages and plans.
• Maintain and improve shared planning tools, digital platforms and resources that support effective coordination across the FCDO.
• Prepare concise briefings, updates and recommendations to inform senior decision-making, prioritisation and strategy.
• Promote data-driven communication by championing evaluation, analytics and audience insight to improve effectiveness and build capability across teams.
• Support the wider Insight function, for example in the delivery of audience research, monitoring or evaluation reporting.

Requirements

• Strong analytical skills, with experience in gathering, interpreting and presenting insight, data or evaluation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex information clearly and concisely.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail, with experience managing multiple tasks and producing high-quality outputs at pace.
• Experience working in communications, policy, analytical or planning focused environment.
• Ability to use digital tools, data sources and platforms to support planning and insight work, and experience of using, or assisting with, audience research - or an interest in developing skills in this area.

Preferred

• Experience in a communications, policy, analytical or planning focused environment.

Benefits

• A Civil Service Pension.
• 25 days Annual Leave per annum.
• 9 days Public and Privilege holidays per annum.
• Learning and Development tailored to your role.