Responsibilities

• Help devise and deliver news, social media and strategic communication activities that maximise impact, with a particular focus on telling a compelling story through people-focused, place-led content.
• Play a key role in ensuring effective media and social media channel management, from monitoring and response to reporting and horizon scanning.
• Help manage the delivery of multi-channel content packages, co-ordinating with other communications specialists to ensure content is of a high quality and can be used for multiple audiences.
• Be a lead contributor to media and social media content and standards, supporting efficacy of the Agency’s news framework, policies, process and protocols.
• Contribute to the Agency’s news planning grid, in close collaboration with communications channel leads within the Agency and MHCLG to ensure a joined up approach.
• Manage the media desk as required, leading on the assessment and triage of queries, development of responses and liaison with colleagues, often on sensitive or controversial subjects.
• Line manage and provide support to external communications officers, leading by example and supporting a culture of learning and development.
• Own specific communications portfolios, fostering strong working relationships with colleagues to devise objective led approaches.
• Help build strong partnerships with regional stakeholders, partners, media contacts and content creators to tell human interest stories about housing and regeneration delivery.

Requirements

• Proven experience managing reactive and proactive communications activities under pressure in a complex, national organisation.
• Strong understanding of news, social media and digital content formats and channels, from identification of communications needs and approach to evaluation of impact.
• Skilled at interpreting complex information to produce concise, clear briefing and recommendations to senior levels of the organisation, often on high profile issues.
• Excellent written, verbal and digital communications skills, with proven ability to adapt language and tone to deliver high quality communications outputs for different audiences.
• A proven track record in successfully working with journalists, media organisations and external stakeholders.
• Good knowledge of the media and broader political environment.
• Strong news sense, handling skills and ability to identify risks, dependencies and opportunities.
• Experience of line management and supporting colleagues to positively learn and develop, including setting clear objectives and encouraging high quality performance.
• Skilled at working in a multi-disciplinary way to achieve communications objectives and adapt to Agency needs, with occasional out of hours work required.

Benefits

• At MHCLG we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Staff Benefits Scheme, Childcare Vouchers, and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here.