COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT

The Role of Communications Assistant:

This role equips and serves the whole Diocese of Coventry by assisting on delivering and facilitating effective internal communications. Currently we have 3 internal publications to various stakeholders with a view to creating more.

By 2030, our Bishops envisages a diocese with restored health, new growth, and renewed relationships.  This role helps the whole diocese to realise this vision through the provision of dedicated communication to key groups of people in the diocese.

With its network of parishes covering the country, the Church of England plays an active role in national life, bringing an important Christian dimension to the nation, as well as strengthening community life. The Diocese of Coventry covers the city of Coventry, Warwickshire and parts of Solihull and has a worshipping community of around 14,000.

This role offers significant opportunity for someone to shape and grow a culture of encouragement, openness, and value as those in the diocese are equipped and supported in their ministry.

 The main responsibilities of the Communications Assistant are:

Diocesan Bulletin

The Communications Assistant will put together the fortnightly digital diocesan bulletin on Mailchimp. Articles are submitted by people from across the diocese. These must be checked to ensure they comply with our stated guidelines before being proofread and placed in the appropriate section of the bulletin.

Clergy Update

The Communications Assistant is responsible for the weekly clergy update which currently goes out on a Wednesday to all clergy in the diocese. The Communications Assistant will source appropriate articles from emails, the Diocesan Communications Handbook, and the national Church of England as well as liaising with the Director of Communications and Communications Officer about what to include.

Friday Update

The Friday Update is the internal weekly newsletter for the Coventry Diocesan Board of Finance and Together for Change. Articles are submitted by members of staff and the Communications Assistant will put the newsletter together before sending to the Diocesan Secretary and her PA to send out.

Other Internal Communications

The Diocesan Website is a primary resource for clergy and church officers. The Communication Assistant will edit and create pages on the website.

Email Correspondence and Other Duties

Email Correspondence is received from clergy, church officers, the national Church of England, other charities, and members of the public. The Communication Assistant reads these emails and responds appropriately. Typical responses include:

•       Forwarding emails to bishops or to another member of diocesan staff.

•       Publicising information via the Bulletin / Clergy Update / Friday Update.

•       Replying to emails and/or taking appropriate action.

Networking with communication staff from other dioceses is essential. The Communication Assistant will play an active role within the regional and national CofE communications network.

Other duties commensurate with this post are carried out by the Communications Assistant as required by the Director of Communications or the Diocesan Secretary.

What we are looking for in a Communication Assistant:

We are seeking an individual who is passionate about communication and dedicated to serving the diocese with key news and information. The ideal candidate will excel at responding to queries and good at building connections, with a strong knowledge of general IT, including Microsoft Office, and experience in editing website content and using email systems like MailChimp.

This individual should be familiar with networking widely within a complex, multi-site organization and become a trusted source of news and information. Able to communicate effectively with a diverse range of people and organizations, using various methods and techniques, while also being able to work collaboratively with a team and on their own initiative.

They must be comfortable to manage a busy workload, multitask, and meet competing deadlines while maintaining excellent attention to detail and accuracy in spelling, grammar, and proofreading.

Furthermore, the candidate will demonstrate approachability, accommodation, and adaptability, even under pressure, and be committed to upholding the values and mission of the Church of England and the Diocese of Coventry.

This post reports to the Director of Communications and is based in the Diocesan Offices in Coventry.

 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

In the Diocesan offices we are committed to work with determination towards a fuller representation of the social, cultural and ethnic diversity which accurately reflects the people we serve in the Diocese of Coventry. We expect all employees to promote and model equity, diversity and inclusion in their working practices and relationships and to uphold principles of equality of opportunity in accordance with our legal and theological obligations as written in Galatians 3:28 which says, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”.

If you have a disability, long-term illness or are neurodiverse, and you feel this prevents you from meeting any of the essential criteria, please contact us to discuss the adjustments we can make for you.

As an equal opportunities employer, we particularly welcome applications from United Kingdom Minority Ethnic / Global Majority Heritage (UKME/GMH) candidates who are currently underrepresented in our organisation. All appointments will be made on merit of skill and experience relative to the role.

All employees undertake mandatory Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training during their employment with us.

To find out more about this role please click on apply and this will take you to our website