Communications & Marketing Officer - Req24586

Job title: Communication & Marketing Officer

Salary: SO2  

Hours: 37 hours

Location: Office & hybrid working

Internal vacancy. Applications will only be considered from existing Leeds City Council employees.

Communications and Marketing Officers play a key role in the Council, bringing professional knowledge and skills, and a focus on outcomes and quality delivery that ensures excellence.

This is an excellent opportunity to make a real impact on the achievement of the City’s net zero carbon targets and on reducing fuel poverty across Leeds.  

Net Zero and Health & Wellbeing are two of the Council’s ‘three pillars’, and communications and engagement is a key aspect of delivering on this agenda.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

You will be expected to deliver work on projects and campaigns that support the best council and best city priorities.

You will need to be a confident communicator, able to play a key role in the team bringing professional knowledge and skills, and taking a proactive approach that ensures excellence.

You will be responsible for managing your own workload, working flexibly across communications and marketing disciplines on a range of projects and subjects, and ensuring your work is completed to deadline and to a high standard.

About the role 

Leeds has an enviable track record of delivering innovative and impactful carbon reduction programmes, recognised by multiple awards and the Carbon Disclosure Project awarding us an A grade for two successive years.  The council has secured almost £50m of green funding recently for domestic retrofit and district heating leading to opportunities to join our leading Climate and Energy team.

Although you will be involved in communications and marketing support across a range of the Climate & Energy team's work, your role will have a particular focus on delivering domestic energy efficiency improvements to predominantly private sector homes. This post is essential to drive demand for the Home Upgrade Grant to ensure we can recruit 750 households to participate.  

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements.
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Please complete the online application form.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Andy Hickford, Senior Project Manager on 0113 378 5846 or email andrew.hickford@leeds.gov.uk.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds. Leeds City Council is ranked 70 on the Stonewall Equality Index 2023. We are also an age-friendly employer, a Mindful Employer and a Disability Confident Leader.

All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.
 
This role is based in the UK. Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK - either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. If you do not have the right to work in the UK and the role does not meet eligibility for sponsorship, please consider carefully whether you meet the eligibility to apply.

Job Description 

Job Purpose:

Communications and Marketing Officers play a key role in the Council, bringing professional knowledge and skills, and a focus on outcomes and quality delivery that ensures excellence. 

Communications and Marketing Officers will deliver work on projects and campaigns that support the best council and best city priorities. 

They will be responsible for managing their own workload, working flexibly across communications and marketing disciplines on a range of projects and subjects, and ensuring their work is completed to deadline and to a high standard. 

Team Offer:

Everything we do in Climate, Energy and Green Spaces is driven by Leeds City Council’s ambition to become the first net zero city in the country, with abundant and thriving local wildlife, and the district best prepared for future climate impacts. As well as helping to address some of the biggest environmental issues of our time, this work has immediate benefits for Leeds residents. 

We are at the forefront of the council’s strategy for a sustainable city. Since declaring a climate emergency, Leeds City Council has invested hundreds of millions of pounds on our plans to end the city’s contribution to climate change and to improve the city’s resilience against future climate hazards. We are also responsible for maintaining and improving council buildings to make them greener and better places to work in. With all the work we do, we try to lead by example and then encourage others to join us.

Every action counts. We are committed to supporting local people to make simple changes that will have a big impact on their own carbon footprints alongside many other benefits, whether through knowledge sharing, financial support, or working with council colleagues to make ‘greener’ actions (like walking and cycling) easier and more attractive.

As well as working with council colleagues and local people, businesses, and organisations, we also collaborate at a national level on policy development and project delivery.

Responsibilities:

• Act as a lead on projects to deliver communications and marketing work for projects and programmes relating to the council's Zero Carbon priority.
• Demonstrate a proactive attitude and creative approach, and use judgement and insight to reach decisions. 
• Provide professional advice across all communications and marketing disciplines, based on a high standard of competency across the insight ideas, implementation and impact stages of the competency framework, and with a strong focus on outcomes. 
• Effectively prioritise their workload, ensuring efficient use of resources and appropriate levels of support for council and city priorities. 
• Support the smooth running of a professional communications and marketing function by playing an active role in the team. 
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with internal and external partners and suppliers that help the council and team to meet priorities while spending money wisely. 
• Represent the council and the team at internal and external meetings and events. 
• Understand and follow procurement rules for communications and marketing spend both in the team and across the council, in line with the organisation’s financial rules. 

Generic 

• To participate in appraisal, training and development activities as necessary to ensure up to date knowledge and skills
• To improve own practice through observation, evaluation, discussion with colleagues and appropriate CPD programmes.
• To work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice.
• Contribute to the overall ethos, work, and aims of the service by attending relevant meetings, training days/events as requested.
• Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures e.g. child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding and promoting the values, standards and equal opportunities of Leeds City Council. 
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation and any form of abuse of equal opportunities, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and procedures.

The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and this role will be expected to work within these parameters.

PERSONAL SPECIFICATION ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS: It is essential that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities:  Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate on the application form that they meet all the essential requirements.

Method of Assessment will be through one or more of the following Application Form, Test, Interview or Certificate.

EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

• Sound experience gained working in a marketing, PR, communications or relevant related environment.
• Have a good level of knowledge of the operations of a marketing, PR or communications function.
• Have a good level of understanding of marketing, PR or communication issues facing large local authorities and the public sector.
• A thorough knowledge of marketing, PR and communications methodology.
• Experience of delivering multiple projects to tight deadlines.
• Experience of producing clear, accurate copy within tight deadlines and the ability to communicate in plain English.
• Experience of working in a team environment but with the ability to work individually without supervision. 

SKILLS

• Ability to brief for large-scale marketing, PR or communications projects.
• Ability to produce marketing, PR or communications strategies and plans, reports and articles which are clear and articulate.
• Ability to prepare and present written and verbal information in a concise and accurate manner to a wide range of audiences.
• Ability to contribute effectively to a wide range of corporate projects from a marketing, PR and communications perspective.                                                                        
• Computer literate with ability to use relevant software packages.

WORKPLACE BEHAVIOURS

• Demonstrable experience of dealing with matters, which are highly sensitive and confidential.
• Ability to work to specified work programmes and timetables, prioritising effectively.
• Ability to make swift decisions and judgements.
• Interpersonal skills.
• Ability to foster and maintain useful contacts internal and external to the council. 
• Ability to contribute to partnerships involving various stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes.
• Ability to develop productive working relationships that command trust and confidence.
• Ability to work effectively with others to deliver cross-service projects.
• Ability to manage competing priorities whilst delivering on a range of projects and adapting to changing circumstances and priorities.
• Willing to abide by the council’s equal opportunities policy in the duties of the post, and as an employee of the council.
• Committed to own personal and professional development.
• Able to offer persuasive professional and creative advice.
• Able to build relationships with service staff and play an influencing role.

PERSONAL SPECIFICATION DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS: It is desirable that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities:  Candidates are not required to meet all the Desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between acceptable candidates.

EXPERIENCE

• Experience of developing, leading and motivating a team.
• Experience of carrying out project work and using project management techniques and preparing reports.
• Experience of developing integrated marketing, PR or communications strategies which demonstrate clear, actionable and measurable outcomes.
• Experience of using information and research across a wider marketing, PR and communications network to ensure joined up working and the use of corporate planning and performance data to develop strategies and activity.
• Experience of building influential networks and enabling effective communication and engagement with others in a wide range of settings.
• Experience of directing and coordinating resources to deliver against marketing, PR and communication requirements.

SKILLS

• Ability to plan, implement and monitor complex marketing, PR or communications campaigns.
• Ability to demonstrate the necessary confidence, gravitas and authority to represent the team at a senior level in the organisation and to contribute to business development.
• Evidence of strong brand and identity management through different channels and understanding of the implications for customer experience, employer brand and reputation management.
• Demonstrable experience of using market research, customer insight and intelligence to inform marketing, PR and communications activity and strategies.
• Able to demonstrate an understanding of the role of the media and be able to support the press, media and issues management function.

TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree or professional qualification