Address
Form of work
SalaryDivision / Department - Media and Communications
Grade - M1
Status - Full Time
Contract Type - Permanent
Salary Grade Range - £45,546 - £50,109
Working Hours - 37.0 Hours per Week
Shift Allowance - No
Politically Restricted - Yes
Location - Sussex Police Headquarters, Lewes
The starting salary for this role will usually be at the bottom of the salary range and will be pro-rata if the working hours are less than full time.
Chief Constables' Message
We really welcome your interest in joining our Police Force. It is a privilege to lead the teams in Surrey Police and Sussex Police who continuously work selflessly and tirelessly in order to keep people in our counties safe.
We are looking for talented and inspirational people who put the needs of the public at the heart of everything that they do and who want to make a difference. If you feel you are that person then we want to hear from you.
We wish you all the very best with your application.
Chief Constable Tim De Meyer & Chief Constable Jo Shiner
The Role & Key Responsibilities
We have a fantastic opportunity for an experienced media and communications professional to join our multi award-winning Media and Communications Department as the Head of Media.
Our Media Team works 24/7 to issue public information, appeals and updates that help to prevent and detect crime, achieve justice for victims, and keep our communities safe.
You will be responsible for delivering an outstanding, informed and effective communications service that builds understanding, trust and confidence in what we do.
You will lead the Media Team which provides a 365 day a year service requiring a leader who is accessible, knowledgeable and inspires them to provide an outstanding service.
You will understand how to build effective media relations and how use of technology and content styles can keep us connected to those we serve.
As a crucial member of our senior leadership team you will act as a trusted communications advisor, providing expert advice to others in the Force, including Chief Officers and external stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
- Build, develop and maximise the performance of the Media Team, ensuring it is delivering against strategic and departmental objectives and maximising opportunity, via communications, to keep people safe, prevent and detect crime and provide public reassurance.
- Maintain and nurture positive relationships with media organisations and other key stakeholders, both in personal interactions and the style and approach adopted by team members, maximising opportunities to promote policing activity that reinforces the Force's values, or reassuring and explaining if activity falls short of them and helps to deliver our corporate narrative themes.
- Direct and manage the media teams' processes and people, ensuring sufficient capability, capacity and resilience to provide a 24/7 media and communications service including its ability to flex across communications disciplines.
- Provide direction and expertise to the media team and colleagues across the department; overseeing their day-to-day approach and longer-term development to ensure all our communications are lawful, consistent, innovative, and cost and operationally effective. Take personal responsibility for the highest risk issues.
- Oversee media training delivered by the department to others in the Force; working closely with the Learning and Development Department on a structured annual programme of courses and providing ad-hoc training when required.
- Provide expert communications advice to others in the Force, most often at senior levels. This includes providing advice on higher-risk reactive incidents, including at Gold Groups, and setting the communications approach for longer-term more complex planned issues.
- As Silver Communications (or Gold if required) in the context of a major or critical incident, develop and direct the implementation of communications tactics, working to the Gold strategy, often in liaison with several partners and external stakeholders, to ensure public safety and confidence under our statutory warning and informing requirements, and assist operational tactics.
- Represent the media team in relation to HMICFRS inspections and provide input on behalf of the department.
- Budgetary responsibility, reporting to the Head of Department.
- Undertake other duties appropriate to the grade and character or work as may be reasonably required, including specific duties of a similar or lesser graded post, including deputising for the deputy Head of the department.
The requirements for this role are:
- Degree and NCTJ qualification or equivalent professional experience in journalism, media relations or PR.
- Commitment to Continuous Professional Development.
- Significant experience in managing a news media or media relations function in a high profile and fast paced environment.
- Demonstrable experience of delivering effective organisation-wide and localised corporate communications strategies.
- Experienced line manager with evidence of nurturing team professional and personal development, motivating others and relevant business and HR processes.
- Ability to autonomously and creatively problem-solve to create and deliver strategic solutions.
- Excellent formal and interpersonal communications skills, both verbal and written.
- Knowledge of public sentiment monitoring and evaluation across paid, earned, shared and owned channels including relevant software and legal obligations
- Detailed knowledge of Media law as applied across offline and online communications.
- Proven ability to negotiate and influence at all levels - including senior colleagues and key external stakeholders - with an ability to persuade under time or other pressures.
- Proactive, self-disciplined approach to tasks, with an ability to be flexible and work under pressure with minimal management direction.
- Good working knowledge of Microsoft products including Word, Excel and SharePoint.
- Applicants will be required to obtain and maintain vetting status for the required level of this post.
- This role requires travel to meetings and locations, sometimes at short notice or out of hours, for which public transport may not be suitable. Therefore the post-holder must have their own means of transport and be insured for business use. Where the transport involves the driving of police vehicles, you must have a full driving licence and the ability to attain a Force Police Driving Permit.
We take pride in looking after our people and offer a variety of benefits;
- career progression
- contributory pension scheme (LGPS)
- generous annual leave allowance
- discounts for everyday spend
- on-site gyms and a range of sports clubs
- generous and supportive parental leave
- financial and mental wellbeing guidance and support
- discounted contributory healthcare scheme
Diversity Statement
We are only as good as our people. It's really important that our officers and staff can be themselves in the workplace and we know that as an organisation we'll grow from the variety of thinking, approach and skills that diversity brings; all of which help us to deliver a better policing service. We strive to ensure how we deliver our services, provide information and how we recruit is open and accessible to all.
We have multiple staff support groups who help to improve our understanding of minority issues and ensure they are reflected in our work. We are proud members of the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index and Disability Confident, a signatory of the Race at Work Charter and aligned with the Armed Forces Covenant and the HeForShe movement.
We value the differences that people bring from all backgrounds and communities. Regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, disability, social status or religious belief, we would love to hear from you.
Please use the following links to find out more on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Surrey Police and Sussex Police
Further Information
While the role is based at Sussex Police HQ in Lewes, hybrid working options including home working or working from local police stations are also available.
Due to the critical nature of communications in a major or high risk incident, there is an expectation that all team members work from Head office or can travel to other locations across Sussex, at short notice, if required.
This is a politically restricted position, to view the Political Restrictions Policy for Police Staff click here
Interviews will be held in early May, in person, at Sussex Police HQ, Lewes. Candidates successful at shortlisting stage will receive a presentation topic to prepare and present on the day of their interview.
For an informal conversation, or for further information regarding the role, please contact Beth Durham beth.durham@sussex.police.uk or Hannah Easterby hannah.easterby@sussex.police.uk
