Head of Strategic / Local Comms & Insight

The salary is broken down as £74,002 basic salary, which will increase annually until you reach the top of the scale £85,474 Plus, a location allowance of £1,841 and a non-pensionable allowance of £1,000.

The Head ofStrategic / Local Comms & Insight will be responsible for leading a new Strategic Comms function that will work closely with digital, press and internal comms to create long term proactive plans and campaigns on priority themes. You will also set up and recruit a small insight and evaluation team to ensure comms plans are based on audience insight.

Key results

Strategic communications - Oversee a team of Strategic Comms staff who task, coordinate, forward plan and triage the proactive work of the unit.

In addition they will also ensure each ‘priority theme’ have a 3 month strategic comms and engagement plan that encompasses all relevant channels and touchpoints required to reach our target audiences. This includes improving how we improve our hyper local targeting and engagement at a borough level.

• Lead the drafting of the overarching comms strategy for the Met.
• Oversee and quality assure 3 month plans for our strategic pillars (themes).
• Ensure the Department’s communications risks are managed and mitigated.
• Devise and implement a programme of work to improve how the Met communication to and via the 12 BCU’s and the 32 local authority boroughs – to maximise the impact of hyper local communications.
• Devise and implement - with internal and external stakeholders - a programme of work to develop deeper and more trusted engagement with key community groups.

Effective communication coordination is essential in an organisation as wide ranging as the met to ensure risks are foreseen and planned for. Without an effective strategy and grip, we risk duplication, gaps and unaligned messages.

Insight & Evaluation- Recruit and embed a new team of experts in audience and behavioural insight to improve how we use insight to inform our communications. This team will also upskill the unit to improve how work is evaluated and how metrics are used to shape future activity.

• Recruit experienced behavioural insight staff who can advise on and conduct quantitative and qualitative research.
• Embed the use of data and insight and evaluation in all communication plans and improve the metrics currently used to asses communication performance.
• Oversee qualitative and quantitative research plans and improve how the comms functions uses digital and web based analytical tools and data.
• Improve the evaluation of out content and channels in non-paid for a swell as paid for marketing.
• It is essential that we understand the impact of our communications and to test messages, channels and strategies before launching them.
• Behavioural nudges have been proven to save the public purse millions in terms of crime prevention and crime reporting – which our communication seeks to achieve.

Leadership - Help the Director and the SMT reform and restructure the 100 strong function

• As a member of the senior leadership you will foster a strong sense of purpose and communicate this effectively to your teams.
• You will set and drive a culture of high standards, and high performance across the unit.
• You will review and modernise the range of communication systems and processes that sit within your portfolio.

The communications unit requires significant transformation to enable it to meet the growing demand placed up on it. Leading through change, setting the vision and inspiring the team to follow this is integral to the success of this post.

Scope for Impact/Dimension

• This post has management responsibility of around 15 staff (about 6 direct reports) – however it will operate across many networks so influencing without direct line management will be an important dimension to this role.
• You will also need to establish professional and productive relations with data scientists and the research community across the Met.

Working relations

• Reporting to the Head of unit, you may often be required to brief the commissioner, or deputy commissioner on your work.
• You must also be able to develop excellent working relationship with senior police officers who will wish to commission the service of your team.
• You will be a key member of the leadership team in comms and will need to develop supportive and collegiate relations with all members of the SLT.
• You must be able to represent communications at Gold and Silver level when critical incidents emerge.

Essential criteria

• The successful candidate will demonstrate excellent leadership skills and an ability to gain the credibility of The Commissioner and senior policing colleagues.
• You must have strategic communications experience within a large organisation, with high profile examples to demonstrate your credentials.
• Examples of understanding channels, audiences, using insight and creating strategies and plans that demonstrate creativity.

Please click on the below link to view an online candidate information pack that will you give you an insight into the Met, the competency framework we use which shapes our daily work behaviours, the application process, and a host of other information, that will help inform and support your application:

https://sscl-innovation.com/MPScandidatepack/

Click the apply now button below and start your career at the Met. Applications will be via a detailed CV, Personal Statement, and online application form. Your personal statement should outline why you are interested in the role and how your skills and experience demonstrate your suitability for the role. (NB. Please do not attach 2 copies of your CV).

Completed applications must be submitted by 23:55 on 15 February 2024.