Senior Communications And Engagement Officer

As a Senior Communications professional for the Mayor of London's Good Growth Directorate, you'll be part of a busy centralised strategic servicing team working with teams delivering and implementing the Mayor's environment, transport, and economic strategies for the effective implementation of the London Plan. The Directorate is also responsible for regeneration (where the programme is not housing led), enterprise, growth, capital projects, and design work. 

The Good Growth Coordination team supports work that delivers against Good Growth priorities that are socially and economically inclusive and environmentally sustainable.

This is a central role within the Directorate, bringing together Good Growth through clear communication, nurturing community, and alignment. By creating engaging internal content and facilitating strategic engagement, we ensure that every member of Good Growth is well-informed, engaged, and aligned with our collective vision and values. In this role, you will be instrumental in creating compelling content, implementing effective communication channels, and delivering business-as-usual activities. This includes working closely with a range of stakeholders to ensure consistent messaging throughout the Directorate and supporting the planning and management of directorate-wide projects and events to foster a cohesive, well-informed, and inclusive directorate community. 

You will be an excellent communicator with a proven track record of coordinating and delivering high-quality communications in a fast-moving, complex environment. Working closely with our central Communications and specialist policy teams, you will coordinate all Communications and Engagement activities within the Good Growth directorate. We're looking for excellent writing and people skills, a proven ability to advise senior figures, and the ability to think on your feet. You must have significant experience developing and delivering internal Communications and Engagement strategies and campaigns, dealing with a wide range of stakeholders, and managing different communication channels, including digital and social media. 

Principal accountabilities:

• Be responsible for preparation and delivery of the Good Growth directorate’s engagement, Communications and marketing strategies, and the coordination of their delivery across the directorate with a range of partners, in accordance with the GLA’s marketing, brand and digital guidelines.
• Support the Good Growth directorate’s core corporate functions - developing internal communications delivery plans aligned to organisational priorities - including staff networks. Implement strategies that advance the directorate's equality diversity and inclusion, culture change, collaboration, and innovation goals.
• Work with the GLA’s External Relations teams to ensure the Good Growth directorate is integrated into the GLA wide marketing and communications activity.  
• Create and manage the Good Growth directorate’s communication and Engagement systems and process ensuring a robust forward plan of communications activity and key events are planned for the directorate.  This will include working closely with a range of policy teams and communications officers and wider colleagues in the GLA External Relations team to coordinate events, source speakers, develop messaging, respond to enquiries and optimise positive exposure. 
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of communication initiatives, using analytics and feedback to continuously improve, managing project delivery within budget and managing strategic partnerships to ensure that opportunities for joint communication and marketing are realised. 
• Ensure Communications and marketing activity is consistently undertaken within the context of Mayoral policies, objectives and concerns at conferences, seminars and meetings to external bodies and organisations.  
• Source, select and appoint consultants and contractors to carry out relevant, stakeholder engagement, marketing, and communications work in accordance with relevant public procurement, GLA procedures and in conjunction with marketing and digital teams as appropriate. Ensure delivery within the allocated budget/to time/quality. 
• Support the delivery of Good Growth projects and programmes, as appropriate.  
• Realise the benefits of London’s diversity by promoting and enabling equality of opportunities and promoting the diverse needs and aspirations of London’s communities. 
• Realise the benefits of a flexible approach to work in undertaking the duties and responsibilities of this job, and participating in multi-disciplinary, cross-department and cross-organisational groups and project teams. 
• Carry out all roles allocated to the job in accordance with the Authority’s policies and Code of Ethics and Standards. 

PERSON SPECIFICATION  

Technical requirements/experience/qualifications:

• Experience of engagement, Communications and marketing activities and using communication channels including digital and social media including familiarity with analytics tools to measure engagement and effectiveness of communication strategies. 
• Experience of managing project delivery and delivering results on target and within budget – working with a broad range of stakeholders. 
• Experience of managing internal Communications and Engagement to achieve specified outputs monitoring and evaluating against agreed targets. 
• Experience of managing stakeholders and strategic partnerships to achieve positive outcomes for the organisation. 
• Competent with digital tools including Microsoft Office and 365 as well as proficiency in using communication tools such as intranets, email marketing software, CMS and collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams.  

Behavioural competencies 

Problem Solving 

… is analysing and interpreting situations from a variety of viewpoints and finding creative, workable and timely solutions. 

Level 2 Indicators of Effective Performance:

• Processes and distils a variety of information to understand a problem fully 
• Proposes options for solutions to presented problems 
• Builds on the ideas of others to encourage creative problem solving 
• Thinks laterally about own work, considering different ways to approach problems 
• Seeks the opinions and experiences of others to understand different approaches to problem solving 

Planning and Organising

… is thinking ahead, managing time, priorities and risk, and developing structured and efficient approaches to deliver work on time and to a high standard. 

Level 3 Indicators of Effective Performance:

• Monitors allocation of resources, anticipating changing requirements that may impact work delivery 
• Ensures evaluation processes are in place to measure project benefits 
• Gains buy-in and commitment to project delivery from diverse stakeholders 
• Implements quality measure to ensure directorate output is of a high standard 
• Translates political vision into action plans and deliverables 

Communicating and Influencing 

… is presenting information and arguments clearly and convincingly so that others see us as credible and articulate and engage with us. 

Level 3 Indicators of Effective Performance:

• Encourages and supports teams in engaging in transparent and inclusive communication 
• Influences others and gains buy-in using compelling, well though through arguments  
• Negotiates effectively to deliver GLA priorities 
• Synthesises the complex viewpoints of others, recognises where compromise is necessary and brokers agreement 
• Advocates positively for the GLA both within and outside the organisation 

Building and Managing Relationships 

… is developing rapport and working effectively with a diverse range of people, sharing knowledge and skills to deliver shared goals.  

Level 2 Indicators of Effective Performance:

• Identifies opportunities for joint working to minimise duplication and deliver shared goals 
• Develops new professional relationships 
• Understands the needs of others, the constraints they face and the levers to their engagement 
• Understands differences, anticipates areas of conflict and takes action 
• Fosters an environment where others feel respected 

Stakeholder Focus 

….is consulting with, listening to and understanding the needs of those our work impacts and using this knowledge to shape what we do and manage others’ expectations. 

Level 3 Indicators of Effective Performance:

• Seeks to understand requirements, gathering extra information when needs are not clear 
• Presents the GLA positively by interacting effectively with stakeholders 
• Delivers a timely and accurate service 
• Understands the differing needs of stakeholders and adapt own service accordingly  
• Seeks and uses feedback from a variety of sources to improve the GLA’s service to Londoners 

This role is based at London Fire Brigade’s Head Office (Union Street SE1 0LL)

GLA staff are hybrid working up to 3 days a week in our offices and remotely depending on their role. As part of this, you will need to split your time between home working and coming into the office. 

London's diversity is its biggest asset and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects London's diversity at all levels. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability.  

We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic candidates and disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. 

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and we are happy to consider flexible working arrangements. We would welcome applications from candidates who are seeking part time work as this role is open to job share.

In addition to a good salary package, you will be paid every four weeks, providing frequent salary payments. We also offer an attractive range of benefits including 30 days’ annual leave, interest free season ticket loan, interest free bicycle loan and a career average pension scheme. 

Application closing date: Sunday 7th April 2024 at 23:59