Senior Communications & Engagement Officer

Senior Communications & Engagement Officer
Sutton
£250/day
Start Date: ASAP
Brief Description of job role and department
Based in the Council's newly formed Customers, Transformation and Strategy Division, the Communications and Engagement Team is responsible for ensuring the Council speaks with one voice, seeks out and listens to all opinions and concerns of local people, delivers on its commitments and responds honestly.
The team is made up of the following key areas:

• Strategic direction & external positioning
• Marketing and design
• Internal communications
• Consultation, engagement and participation
• Press & media relations
• Leadership Office
• Public affairs

The Senior Communications and Engagement Officer will work across all of the above areas advising on and delivering a variety of projects using audience insight, behavioural science and digital innovation to affect real change.
Specific accountabilities

• Distribute and approve key messages and campaigns via a variety of different media.
• Manage various communications and engagement campaigns and initiatives including events, e-newsletters, brochures and publications.
• Deliver effective communications and engagement campaigns and projects in line with brand guidelines and relevant plans and strategies.
• Plan and deliver effective communications and engagement campaigns and projects that raise awareness, change perceptions or change behaviour.
• Manage the council's brand guidelines, providing marketing and branding advice and support to services.
• Develop, research and lead on the implementation of campaign and project strategies across a wide variety of audiences (both internal and external as required).
• Develop, deliver and evaluate communications and engagement projects to support the council's corporate plan.
• Lead on a variety of formal and informal consultation and engagement activities to enable businesses, partners, residents and stakeholders to have a say on the issues that affect them.

Person specification (knowledge, skills, experience and behaviours required in the role)

• Experience of working within a complex, political environment with practical understanding and experience of the challenges facing the public sector.
• Experience of managing and delivering projects to meet quality, time and cost deadlines.
• Experience of developing, implementing and evaluating significant communications and engagement campaigns and projects as appropriate.
• Understanding and use of a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods.
• Experience in building relationships with senior managers, politicians, key stakeholders and influencers.

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to work proactively and to organise a personal workload to meet competing demands and tight deadlines.
• Good interpersonal skills with the ability to develop and maintain positive relationships and influence a wide range of people.
• Demonstrable understanding of communications and engagement campaign and project delivery and management.
• Be politically and tactically astute with an understanding of how to influence key stakeholders.