Senior Communications Officer, New Local

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Location: London, Flexible
Salary details: £32,000–36,0000pa
  • Full-Time

The cause New Local (previously New Local Government Network) is an independent think tank and network with a mission to transform public services and unlock community power.

We are home to a network of 60+ councils and other organisations, united in a drive to create sustainable, inclusive and community-informed public services. At the heart of our work is ‘community power’ – the belief that people should be given the means to transform the places they live and the services they use. We believe this is key to reducing the burden on our public services, and to creating a better society for all.

The Role…

Over the last year, we’ve changed our name, renewed our brand and launched a new website. At the same time, we’ve seen our community power message take a greater hold, and our network grow as we expand into a new virtual space.

We’re seeking a Senior Communications Officer who can help us to build on our new identity and further increase the impact of our work. They will play a key role in supporting the Director of Communications to deliver the New Local communications strategy as our brand grows.

Your job will include:

  • Digital management: Day-to-day content planning and website upkeep, taking a leading role in our new site’s success
  • Social media: Running New Local’s channels to increase engagement and reach influential stakeholder
  • External marketing: Promoting our membership and consultancy offer in creative and engaging ways, to both new and existing connections
  • Media relations: Taking a proactive and reactive approach to promoting New Local’s work and interests with national, regional and specialist press
  • Content: Producing, planning and editing content – from blogs and reports to videos and podcasts
  • Planning: Working cross-team to coordinate our communications and make sure our messages are heard by the right people at the right time
  • Brand management: Acting as a ‘brand ambassador’ for New Local- ensuring that our messaging is understood and conveyed by all staff, and helping to develop and disseminate our brand identity
  • And more: Contributing to the planning and delivery of promotional, campaigning and events activity – including report launches, parliamentary influencing and members’ events. Taking on other tasks to support the communications strategy and our work as a whole

About You…

Our ideal candidate will be:

  • A great communicator, who can distil complex ideas and bring people together around a cause – verbally, visually and in writing
  • A creative thinker, who has an eye for design and can bring fresh approaches to any challenge
  • Digitally savvy, with experience creating high levels of engagement online and through social media
  • A keen planner, whose strategic understanding and attention-to-detail is proven to keep projects timely and impactful
  • A warm connector, with experience of building strong, supportive relationships inside and outside teams, ideally with press and local/national government
  • Someone with quick judgement, who flourishes in an environment of autonomous working and speedy decision making, and can be trusted to make the right calls
  • Driven by achieving change, both in terms of improving our own work and achieving New Local’s broader political and societal goals
  • Flexible and collaborative, generous in offering expertise and keen to work adaptably and openly with other members of New Local’s staff

The Organisation

New Local was founded in 1996 as New Local Government Network. Today, we’re a close team of 13. Until March 2020, we were based in a co-working space in London’s Victoria. Post-pandemic, we will offer the opportunity to work either at home or from a London co-working space, location TBC. All staff will be expected to attend in-person team meetings in London around every two weeks, and will be expected to cover the cost of that travel.

The Senior Communications Officer role will report to the Director of Communications, and work alongside the Design Production Coordinator. They will work closely with all other members of staff, including the Research Team and the Network and Events Team.

In addition to the advertised salary, we offer:

  • A minimum of 27 days’ holiday a year
  • Flexible working arrangements
  • Regular training opportunities

Wellbeing: New Local is committed to staff wellbeing. Working long and late hours is actively discouraged and all staff at New Local are committed to creating a pleasant, friendly and supportive working environment.

Diversity: New Local is committed to being an equal opportunities employer. We don’t just ‘value diversity’, we think it is central to what makes for a high impact, successful organisation. We positively encourage everyone to apply. In order to monitor equal opportunities, we ask that the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form below is completed (this is entirely at the applicant’s discretion). The collecting of this data is part of our diversity strategy, to understand how we can improve equal opportunities for external applicants to New Local. All information gathered will be anonymised and then destroyed after 6 months, after which only aggregate data will be held. Information collected for monitoring purposes will be treated as confidential and will not be used for any other purpose.

How To Apply:

Please email to Recruitment@Newlocal.org.uk your:

  • Cover letter (demonstrating, with examples, how you meet the criteria above)
  • CV
  • Completed Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form (if you wish)

N.B. all equal opportunities forms will be separated from the application. Please mention Journo Resources when applying, it really helps us out.

If you would like an informal discussion about the role, please contact Katy Oglethorpe, Director of Communications at katy@newlocal.org.uk

Recruitment timeline:

  • Post advertised Thursday 12 November 2020
  • Deadline for applications Monday 7 December 2020 (midnight)
  • Candidates contacted for interview by Friday 11 December 2020
  • Interviews 1st round Monday 14 December 2020 (inc. 45 min task)
  • Interviews 2nd round Wednesday 16 December 2020
  • Start date From 7 January 2021

If you are unable to make either of the above interview dates, please let us know when you apply. Interviews will take place remotely via Zoom video conference.

Probation and Notice: This role is subject to a six-month probationary period and a two-month notice period. Data Protection: New Local will process and store and your personal information (this means any information that identifies or could identify you) for the purposes of recruitment, for a period of up to six months after the closing date, after which it will be securely disposed. For more information, please refer to our Job Applicant Privacy Notice.

Full New Local PDF Document

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