Job info	Job info details
Job title	Engagement and Communications Officer
Strategic team/Directorate	Corporate Services
Service	Policy, Performance and Community Engagement
Business unit	Policy, Performance and Community Engagement
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Senior Community Engagement Officer
Accountable to (line manager)	Head of Policy, Performance and Community Engagement
Salary grade	I
JE ref	BUSP55

1. Key purpose of job

• To support the Head of Policy, Performance and Community Engagement in ensuring that the Council is clear about how it will communicate with, engage with and empower the communities across Torbay to deliver services differently in the future and achieve the ambitions of the Council.

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

• A Council which positively communicates with, engages with and empowers its communities to deliver its ambitions, with all communities feeling able to influence decisions made by the Council and its partners. 

3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post

• To deliver a range of projects within the programme of communication, consultation, engagement and empowerment that promotes the Council positively for residents, visitors and partners, meets the statutory consultation requirements of the Council, supports the policy and service development needs of the Council and its partners, and provides value for money. 
• To develop and implement innovative campaigns with key messages to deliver creative, targeted and effective marketing, engagement and communications across multiple channels to ensure optimum visibility. 
• To ensure the Council is consulting effectively on policy and service change and that communities feel able to influence decisions through open and maintained dialogue that empowers the community to aid the Council in delivering services and its ambitions. 
• To deliver the Council’s Community Engagement and Empowerment Strategy with the aim of increasing the impact and effectiveness of our engagement and empowerment with the community and key stakeholders, including working with colleagues across the Council to embed the principles of the Strategy. 
• To ensure that effective consultation supports proposals for service change, income generation and efficiencies which inform the Council’s Budget. 
• To develop and implement clear Communication and Engagement Plans for specific projects in conjunction with Directors, Heads of Service and, where appropriate, partner organisations and undertake evaluation of the impact of the Plan in order to maximise results and inform future activity. 
• To support the implementation of integrated programmes of communication, consultation, engagement, empowerment and equalities impact assessments to ensure that community and partner’s views and offers can be taken into account on all key decisions. 
• To provide guidance to determine which decisions require consultation (and the level of that consultation) and equality impact assessments and advise the Senior Leadership Team accordingly; and to review and provide critical challenge to impact assessments to ensure that the decisions made by the Council are informed by evidence, engagement and consultation.
• To respond appropriately to media enquiries, identify emerging issues and address in an appropriate and timely way, including advising on high-level, contentious and sensitive media issues.

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

• Responsibility for ensuring that communication, consultation, engagement and empowerment activities are carried out within agreed budgets.

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

• None

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

• Normal working environment and conditions, with occasional requirement to:
  
  • Support engagement and consultation events at outside venues. 
  • Work outside normal office hours to support engagement and consultation events. 

7. Physical demands of the post

• Normal. 

8. Specific resources used by the post

• Normal. 

9. Key contacts and relationships

• External: Members of the public, Community and Voluntary Sector, Private Sector, other Public Sector organisations and media outlets and providers.
• Internal: Leader of the Council and the Cabinet, all Councillors, Chief Executive and Senior Leadership Team, Service Managers and other Council officers.

10. Other duties

• To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job.

Other Information

• All staff must commit to Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discriminatory Practice. 
• The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement. 
• The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures. 
• The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role. 
• The post is eligible for both hybrid and permanent home working. 
• The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes. 
• You will be asked to complete a Criminal Records Self Declaration Form. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post. You will only be asked to disclose ‘unspent’ convictions. 
• Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.

Person Specification

Note for Candidate

All Candidates

The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement. In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.

Candidates who consider that they have a disability

Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.

If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.

Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.

If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.

Job info	Job info details
Job Title	Engagement and Communications Officer
Strategic team/Directorate	Corporate Services
Service	Policy, Performance and Community Engagement
Business unit	Policy, Performance and Community Engagement

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

• Ability to work effectively in a complex political environment building and sustaining effective working relations with Councillors, Directors, Service Managers, across organisation and operational boundaries including with external organisations and individuals within the community.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to display sensitivity, tact and diplomacy in all situations, recognising the need for and having regard to confidentiality.
• An enquiring mind and the skills to identify positive activity and emerging issues, to gather the relevant information required and to capture it in brief, clear and descriptive ways.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to communicate with a range of people across the organisation and partners.
• Ability to plan, manage and deliver projects within a changing environment in agreed timescales and budgets.
• Problem solving and an ability to see the wider picture and apply an imaginative and creative approach to work.
• Ability to work to independently and flexibly on their own initiative, but also to work as part of a team.
• Ability to prioritise and balance a varied workload, with competing demands and multiple priorities, whilst maintaining a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Proven ability in gathering, interpreting, explaining and applying information to meet internal and external customer needs.
• Ability to evaluate information, using statistical analysis and research methodology, to make appropriate decisions.
• Ability to use IT systems effectively (including Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint) as well as social media platforms.

Desirable skills and effectiveness

N/A

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

• Working knowledge of engagement, consultation and marketing techniques and methodology.
• Up to date knowledge of equalities legislation.
• Up to date knowledge of case law relating to fair decision making.
• Understanding of the key principles and practice of social media.

Desirable knowledge

• Knowledge of local area.
• Understanding of local authority processes and systems.
• Knowledge of the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity.
• An understanding of copyright infringement and consumer privacy on digital platforms.
• Political awareness.

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

• Public sector experience (preferably in local government).
• Designing, facilitating and undertaking engagement, consultation and marketing activity.
• A commitment to working in a way which promotes equal opportunity.
• Proven experience in the development and delivery of projects.
• Working in partnership across a range of seniority levels.
• Evaluation of communication initiatives and programmes.
• Partnership working with a wide range of agencies, organisations, third sector groups, etc.
• Experience of preparing clear and concise reports and presentations.
• Demonstrable experience of using social media to provide effective communications and engagement.

Desirable experience and achievements

• Experience of dealing with the media on a range of issues, including handling contentious and sensitive media situations.
• Experience of promoting a service with internal and external stakeholders, including the community.
• Experience of identifying alternative or revised methods of working to improve efficiency and engagement.
• Budget management.
• Working with elected members of local government.

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

• Educated to degree level standard (including HND, professional/enhanced skill qualification) or equivalent or demonstrable work-related experience in appropriate areas.

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

• Prince 2 qualification or equivalent experience.
• Evidence of continued professional development.

Other requirements

Other requirements of the job role

• Ability to travel efficiently around Torbay and the South West in order to carry out duties.
• The post will involve some out of hours working including occasional weekend activity. Compensatory leave of absence must be authorised and will be granted at the convenience of the Directorate.