Job info |
Job info details |
Job title |
Senior Engagement and Communications Officer |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Chief Executive Support |
Service |
Policy, Performance and Community Engagement |
Business unit |
Policy, Performance and Community Engagement |
Responsible to (day to day issues) |
Head of Policy, Performance and Community Engagement |
Accountable to (line manager) |
Head of Policy, Performance and Community Engagement |
Salary grade |
36 - 39 |
JE ref |
BUSP58 |
1. Key purpose of job
- To work with the Head of Policy, Performance and Community Engagement to support and
challenge services across the Council to ensure that there is clarity 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.
- Decisions taken by the Council and its partners are safe and informed by a strong evidence
base and feedback from engagement, empowerment, consultation and equality impact
assessments are fully considered as part of the decision making process.
3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post
- To develop the annual programme of communication, consultation, engagement and
empowerment across the entirety of the Council 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 ensure the delivery of the annual programme of communication, consultation,
engagement and empowerment in an effective and efficient manner.
- 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.
- Working with the Head of Policy, Performance and Community Engagement, to support and
challenge across the organisation ensuring the Council’s Community Engagement and
Empowerment Strategy achieves the aim of increasing the impact and effectiveness of our
engagement and empowerment with the community and key stakeholders. This includes
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, and ensure that the team does the same.
- To prepare and present regular evaluation reports to show the impact of the team and to
make recommendations to the Head of Policy, Performance and Community Engagement
on changes in working practices and approach as a result of the evaluation.
- 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 ensure the team responds appropriately to media enquiries, identifies emerging issues
and addresses them in an appropriate and timely way and to advise on high-level,
contentious and sensitive media issues.
- To support the Head of Policy, Performance and Community Engagement to prepare and
maintain major incident media plans.
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
- Line management responsibility for:
▪ 5 x Communications and Engagement Officers
▪ 1 x Communications and Engagement Support Officer
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
8. Specific resources used by the post
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 |
Senior Engagement and Communications Officer |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Chief Executive Support |
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 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 wide range of
audiences 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, whilst programme
managing the work of the 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 use IT systems effectively (including Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel and
PowerPoint) as well as social media platforms.
- Ability to evaluate information, using statistical analysis and research methodology, to make
appropriate decisions.
- Effective leadership, management, and team building skills.
Desirable skills and effectiveness
N/A
Knowledge
Essential knowledge
- Thorough understanding and 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.
- Up to date knowledge of the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity.
- Understanding of copyright infringement and consumer privacy on digital platforms.
Desirable knowledge
- Knowledge of local area.
- Understanding of local authority processes and systems.
Experience and achievements
Essential experience and achievements
- Public sector experience (preferably in local government).
- Designing, facilitating and undertaking engagement and consultation 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.
- Experience of supervising and managing staff and performance.
Desirable experience and achievements
- 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 elective 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 demonstratable 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.