Communications Officer

• Division:Global Programmes
• Department:Humanitarian
• Team:Humanitarian Leadership Academy
• Location (Role):Any Location
• Contract Type:Fixed Term Contract / Internal Secondment
• Full / Part Time:Full time (flexible working options available)
• Contract Duration:18 months
• Salary Range:£27,200 - £32,000

The job of a Save the Children UK's Communications Officer is exciting and fulfilling.

• Do you have significant experience in a marketing and/or communications role for an NGO, social enterprise or start up business?
• Do you have Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to summarise complex information in clear, non-specialist language?
• Do you have the ability to write, edit, and distribute content, including publications, press releases and any other marketing material that communicates the organisation's activities, products and services?
• Are you motivated by our vision of creating a world where every child doesn't just survive but thrives and can go on to change the world – and of inspiring and leading others to do the same?

If the answers to these questions are yes, we would love to hear from you!

Note:

To avoid disappointment, you are advised to submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications are received. This is to ensure that we can manage application levels whilst maintaining a positive candidate experience. Unfortunately once a  vacancy has closed, we are unable to consider further applications.

About Us

Save the Children UK believes every child deserves a future. In the UK and around the world, we work every day to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. When crisis strikes, and children are most vulnerable, we are always among the first to respond and the last to leave. We ensure children's unique needs are met and their voices are heard. We deliver lasting results for millions of children, including those hardest to reach.

The Humanitarian Leadership Academy as part of SCUK's humanitarian department provides high-quality humanitarian capacity strengthening for the movement, as well as the wider sector, as part of our shifting the power agenda. The Humanitarian Leadership Academy's mission, as a team within the humanitarian department, is to enable people around the world to prepare for and respond to crises in their own countries, by providing quality learning opportunities.

Job Purpose

As a member of the communications and marketing function, the Communications Officer will be responsible for raising the HLA's profile through greater brand recognition, expanding its audiences and building an active, engaged and thriving global community of learners, customers, and strategic partners.

You will support the delivery and implementation of the HLA's communications and marketing strategy, which will mainly focus on the Ukraine humanitarian crisis response and the launch of a new European Learning Hub. 

You will be successful at creating high quality communications and marketing materials to maximise the promotion of the work of HLA, raise the organisation's profile through greater brand recognition, expand its audiences, and build an active and engaged global community of learners, customers, and partners. The Communications and Marketing Officer will also be successful at planning and coordinating events to raise the profile of the HLA in specific regions of the world (first in Eastern Europe but also globally).

Key responsibilities will include leading on Save the Children UK's relationships with institutional donors and is building strong partnerships that deliver both funding, technical collaboration, and influence for the Save the Children movement as well as ensuring the effective delivery of our programmes through Save the Children International, and other Save the Children Members.

As a rights-based organisation, we are committed to anti-racism and actively opposed systemic oppression of any form. You will support our commitment to celebrate diversity, challenge inequality, and build an inclusive environment for every one of our employees so we can better represent the children we protect.

Main Accountabilities

The Communications Officer's key duties will be to:

• Responsible for the day-to-day monitoring of HLA's social media channels and email accounts, responding as quickly and accurately as possible to queries and comments from learners and followers. 
• Support the development of compelling content for HLA's social media channels and website (quotes, interviews, videos, animations, impact stories, blogs from our learners and social media followers). 
• Ensure the HLA's content calendar is kept up to date, scheduling social media posts on all platforms, in different languages and at different times of the day/week. 
• Support the drafting and delivery of regular email communications/campaigns using Mailchimp and analyse effectiveness. 
• Monitor and report content performance, engagement, and community growth to guide future targeting and planning.  
• Support the creation of a media database, seek media opportunities to enhance the reputation of the HLA brand, and monitor media coverage.
• Help to coordinate and deliver events such as workshops, conferences, webinars, which will involve managing logistics, marketing and liaising with stakeholders.
• Liaise with the HLA Regional Centres to gather relevant content and help produce meaningful impact stories and case studies.
• Liaise with the Save the Children internal communications team to ensure HLA content is included in the department internal newsletters.
• Maintain a communications and marketing assets library, including photos, videos, case studies, and social media graphics.
• Ensure all communications and marketing content meets the HLA brand guidelines, standards, and tone of voice. 
• Ensure that all developed materials maintain a high degree of consistency, accuracy, and relevance. 
• Contribute to supporting strong ways of working across the team, as well as taking individual responsibility for building an inclusive and supportive team culture 

Person Profile

• Relevant experience in a marketing and/or communications role for an NGO, social enterprise or a start-up business. 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English with strong attention to detail, accuracy and consistent quality. Excellent ability to summarise complex information in clear, non-specialist language. 

• Ability to write, edit, and distribute content, including publications, press releases, website content, annual reports, and any other marketing material that communicates the organisation's activities, products and services.

• Ability to use content management systems, social media platforms, web analytics tools and digital marketing methods. 

• Experience planning and coordinating international events.

• Experience managing social media campaigns and social media communities with a view to building and maintaining online engagement. 

• Experience working with image manipulation/video editing software.

• Confident in managing multiple projects in a fast-paced environment. 

• Experience of understanding barriers to communication and information management across different contexts  

• Customer service skills with the ability to work quickly and flexibly in changing circumstances. 

• Ability to build key relationships with internal and external stakeholders, contractors and consultants.  

• Able to demonstrate creativity and innovation to produce content that stand out in crowded markets. 

• A working knowledge of the aid sector 

Save the Children UK is committed to diversity and equality of opportunity in all aspects of our work both external and internal. We strive to be an inclusive employer and particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups such as returning parents or carers who are re-entering work after a career break, people who are LGBT+, from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, with a disability, impairment, learning difference or long-term condition, with caring responsibilities, from different nations and regions, and from less advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds.

Remote Working:

The majority of SCUK employees are currently working remotely within the UK in line with UK Government guidance. Commencing July 2021 we will transition to flexible and hybrid ways of working (i.e. a mixture of remote/home and office-based working) as social distancing restrictions ease.

We are happy to discuss flexible working options at interview.

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion: 

Save the Children UK is committed to diversity and equality of opportunity in all aspects of our work both external and internal. We strive to be an inclusive employer and particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups such as returning parents or carers who are re-entering work after a career break, people who are LGBT+, from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, with a disability, impairment, learning difference or long-term condition, with caring responsibilities, from different nations and regions, and from less advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. 

To see our full statement please visit this link: https://jobs.savethechildren.org.uk/our-policies/diversity/

Jobs are positioned within the salary structure on the basis of evaluation. New employees would normally be appointed at the bottom of the grade, however the appointed salary may also take into account the relevant experience a candidate brings to a role. Save the Children is committed to paying staff in a fair and equitable way and will benchmark all salary offers in line with the pay of existing staff.

Save the Children UK has a comprehensive benefits package. To see our full offer please visit this link: https://jobs.savethechildren.org.uk/what-we-offer/

Interview expenses: Candidates should note that unfortunately it is not our policy to reimburse expenses accrued when attending interviews at Save the Children UK unless you are requested to attend an interview in an alternative location to where the role is based.

Pre-employment Checks: Any Employment with Save the Children UK will be subject to the following checks prior to your start date:

• a satisfactory police record check to include a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and/or an International Criminal Record Check (If applicable)
• receipt of satisfactory references
• proof of eligibility to work in the national location for this role