View Vacancy - Senior Communications Officer (NLD18.050a)

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer.  We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Policy & Political roles)
Communications, Press and Media

The British Embassy in The Hague is part of a world-wide network, representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas and is looking for a Senior Communications Officer.

This is an exciting and fast-moving job leading the Embassy’s external communications effort across all media channels in support of our objectives. The overall purpose is to create a positive impression of the UK and the Embassy in the Dutch and international media. It requires the ability to create networks across the Dutch-based media, influence contacts, design high priority campaigns and deliver high quality work quickly.

Roles and responsibilities

Media and communications work: 50%

  • Design and deliver communications campaigns on Embassy policy priorities, drawing on a clear understanding of UK policy, and using a range of communications tools, including press releases, articles, Ministerial visits, the organisation of Embassy events (seminars, conferences etc) and social media using creative self generated content.
  • Co-ordinate comms activity across all parts of the Embassy, building expertise and being the Communications Champion.
  • Engage and Influence the Dutch media in pursuit of UK government priorities. Build networks of influence to shape positively the media narrative.
  • Primary Embassy spokesperson.
  • Crisis Press Officer.                          

Public Diplomacy: 20%

  • Helping to deliver the Embassy’s broader Public Diplomacy activities, promoting UK/Netherlands relations, including through Embassy events, and speeches and interviews by the Ambassador

Press reporting: 20%

  • Together with the other member of the communications team, provide daily morning summaries of the Dutch press (oral at 0930, followed by a written summary) to colleagues in the Embassy and London. Supervising the overall quality of the press reporting. Provide further social and political analysis of the Dutch media.
  • NB: The press reporting task can dictate the core working hours. It requires the officer to start work early and to occasionally work out of hours, including during weekends to cover special events.       

Manage Communications Team – 10%

Corporate: 

  • Frequent opportunities exist for all staff to contribute to the wider mission by volunteering for a variety of corporate roles.
  • NB: The above breakdown of responsibilities is subject to changes in priorities, and may evolve over time and in response to changing circumstances. The role exists as part of a team and all staff are expected to be flexible in supporting colleagues, particularly at busy times.
  • Experience working with Dutch media;
  • Strong communications skills – written and oral, able to communicate effectively in English and Dutch;
  • Time management;
  • Experience of working in an international environment.

 

  • Experience producing original social media content;
  • Team management.
26 February 2018
Higher Executive Officer (HEO)
Full-time, Fixed term, with possibility of renewal
36
Europe, Eastern Europe & Central Asia
Netherlands
The Hague
British Embassy
1
EUR
3,689.59
16 April 2018

The successful candidate will initially be offered an one-year temporary contract at C4 level. The base salary for this position is €3,689.59 gross per month, based on a working week of 36 hours. In addition, an 8% annual holiday allowance and a monthly travel allowance are payable. The Embassy currently applies a performance based bonus pay model for local staff.

Applicants must be legally entitled to work in The Netherlands. Please note that The Embassy is not a tax withholding employer. Consequently staff members are responsible for paying their own income tax and social security on the gross salary received.

The successful candidate will undergo a professional background check; any job offer is also provisional to a successful security clearance check.

The Embassy encourages a culture of continuous learning. All employees have access to the Civil Service Learning platform which gives access to training to improve job specific skills. Employees are entitled to a minimum number of annual training days.

Please note that the deadline for applications is 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”.

We advise you to allow enough time to complete and submit your full application, since only applications completed and submitted before the deadline will be considered.

Please be aware that the deadline for submitting applications is considered to be the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen.

Please be advised that the British Diplomatic Missions will not be able to meet the travel costs incurred when travelling to the interview, nor the costs connected with relocation if offered a job.

Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.

This opportunity is closed to applications.