View Vacancy - AUS (Canberra) - Senior Communications Manager, C4(L) (Full-Time or Part-Time)

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

Main purpose of job:

Creatively use communications to support the British High Commission’s strategic objectives. Manage a small team to develop, deliver and evaluate external communication activities across digital, social, news and broadcast communication channels. 

Roles and responsibilities:

  • Work with your team to create and deliver communication plans (in line with Government Communication Service – GCS  - standards) to support key areas of the British High Commission’s priorities in Australia: including: COP26 climate leadership; the Free Trade Agreement; defence engagement; high profile Ministerial and Global Britain visits.
  • Build strong relationships across the British High Commission and the Australia network, understand UK priorities and how external communication activity can add value and support delivery.
  • Engage effectively with a range of digital, print and broadcast media (proactively and reactively) to deliver positive coverage for announcements and visits.
  • Stay abreast of emerging issues / news developments; coordinate with relevant teams to create reactive statements and providing communications advice to the senior leadership team. This will include media handling for crisis response and consular cases.
  • Lead social media content strategy development and delivery across priority areas. Create copy for our owned channels (gov.uk, social media) organise press briefings and interviews. Support the development of speeches; talking points; social media content for the High Commissioner.
  • Build strong relationship with London communication teams; working to amplify their content across Australian channels and identify creative opportunities for delivery across Australia.
  • Evaluate communications activity (in line with Government Communication Service – GCS – standards); judging when to undertake light touch or detailed analysis. Drawing out insights and improving communications output.
  • Manage communication team members, working with the Head of Network Communications to set direction and ensure delivery.
  • Support the planning and logistics for VIP visits including senior UK Government officials; creating and delivering a strategic media/comms plan; briefings; supporting content/materials; media monitoring.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

Line management of communications team members. Management of personal expenditure and potential management of the British High Commission’s communications budget.

Essential on arrival:

  • Bachelors degree (or higher) in Communications, Journalism or Public Relations
  • Minimum 4-5 years work experience in a communications role
  • Excellent writing, proofing and editing skills for both traditional and new media
  • Demonstrated experience in planning, delivering and evaluating communications activity/campaigns
  • Experience managing corporate or government social media account(s)
  • Knowledge of Australian media landscape; ability to source and maintain a network of media contacts
  • Line management experience
  • Experience with Adobe suite
  • Experience using a website content management system
  • Ability to create rich media content for social media eg: using smart phone for photography, video and editing; creation of infographics/gifs.
27 January 2021
Higher Executive Officer (HEO)
Fixed Term, Full-time
38 hours per week
12 months
Asia Pacific
Australia
Canberra
British High Commission
1
AUD
$105,485 per annum + leave loading and 11% superannuation
17 March 2021
31 March 2022

Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):

GCS Communications courses (online)

FCDO International Communicators Course (currently paused)

Working patterns:

 This job is available for 4 days a week (0.8 FTE) or full time applicants. Due to time differences and the nature of the role there will be some calls and work outside core office hours.

The British High Commission supports flexible and remote working for all its employees. A flexible working culture is encouraged by senior leadership however please note, remote working may not be suitable for all roles or business areas. Any flexible and / or remote working arrangement should be agreed with the employee’s line manager.

Please note that your application must be submitted before 23:55 AEST-Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC/ GMT +10) on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”.

Incomplete application forms will not be taken into consideration, so please ensure you provide the information requested. We regret to advise that we will only be contacting short-listed candidates. Applicants called for an interview will be assessed on the core competencies listed above.

Advertised start date is provisional and subject to completion of reference and security checks.

Kindly check your application centre or email regularly for any update on the status of your application.

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.