Job Introduction
We’re looking for an experienced, creative communicator to join our award-winning Communications Team.
This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic team, and an opportunity to have a long-lasting, positive impact on the people of Staffordshire through creating and delivering engaging, insight-led communications.
Staffordshire County Council’s Communications Team is responsible for developing and implementing council-wide internal and external communications based on the annual communications plan. Our work promotes the vast, diverse work of the county council that has a daily impact on the lives of Staffordshire’s 850,000 residents.
We plan and deliver corporate marketing and campaigns activity, media relations and reputation management, digital communications including social media, internal communications, corporate publications, place marketing, stakeholder engagement, and lobbying activity.
The Communications team’s aim is to enhance and protect the council’s reputation locally, regionally, and nationally. To help us do this, we give advice, support, and training to senior managers, colleagues, and members across all directorates and subject matters, including media issues and digital communications. We also do this through our many and varied campaigns that we deliver to help change behaviours, raise awareness, and increase understanding about what the county council does for people, and how we support people, businesses, and communities.
We also give advice and support about consultation with residents, service users and other stakeholders so that the county council can engage people effectively. The people of Staffordshire are at the heart of everything we do.
Main Responsibility
This role will have a focus on active travel behaviour change campaigns – this is a newly-funded post in the team so there’s work to be done with colleagues across the organisation to understand the objectives and shape the communications approach through advice and guidance.
You’ll work with a team of experienced people to develop plans, and create and deliver campaigns; you will help to plan engagement and gather insight that will inform our active travel infrastructure development. Targeting a variety of audiences, including the public, partners, and internal colleagues, your work will help us build walking and cycling networks that residents of Staffordshire want and will use.
You will create, deliver, and evaluate digital content on social media, websites, newsletters, and other channels. You’ll also work with community groups and local active travel related influencers to extend our reach and engagement.
The council’s employees are an important audience, too. With over 6,000 members of staff, most of whom are resident in the county, communicating with them about active travel will be part of this role. Not only can we encourage them to make active travel choices in their work and home lives, but their advocacy could help to change the behaviour of their family and friends, too.
Active travel is closely linked to other council priorities we’re working on, including climate change and better health - you’ll work with colleagues in the comms team, and across the organisation, to make sure we’ve got a joined-up approach that makes a real difference.
You’ll also get the opportunity to experience other areas of council communications work, supporting the wider team to deliver our annual plan and strategic objectives of the organisation.
We offer hybrid working arrangements, and although remote working is welcome, you will be expected to travel to our office in Stafford, and around the county on occasion, for site visits, filming and content creation, and media opportunities.
The Ideal Candidate
We’re looking for someone with experience of working in a fast-paced team, with flexibility and great networking skills. You should have evidence of delivering impactful campaigns and show us that you’re insight-driven and understand the value of great evaluation.
You should be creative and brave in your communications style and understand the need to create multi-channel content tailored to your audiences.
And you should understand behaviour change and have experience in delivering campaigns with behaviour change outcomes.
If you have experience of working in a similar area, or a personal interest in active travel, that would be beneficial but isn’t a requirement.
An understanding of the breadth of local authority services and experience in the public sector would be helpful but is not essential.
About Staffordshire County Council
We are no ordinary county council
Staffordshire is a forward-looking council that puts people at the heart of everything we do. Our strategic plan has strength and purpose, with great ambitions to raise the profile of our fantastic county; our people are proud to work here.
Our Values:
The core of who we are as an organisation. Just like we all have personal values that shape our thoughts and behaviour, organisational values drive how we think and act collectively.
Our values were created and shaped by colleague feedback and national best practice and they sit at the heart of People Strategy:
We have a real sense of community spirit that brings our people together. This feeling of belonging means we are all connected to what we do and take pride in the difference we make every day for Staffordshire people. We are ambitious and our sights are set firmly on a better future.
We look forward and race ahead - that goes for your career too.
Our benefits:
We recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive working environment where employees can achieve their full potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance.
We offer a competitive salary with an excellent government pension scheme and a holiday entitlement from 24-33 days (plus statutory days and bank holidays) depending on length of service.
In addition to your salary, as a member of staff, you will have access to a range of benefits including flexi time and smart working.
Our recruitment process:
As an Authority we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Staffordshire County Council is an equal opportunities organisation and Disability Confident employer. We encourage applications from all background and communities
As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Silver Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the minimum criteria for the post.
