• To play a key role in telling the story of key work of Southwark Council and its partners through the media and the council’s digital and print channels; handle media inquiries and deliver communications plans to keep a strong grip on key corporate issues.

• Create compelling content to tell the story of key council work on priorities for local people across council-owned channels including social media, e-newsletters and Southwark Life.

• Create and deliver effective plans to tell the story of key council work on priorities for local people in media of all kinds – national, trade, regional and local.

• Grip key issues by giving strategic communications advice to senior leadership and services and developing effective communications plans covering all channels and outputs, including council channels, media, and internal communications.

• Handle media inquiries of all kinds, logging them on Vuelio, suggesting responses, drafting lines based on key messaging and ensuring timely sign-off.

• Build strong relationships with journalists – national, trade, regional and local – to explain the council’s key stories and positions, using creative approaches to pitching and briefing.

• Deliver briefings of councillors and officers for interviews with journalists based on key messaging.

• Monitor media and social media coverage, regularly updating council Cabinet members, Directors and services and suggesting and delivering effective follow-ups including robustly challenging and responding to inaccurate coverage when appropriate.

• Play a key role in the council’s out-of-hours service in the evenings and weekends on a rota basis and initiating the council’s emergency communications plan when required.

• To plan and create content for key council channels such as the resident e-newsletter and / or Southwark Life magazine as required.

• Curate social media including scheduling posts, monitoring content and advising on responses.

• Liaise closely with communications officers on media across the communications team, role-modelling positive behaviours.

• Lead on and deliver other projects and duties as directed in line with the overall communications objectives and needs of local people and the council.

• To understand and provide expert advice on how all communications can be tailored and directed to the diverse community that lives, works in or visits Southwark. 

• Significant experience and expertise in media relations and planning and delivering media plans, strategies, statements, responses and media events

• Significant experience/knowledge of digital and social media content creation and an in-depth knowledge of how to tailor content for different social media platforms

• Experience of providing direct advice and briefing to senior managers and/or elected members on media and digital communications

• Experience of working in a highly pressured environment and delivering results to tight deadlines.

• Experience of using insight and data to create communications plans and evaluate results.

• Experience and understanding of how to handle communications for a business, organisation, public sector or third sector body in a crisis.

• Proven ability to find solutions to communications problems and to take necessary action, using all available channels including digital, media and internal communications.

• An understanding of local government, the services provided by local councils, and the responsibilities a council has to its residents.

• Excellent writing skills with a clear, concise and lively prose style, and the ability to write clearly for a range of different audiences.

• Excellent oral communications skills and the ability to maintain effective relationships at every level of an organisation.

• Experience of planning and producing content for communications channels (eg e-newsletter, magazine, newspaper) with excellent attention to detail and organisational skills.

• Hybrid role – 2 days/week – from the office and 3 days/week – WFH.