Communications Officer 3 views

Role: Communications Officer

Department: Media & Public Relations (CCU)

Scale: SC6

Salary: £32,247 – £34,329

Location: Priory Road, HQ

Hours:  37 per week + On call (Full-Time) Office

Contract:  Permanent

We need a talented, creative, and enthusiastic Communications Officer to join our busy External Communications Team, to promote the excellent and exciting work of the Force and to continue increasing public confidence and satisfaction in policing across the Humberside force area.

You will have exceptional written and verbal communication skills and embrace all forms of traditional communication methods, as well as new and innovative digital techniques, to showcase how we are there when the public need us, that we are visible in their communities, we protect vulnerable people and we effectively tackle and investigate crime.

You will recognise the importance of two-way engagement on social media and are able to use the correct tone and language to respond, as well as understanding the importance of all digital communications and being able to create content and implement new ways of working.

You will work with local, regional, and national media daily, taking enquiries and formulating appropriate responses to protect and support the operational needs of the Force, as well as organising press conferences and preparing briefing documents and Q&As for officers before media contact.

You will also work with our officers and staff, finding all the good news across the Force and publicising in a variety of different ways from stories and features to YouTube videos, Facebook posts and Instagram stories.

The role sits within the Corporate Communications Department working alongside our internal and marketing team, based at our Headquarters in Hull.

You must have a Degree or relevant qualification in Journalism, Media or Public Relations, or have a minimum of three-years-experience working in a fast paced press office, communications environment or newsroom.

To be considered for this role you will have the ability and willingness to travel for business purposes, be available to work outside normal office hours as part of an on-call rota, providing communications advice and support to the Force, as well as the flexibility and preparedness to attend any critical incidents as required during the call out period.

Key Responsibilities:

• To ensure that all written and visual material is legally sound, adheres to Corporate Communications style guide, is appropriate for release and is issued in a timely fashion, taking the deadlines of media outlets into consideration.
• To source positive news that reflects the force achieving its strategic aims for release internally, to the wider public and press in accordance with release and sign-off protocols.
• To ensure that requests for information and visuals from the media are assessed and reviewed in line with relevant legislation before they are acted on.
• To use initiative when responding to media enquiries and in giving advice on media issues to senior officers and staff.
• Builds positive working relationships with members of the press, local news website owners and influential local bloggers.
• Arranges press conferences, interviews and photo opportunities for news and features and internal purposes.
• The post holder will make decisions on the appropriateness of information and visuals released to the media.

For further information relating to the role and tasks of this position please refer to the attached role requirement.

What the role requires:

• Educated to degree level in a Journalism/Media/PR related subject OR has previous experience of no less than three-years in a communications or journalism role.
• Experience of working in a customer orientated field
• Experience of writing articles/press releases.
• Proven experience of planning and implementing media and social media campaigns.
• Has the ability to present information to a diverse audience.
• Excellent communication skills
• Computer literacy/keyboard skills
• Excellent organisational skills
• Carries out tasks in an accurate and methodical manner with an eye for detail.
• Ability to prioritise workload.

For further information relating to the role and tasks of this position please refer to the attached role requirement.

Perks of working for Humberside Police:

From great perks, agile working and professional development, we want you to have the best possible journey throughout your Humberside Police Career.

Our Police Staff work extremely hard, which is why we are proud to offer a host of reward and recognition schemes. Whether it’s Cycle to Work scheme, Gym and health schemes, we have the perks ready for you to benefit from.

Follow the link to watch our force film!

We are Humberside Police – YouTube

Further Perks:

• Generous annual leave allowance
• Training and development opportunities
• Coaching & Mentoring Scheme
• Access to a range of occupational health facilities (Discounted Healthcare, 1^st year free and 2^nd year subsidised)
• Employee assistance service (accessible 24/7)
• Flexible/Hybrid working where applicable.
• Generous pension scheme
• Blue Light Discount
• Access to the forces onsite gyms
• Free on-site car parking
• Humber bridge tag (If travelling from the Southbank)

Pre – Employment Checks and Eligibility:

• Internal applicants MUST have completed a successful probationary period and tenure (if applicable) before applying for another role within the force.
• Applicants must meet the minimum requirement checkable history criteria of at least 3 years continuous residency in the UK to apply for roles with Humberside Police.
• Successful candidates will undergo a vetting procedure pre-requisite of employment. (Please note, with holding any information asked by the vetting department, may delay the vetting procedure, or result in your vetting been refused and the offer of employment been withdrawn)
• Tattoo’s will be reviewed as a part of the recruitment process to ensure we maintain a level of professional standards and to make sure the images do not cause offence or are unacceptable.

Contact point for applicants:

If you have any questions regarding the recruitment process, please contact us at recruiting@humberside.police.uk

How to apply for the role:

To apply for the role, please click the ‘Apply’ button below.

Please note, you must wait 3 months before submitting another application if you have applied for THIS role within the last 3 months.

For Information & Advice on completing an online application, please follow the link below.

https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/triagetool?triage-select=Understanding+the+recruitment+process

Closing Date: Monday the 27^th of January 2025 at 23:55

Interview date: TBC