Senior Media and Engagement Officer

**Details**:
**Reference number**:

- 262193**Salary**:

- £38,046 - £41,053**Job grade**:

- Senior Executive Officer**Contract type**:

- Fixed Term
- Loan**Length of employment**:

- 2 Years**Business area**:

- UK Covid 19 Inquiry Team**Type of role**:

- Communications / Marketing**Working pattern**:

- Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time**Number of jobs available**:

- 1Contents

Location

About the job

**Benefits**:
Things you need to know

Location
- BelfastAbout the job

**Job summary**:
In May 2021, the Prime Minister made a statement in the House of Commons that the Government will establish an independent public inquiry on a statutory basis, with full powers under the Inquiries Act of 2005.

In December 2021 Baroness Heather Hallett DBE was appointed as Chair to the Inquiry and following an initial set up phase we are now looking for exceptional staff to join the Inquiry team.

The Inquiry are seeking a Senior Media & Engagement Officer.

The Inquiry sits independent of the Government with the Cabinet office acting as the sponsoring department.

This is an exciting opportunity to join an inclusive, innovative team where you will be supported to challenge yourself in often ambiguous circumstances. The team encourages working in a flexible, collaborative manner to learn and support each other as we look to undertake one of the broadest, most publicly anticipated inquiries in UK history.

**Conflicts of Interest**

**Job description**:
This is an exciting opportunity to join the communications team at the independent public** **inquiry to examine the UK's preparedness and response to the Covid-19 pandemic. as it prepares to take evidence, and hear experiences of the pandemic from the public.

The Inquiry sits independently of the Government with the Cabinet Office acting as the sponsoring department. You will access the development tools available via the Government Communications Service.

This is an opportunity to join an inclusive, fast paced team working on one of the broadest, most publicly anticipated inquiries in history.

Reporting to the Head of Media, and working in a small team, you will have the chance to support the development and delivery of media, social media and external engagement activity, across Northern Ireland, and the four UK nations.

You will need to have the skills to communicate technical legal information in a simple and engaging way.

You will also be a key point of contact for external stakeholders, organising engagement activity, and building positive relationships with interested organisations.

We are looking for someone who is committed to inclusion and diversity.

There will be a requirement for travel when the Inquiry has hearings and events in locations across the UK, and London.

**Person specification**:
**Responsibilities will include**:

- Playing a key role delivering the communications approach and media handling for the start of the Inquiry’s public hearings.
- Supporting the development of the messaging and tone for the Inquiry that can be used across different communications channels.
- Managing media, and relationships with interested organisations across the UK - including with national correspondents in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales,and England.
- Responding to journalist queries, and taking part in the Inquiry’s out of hours press duty rota.
- Media monitoring and analysis, providing updates to the Inquiry team and key organisations on media coverage of the Inquiry.
- Supporting the Inquiry’s social media strategy across channels including LinkedIn and Twitter.
- Building relationships and organising and delivering engagement activity with interested organisations.

**Essential Criteria**:

- Has a track record of working in a busy press office/stakeholder engagement and managing relationships with high profile news outlets/ journalists/organisations.
- It would be beneficial to have experience of understanding, and working with national media, including Northern Irish media.
- Takes a creative approach to sharing public information across social media.
- Has experience managing relationships with high profile organisations, and a track record delivering activity to improve external engagement with key stakeholders
- Excellent written and verbal communications skills, and experience writing for different external audiences including different organisations and social media.
- Experience working in the legal sphere and/or with people who have recently experienced trauma and/or in the healthcare sector.
- Ability to work in a diverse and inclusive team - supporting all members to achieve in a high profile environment.
- Understanding of devolution and the role of regional government, including in Northern Ireland.
- Strong organisational skills, including the ability to work to tight deadlines and prioritise own work in order to manage a busy and/or complex workload.

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