Communications & Public Affairs Officer

We are delighted to be working with **Belfast Healthy Cities** who are currently looking for a Communications & Public Affairs Officer. This is a twelve months fixed term contract from the start date with a possible extension and will be 21 hours per week.

The main purpose of the job is to lead the development, delivery and evaluation of Belfast Healthy Cities’ Communication & Public Affairs strategies, focusing on raising the scale, awareness and promotion of our programmes across various media outlets. This will include WHO key messages, targeting political and policy audiences.

**Principal Responsibilities**

The post holder will have responsibility for the following:

- Communication Strategy: Co-designing, developing, delivering and evaluating the communication Strategy using various platforms.
- Public affairs: Monitoring developments in policy and political, areas relevant to our

programme areas; producing high quality concise materials including press articles;
briefings; fact sheets; and consultation responses.
- Building relationships: Being proactive in building relationships with key media,

political and policy audiences, helping to raise awareness of Belfast Healthy Cities’

and the WHO European Healthy Cities Network programmes.

**Communications Strategy**
- Co-design, develop, implement and evaluate a communications strategy with staff,

Board members and others as appropriate. The Communications strategy will

engage with a range of media platforms, including BHC’s social media channels. The

Strategy will be informed by WHO Europe priorities and themes as well as BHC’s

own programme of activity.
- Be proactive and opportunistic through various platforms to raise the scale and

awareness of Belfast Healthy Cities’ programmes and activities
- Identify key support from funding/partner organisations to support delivery of the

Communications Strategy.
- Assist with the design, promotion and delivery of Belfast Healthy Cities Annual

Awards, training events, seminars and conferences.

**Public Affairs**
- Proactively monitor policy developments with stakeholders, the Northern Ireland

Assembly, government departments and public sector bodies to create opportunities

and mechanisms to influence policy, highlighting WHO policy and Belfast Healthy

Cities programmes as appropriate.
- Develop and deliver written and oral materials for publications and communications,

including news articles, press releases, social media content and website, targeting

key audiences, including politicians, officials, and other decision makers.
- Identify and work with appropriate politicians at local and regional level with an

interest in health issues. Attend political meetings and ensure local political parties

are fully informed of our work.
- Manage the production, editing, publication and promotion of Belfast Healthy Cities

annual review and other publications.

**Building relationships**
- Build and maintain effective working networks with local and regional media.
- Build and maintain effective working relationships with relevant local and government

officials, decision makers and the community, voluntary and other statutory sectors,

including WHO personnel.
- Establish and maintain effective systems for tracking political and policy engagement,

including mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating activity 3.
- Participate in European collaboration or partnerships as agreed.

**General**
- Represent the organisation on public speaking and media events in a way which will

enhance and maintain the reputation and public profile of Belfast Healthy Cities.
- Supervise and support students as appropriate.
- Contribute to the working arrangements within a small team and assist in other areas

of work as required.

Good luck