Dio - External Communications and Digital Channels

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

- 275860**Salary**:

- £41,000- + Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27% and additional benefits**Job grade**:

- Senior Executive Officer**Contract type**:

- Permanent**Business area**:

- MOD - Defence Infrastructure Organisation - Corporate Services - Corporate Communication**Type of role**:

- Communications / Marketing
- Press Relations**Working pattern**:

- Full-time**Number of jobs available**:

- 1Contents

Location

About the job

**Benefits**:
Things you need to know

Location
- Whittington, Warminster, London with attendance at DIO Head Office (Whittington) at least 2 days per weekAbout the job

**Job summary**:
Do you want to work for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and care for the Defence Estate? DIO enables Defence to live, work, train and deploy, all with sustainability in mind. From net carbon zero accommodation to runways for the F35 fighter jets; our outputs are unique in the UK and across the globe

**About DIO**

View our YouTube video to see more about our work

**Job description**:

- DIO plays a crucial role in supporting the UK Armed Forces and their families to live, work, train and deploy at home and overseas. The Corporate Communications Team is at the heart of DIO, shaping and sharing innovative and engaging content that is seen by audiences worldwide.

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced communications professional to join our Corporate Communications team.

Working to the Head of External Communications, the External Communications and Digital Channels Lead is responsible for leading DIO’s press office, managing DIO’s presence on external digital channels and setting the forward strategy for all external communications outputs.

We are looking for someone with a track record of working with national and regional media and a strong understanding of the modern media landscape. An expert in media handling, the External Communications & Digital Channels Lead will play a lead role in advising senior leaders on reputation management.

As a leader within the team, they will be responsible for setting the direction for their function, ensuring that activities are strategic and team outputs are of a consistently high quality. They will also manage the professional development of a team of communications specialists.

This role would suit someone with a background in journalism or public relations and with experience of leadership.

**Person specification**:

- Set the direction for the External Communications function, ensuring communications activities are strategically planned and align to DIO and MOD priorities and Government Communications Service best practice
- Act as DIO’s primary focal point to the media, providing expert advice and taking the lead in developing handling plans and responding to press enquiries.
- Recognise emerging reputational threats and their potential impact on DIO. Advise senior staff on media handling approaches, risk mitigations and on the approach to external crisis communications
- Lead work to develop and implement DIO’s social media strategy
- Manage a team of external communications professionals, providing functional leadership to help them further their development as government communications professionals
- Oversee the planning and delivery of media events and activities, including photocalls, media facilities and broadcast interviews
- Lead the development of materials including communications strategies and content plans, media releases, Lines to Take, Q&As and briefings
- Work with communications colleagues across Defence, as well as external partners, to identify and exploit opportunities to showcase the value that DIO and its partners bring to Defence
- Some out of hours work is required

**Desirable Skills & Experience**

Relevant professional qualification in Journalism or Public Relations

**Behaviours**:
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

- Delivering at Pace
- Leadership
- Delivering at Pace

**Technical skills**:
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

- Government Communication Service Professional Competency Framework. Press & Media, Civil Service Level 3: Implementation
- Government Communication Service Professional Competency Framework. Press & Media, Civil Service Level 3: Insight
- Government Communication Service Professional Competency Framework. Press & Media, Civil Service Level 3: Ideas
- Government Communication Service Professional Competency Framework. Press & Media, Civil Service Level 3: Implementation

**Benefits**:

- Highly competitive Pension Scheme with an average employer contribution of 27%.
- Alternative working practices such as working from home.
- Opportunity to join one of our several D&I Networks. We value diversity and are committed to being an equal opportunities employer.
- 25 days annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30