Media and Campaigns Officer

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

- 273032**Salary**:

- £31,265 - £34,446**Job grade**:

- Higher Executive Officer- HEO**Contract type**:

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

- For a period of up to 2 years with the possibility of extension**Type of role**:

- Communications / Marketing**Working pattern**:

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

- 1Contents

Location

About the job

**Benefits**:
Things you need to know

Location
- This position is based at MOJ NIO Erskine House, BT1 4GFAbout the job

**Job summary**:

- Please refer to Job Description**Job description**:
**Inclusion and diversity**

The Northern Ireland Office strives to be an inclusive employer and is recognised by its staff and externally as being an employer where Diversity and Inclusion are valued.

We hold a Diversity & Inclusion Charter Mark and are an accredited Disability Confident Leader organisation.

In March 2018 we won the award for Best Employer for Diversity & Equality in Northern Ireland (small employer category) in a Gala Award ceremony hosted by Legal-Island, a multi-award winning workplace compliance company based in Northern Ireland.

We have an active D&I network supporting colleagues through D&I Advocates, championed by our Directors.

We want all our people to feel valued for who they are and we are confident that you will find the NIO a warm, welcoming and inclusive place to work.

**What we do**

**Background**

The Northern Ireland Office represents Northern Ireland’s interests at a UK Government level and UK Government interests in Northern Ireland. We have a wide range of responsibilities, including: underpinning political stability in Northern Ireland; overseeing the Northern Ireland devolution settlement; leading on national security policy in Northern Ireland; addressing the legacy of Northern Ireland’s past; delivering elections and constitutional reform in Northern Ireland; playing a key role in rebalancing the NI economy; representing NI interests, including on the border with Ireland, as the UK exits the EU. Our small size and diverse portfolio create a stimulating, fast-paced and challenging working environment, with regular engagement with a range of Ministers and senior officials. We support flexible working and have a modern, flexible IT system which helps enable this.

**ABOUT THE ROLE**:
This is an exciting opportunity to work in a very important area of the UK Government. We are looking to recruit a highly motivated person to work as a media and campaigns officer at the heart of the NIO’s communications response to key issues.

The post holder will be joining our communications team, working under the supervision of the Senior Communications Officer. They will provide an important contribution across all areas of the team, including responding to media queries and breaking news stories, drafting and implementing proactive communication plans, monitoring, developing digital content, and working with partners across government. They will support Ministerial visits and will be required to be part of the out-of-hours duty rota.

This is a challenging, fast-paced and diverse role which offers substantial scope for learning and development. The post requires flexibility, proactivity, and a willingness and interest to learn new areas of work. Excellent communication skills, confidence working with and learning new digital platforms and a keen news sense are essential requirements.

**DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES**:
Duties of the post will include but are not limited to the following areas of work:

- Responding to media queries by working alongside policy colleagues to produce timely and appropriate responses that shape reporting;
- Developing working relationships with key media stakeholders;
- Monitoring all news and digital media channels, tracking and evaluating developing news stories;
- Engaging with policy colleagues to understand areas of importance for the NIO and ensuring relevant documents and briefing notes reflect the current situation;
- Developing digital content to push key departmental messaging, including producing videos and graphics;
- Developing media plans for events, announcements and policy changes, working with external stakeholders to ensure that key messages are amplified across a wide range of outlets;
- Supporting NIO campaigns by developing integrated comms plans, liaising with external stakeholders such as agencies, and co-ordinating with colleagues across Government.
- Providing support to the Head of News and senior colleagues, in addition to the External Relations team leading up to and throughout the delivery of visits and helping deliver positive outcomes;
- Maintaining and updating information on the NIO gov.uk webpage and the internal staff Intranet.

**ESSENTIAL CRITERIA**:

- Excellent written and oral communications skills, ability to communicate effectively at all grades;
- Experience using design tools to create engaging digit