Public Affairs Officer

Job Category: Comms & Marketing
Location: Civic Centre, Bromley Council
Hours Per Week: 36.00
Start Date: Immediate Start
Start Time: 08:30
End Time: 17:00
Salary: £14.00

MAIN PURPOSE:

1. To support the Public Affairs Unit in providing a responsive, efficient, high quality and professional internal and external communications service for Bromley Council, with a focus on enhancing and protecting the organisation’s reputation.
2. To provide efficient and professional support for the team to ensure the delivery of effective communications and engagement activities, using existing and emerging channels to achieve this, in accordance with the Council’s corporate values and “One Council approach”.

SKILLS & ABILITIES:
⦁ Good interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively, both in writing and orally, with a wide range of audiences at all levels.
⦁ Good IT skills, including fast accurate keyboard skills;
⦁ Strong organisational and time management skills.
⦁ Ability to draft lively and accurate copy, including press releases and news reports.
⦁ Ability to work under pressure and to prioritise, in order to meet tight deadlines.
⦁ Ability to work as part of a team.
⦁ Ability to create and edit videos.
⦁ Ability to deal with sensitive information in a confidential manner.
⦁ Ability to work using own initiative.
⦁ Political sensitivity, with the ability to exercise discretion, judgement and confidentiality when dealing with Members and senior officers and other key stakeholders.
⦁ A flexible and committed approach to the job, with a “can-do” attitude.

KNOWLEDGE:
⦁ Excellent working knowledge of IT, including Microsoft and applications relating to communications.
⦁ Knowledge and understanding of local government, the services provided by local authorities and responsibilities a Council has to its residents.
⦁ Strong news sense and sound knowledge of needs of different types of media, including broadcasting and social media.

EXPERIENCE:
⦁ Experience of using business processes.
⦁ Experience of providing business support in a busy environment.
⦁ Experience of and competency in using standard Microsoft Office packages, including MS Teams.
⦁ Working experience of copy writing and proof reading;
⦁ Working experience of video editing.
⦁ Experience of working on internal and external communications issues in a complex environment.

QUALIFICATIONS:
⦁ Good standard of literacy and numeracy skills.
⦁ Evidence of relevant continuing professional development.