Job title: Communications and Marketing Officer

Salary: SO2 £37,280 - £39,152 (Annual)

Hours: 37 hours per week

Contract: Temporary Contract or Secondment until 31st July 2028.

Permission for release under secondment arrangements for internal candidates must be sought in advance by applicants from their current management.

Location: Merrion House, 110 Merrion Centre, Leeds, LS2 8BB

In Leeds we aim high for our children and young people, with the ambition of being a child friendly city. We put children at the heart of all decisions that affect them.

Whilst we hold central our ambitions for all children to have the best start in life, to have access to the right opportunities to live happy and healthy lives, critical to delivery of this is the Children’s & Families workforce. The values, behaviour, insight and approach that leaders, managers and practitioners bring to their work determines the quality of the service that children, young people and families receive.

The current Children & Families environment is challenging, however it is also an exciting time, with lots of opportunities to make improvements in service delivery and work practices.

Why not come and join us on this journey and be part of making a real difference to the lives of children, young people and their families across the city.

About the role

You will work with the Transformation Team who support the delivery of an ambitious programme of change, in the context of significant national reforms.

As a Communication and Marketing Officer you will ensure all our stakeholders are well informed and engaged, you will bring creativity, energy and a passion for producing first-class communications, through a range of mediums, to support stakeholders to be well informed and enabled to navigate change.

You will be an effective communicator, able to build relationships and understanding in person, as well as through the content you create. You will also use your marketing experience and knowledge to effectively promote our city wide and locally delivered services for families.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply - Please complete the online application form.

Read our guidancefor further advice on completing your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Paul McGrath on 0113 37 87230 or email paul.mcgrath@leeds.gov.uk

Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visaroute before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job purpose

Communications and marketing officers play a key role , bringing professional knowledge and skills, and a focus on outcomes and quality delivery that ensures excellence.

Communications and marketing officers will deliver work on projects and campaigns that support the best council and best city priorities.

They will be responsible for managing their own workload, working flexibly across communications and marketing disciplines on a range of projects and subjects, and ensuring their work is completed to deadline and to a high standard.

Key accountabilities

Act as a lead on projects to deliver work on behalf of the communications and marketing team.
Demonstrate a proactive attitude and creative approach, and use judgement and insight to reach decisions.
Provide professional advice across all communications and marketing disciplines, based on a high standard of competency across the insight ideas, implementation and impact stages of the competency framework, and with a strong focus on outcomes.
Effectively prioritise their workload, ensuring efficient use of resources and appropriate levels of support for council and city priorities.
Support the smooth running of a professional communications and marketing service by playing an active role in the team.
Develop and maintain strong working relationships with internal and external partners and suppliers that help the council and team to meet priorities while spending money wisely.
Represent the council and the communications and marketing team at internal and external meetings and events.
Understand and follow procurement rules for communications and marketing spend both in the team and across the council, in line with the organisation’s financial rules.

Personal specification

The post holder should demonstrate the following within the context of the key role duties and responsibilities:

meeting core competencies and working towards the key competencies at the officer level of the communications and marketing competency framework;
excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to engage, influence and negotiate and to form positive relationships at all levels;
a proactive approach, using professional judgement based on insight and innovation;
an inclusive approach and a commitment to equality and diversity;
contributes to own health and wellbeing and promotes the health, safety and wellbeing of others; and
commitment to their own continuing professional development.

Essential behavioural and other characteristics

Understand and embrace Leeds City Council values and behaviours and codes of conduct
Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Leeds Ambitions of health and wellbeing, inclusive growth, thriving strong communities, and a resilient sustainable city
Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures
Carry out duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up, to date knowledge and skills
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding equality and diversity of Leeds City Council
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters