***THIS JOB VACANCY HAS NOW CLOSED***
The Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT) was established in 2011 with a £35 million endowment from the Big Lottery Fund to spend over a 20-year period. Our vision is for all ex-Service personnel and their families to lead fulfilled civilian lives, and our mission is to enable successful sustainable transition back to civilian life. The Trust awards grants and commissions research to generate a strong evidence base for influencing policy makers and service deliverers, and has recently increased its focus on influencing and convening thought-leadership activity. The role of the Communications Officer is critical to the effectiveness of FiMT in achieving its mission. The Trust is seeking to recruit an experienced and flexible Communications Officer with strong traditional and digital communication skills, stakeholder management and Public Affairs expertise.
Job Details
Job Title: Communications Officer (CO)
Location: Based in Victoria, London (occasional travel and overnight stays may be necessary to support events around the UK).
Status: Full time 37.5 hours
Salary: £30,749 – £34,366 per annum
Benefits: Group pension plan, interest-free season ticket loan, individual training budget, death in service insurance, health screening, access to a cycle-to-work scheme
Holiday: 30 working days plus Public/Bank holidays
Reporting to: Head of Policy
Overall Purpose
The role of the Communications Officer will be to contribute the delivery of FiMT’s mission and increase FiMT’s impact by developing and executing the Trust’s influence and communications work with policy makers and service deliverers.
Role overview
- The Communications Officer reports to the Head of Policy and is responsible for the day-to-day preparation, management, and execution of FiMT’s communications and influence plans.
- The Communications Officer has access to guidance and input from FiMT’s external communications and public affairs provider, and can refer to them for specialist input when required.
- Working in conjunction with other members of the staff team, the Communications Officer has responsibility for overseeing and coordinating all aspects of Trust communications activity to ensure that the Trust is fulfilling its charitable objects, following the Board’s strategy, and executing the Grants and Commissioning Plan.
- The main purpose of the Communications Officer’s role is to support the Chief Executive and the Policy, Influence and Evaluation team in every aspect of influence activity.
Role responsibilities:
- Planning, coordinating and delivering FiMT’s communications activity (including budget management) for report launches, receptions, and other external events.
- Developing FiMT’s capacity to engage proactively with all types of media . This includes the development of FiMT’s media contacts in the areas relevant to FiMT’s work, and preparing and issuing press releases and managing other media activities.
- Developing and maintaining relationships with FiMT’s stakeholders around the UK, and building partnerships with other organisations.
- Managing and producing FiMT’s annual Impact Report; this involves working closely with the Chief Executive and external design agency
- Developing and maintaining a communications and influencing calendar incorporating outcome and project related communications and influence activity.
- Managing the content on FiMT’s website and social media channels; this includes web publishing and being the holder of FiMT’s Twitter account
- Managing FiMT’s (and the CommunityFund’s) branding and identity, ensuring appropriate media representation in work where FiMT has an interest.
- Drafting press releases, briefings and speeches and with the Head of Policy, taking a lead on Public Affairs work.
- Representing the Trust externally as required.
General responsibilities
- Contributing to the development and execution of FiMT’s Strategy, the Grants and Commissioning Plan, and any Influence strategy/plans (including press releases) that are produced.
- Operating within the annual budget according to the financial plan and producing the required reports to inform the management accounts.
- Providing advice, support and guidance to the Board and Committees.
- Conducting specific activities outside the Policy, Influence and Evaluation team area as directed by the Chief Executive.
Skills and Knowledge
[Guidance to applicants: when completing your application, you must demonstrate, fully but concisely, how you meet the criteria listed below:]
- Essential:
-
- Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, together with a courteous, flexible and helpful approach to engaging with people at all levels (a short example of written work will be required from those invited for interview).
- Experience of working as a senior account manager or junior account director level or equivalent from an in-house function.
- Ability to work on own initiative without supervision, and to work under pressure to meet tight deadlines.
- Knowledge of how policy and legislation are developed and implemented and how to influence these processes.
- Strong project management skills, and an organized approach to work, with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
- Ability to manage a diverse workload, prioritise tasks, and deliver work to agreed deadlines.
- Ability to take the initiative, be creative, and to come up with original ideas.
- Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint), social media and associated monitoring tools, and a website publishing programme (eg WordPress).
- Excellent inter-personal skills.
- Act as a good team member, able to work for more than one member of the Executive Team when required.
- A respect for the UK Armed Forces and an appreciation of their particular characteristics.
- Desirable:
-
- Some experience of working as a freelance communications or public affairs officer.
- An understanding of, and empathy with the work of the Service Charities.
- Awareness and understanding of the role of charitable trusts and foundations
- Good media contacts in the third sector.
Personal Attributes
- Integrity
- Intellect
- Sound work ethic
- Determination
- Flexibility
- Cultural and inter-personal awareness and sensitivity
- Initiative, subtlety and the ability to work collaboratively
To apply, please email a CV (no more than 2 sides of A4) and a Supporting Statement explaining how your skills and experience fit the role, to Rodrigo Voss, om@fim-trust.org
The deadline for applications is: 27 September 2019. Interviews will be held in London.
