Senior External Communications Officer - #1735091

Contract type: Permanent

Hours: 37.5

Salary: circa £35,000 depending on experience

Location: Birmingham city centre

WFH policy: Employees are required to attend the office 2 days/week

Travel: You will be required to travel to the London office once a month (ideally with an overnight stay if/when possible), including for your first day of work - this is expensed by the business. You must also be willing to travel occasionally to attend industry events - this will also be expensed.

Flexible working: Variety of flexible work patterns subject to line manager discretion e.g. Compressed 9-day fortnight.

Reports to: Head of Stakeholder Engagement and External Communications

Deadline Note: We reserve the right to close the advert before the advertised deadline if there are a high volume of applications.

ROLE SUMMARY

The Senior External Communications Officer will play a key role in designing, delivering and evolving the company’s Communications and Stakeholder Engagement strategy.

The Senior Officer will act as the business lead for proactive and reactive media relations, working across the business to identify new opportunities to take forward, while managing any reputational risk.

Key areas of focus for this role will be the development and delivery of compelling content and powerful integrated campaigns, and the fostering of effective partnerships with key stakeholders including the media and partner organisations.

The Senior Officer will be able to transform the organisation’s strategy into actionable plans and projects that drive positive engagement with stakeholders, working closely with members of the Communications team and the wider business.

The postholder will join a small, high-performing External Communications team with the overall objectives of driving the strategic progress of communications and stakeholder engagement across the organisation, raising visibility of LCCC’s key role in the clean energy transition and building on its reputation as a trusted expert.

The role will also require working with liaison teams in DESNZ and LCCC’s delivery partner organisations, Ofgem, NESO and the settlement agent EMRS (a subsidiary of ELEXON), as well as other key stakeholders.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Media Relations

• Engage and build relationships with trade media on collaborations to increase awareness of LCCC and our role in delivering low carbon schemes.
• Take a lead role for responding to media queries ensuring internal processes are followed and any reputational risks are identified and managed.
• Identify proactive media opportunities and write press releases, news articles and other media pieces.
• Provide written and in-person media briefings.
• Advise on media handling strategies.
• Maintain LCCC’s crisis communications plan, working with the business leads to prepare reactive media lines as required.
• Prepare LCCC spokespeople for press meetings and interviews.

Communications and PR

• Work with teams across the business to identify, develop and deliver compelling content for the website, social media, events, printed materials, award entries and media outlets.
• Create and deliver effective communications plans which will enhance LCCC’s reputation as a trusted voice in the clean energy transition
• Help shape the strategic communications of the business, ensuring consistency and accuracy of messaging across all channels.
• Design and execute integrated campaigns to externally promote company messages.
• Prepare reports on the performance of communications activities.

Stakeholder management

• Liaise with other teams across LCCC to foster collaborative and positive working practices.
• Build relationships with communications counterparties at DESNZ, Ofgem, NESO, EMRS, energy generators.
• Work as part of the wider Communications team to deliver engaging communications to external stakeholders as required.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE

Essential:

• At least 2 years’ experience of delivering impactful communications to a wide range of external stakeholders for a medium to large organisation.
• At least 2 years' experience of dealing with media enquiries and managing reputational risk.
• Proven experience of creating and delivering strategic communications plans and campaigns.
• Experience of planning and delivering multi-channel communications.
• Excellent copywriting, editing and proofreading skills.
• Able to tailor complex information into clear engaging content for different audiences and channels.
• Ability to think strategically, with the flexibility to thrive under changing demands and competing priorities.
• Ability to negotiate matters of confidentiality and potential sensitivity with tact and a clear understanding of the issues at stake.
• Confident in dealing with senior stakeholders both internally and externally.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Good interpersonal skills and a team-player.
• Ability and willingness to take on a wider range of tasks to support the team as necessary.
• Willingness to travel to external events as required.
• Experience of reporting on the performance of communications activities.

Desirable:

• An understanding of the energy sector and the current challenges facing stakeholders.
• Experience of mentoring or coaching junior colleagues.
• Awareness of best practice in digital content delivery.
• Experience of conducting professional interviews both face-to-face and online.
• Experience of dealing effectively with crisis communications.