Communications and Engagement Specialist

Gwent Police; Cwmbran; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 45,000

Job description

Role Overview

Are you a proactive and skilled communicator with a passion for making a difference in our communities through effective storytelling and media handling?

We are looking for a confident communications professional who can support our mission to improve trust and confidence by ensuring the community we serve is at the heart of everything we do.

As part of the press team, you will play a crucial role in building positive relationships with local and regional media to tell our story and contribute to our busy media desk.

You will collaborate with officers, including the senior leadership team, and other staff members to cover everything from crime prevention to crisis management.

Your expertise in media relations will be instrumental in advising and supporting our vision to be an inclusive, caring, connected organisation providing an outstanding service for our communities in Gwent.

This is a varied and fast-paced role where you’ll manage communications around operational policing matters.

In return, you will work as part of a successful, dynamic and supportive team with great development opportunities.

Key Responsibilities Include

1. Identifying and sharing good news stories with our communities through media, digital and internal channels
2. Building and maintaining strong working relationships with internal stakeholders and external media
3. Ensuring proactive media handling, whether it’s for campaign-related initiatives or one-off media stories
4. Managing the reactive press office function to respond to media queries
5. Supporting the service with out-of-hours on-call rota as part of a 24/7 communications and media support
6. Providing a professional media service to support, brief and advise officers and staff on major operational, corporate and policy issues relating to the media
7. Assisting in media and communications training for local officers involved in communicating with the public including social media training.

Essential Skills And Experience

1. Strong track record in media relations with the credibility and experience to advise and support operational teams
2. Excellent writing and organisational skills
3. Ability to generate positive media coverage and tell our story effectively.

If you are enthusiastic about making a difference and have the skills and experience we are looking for, then we would love to hear from you.

For more information, you can email Carys Thomas, our deputy head of corporate communications, at [e-mail].

Join us and be a part of a team dedicated to enhancing trust and confidence in our community through effective communication and media relations.

How To Apply

If you think you have the skills and passion for this role, please click the link below to view the role profile. If you think this is the role for you, please complete an application, evidencing against the required attainments (usually found on the last page of the role profile, the word count for each area can also be found on this document).

Please note the titles of the areas you are required to evidence (as per the person specification) are pre-populated on the application form. Please refer to the person specification to find further information of the evidence required under each heading.

Please also refer to the candidate guidance attached below which provides more detail on how to complete your application.

INTERNAL CANDIDATES: Please note that we are unable to progress you to shortlisting unless we have received your Line Manager Approval form. Please submit this in line with the closing date. Thank you.

What Are Our Benefits

Here at Gwent Police, we value our employees, and we provide ample support and training to ensure you excel in your role, alongside receiving benefits such as:

1. Generous annual leave entitlement that rises to either 29 or 30 days depending on grade plus 8 bank holidays
2. Employee Assistance programme and a range of wellbeing support programmes
3. Free access to on-site gyms
4. Discounts from various retailers via the Blue Light Scheme and Vectis Card
5. Cycle to Work Scheme
6. Hybrid/Agile working (role dependant)
7. Flexible working opportunities
8. Local government pension scheme
9. Range of support networks
10. Generous maternity/paternity and adoption leave entitlements
11. Generous sick pay provisions
12. Option to become a member of UNISON, the public service union

Diversity and Welsh language

To enable us to deliver outstanding policing for everyone, we need people from all backgrounds, with a range of professional and life experiences, so that we are truly representative of our communities.

Gwent Police provide a positive action support programme for underrepresented groups. To find out more please email Brian & Clare via [e-mail] or visit our positive action page here: Positive Action | Gwent Police.

We are proud to be a Welsh speaking policing service and welcome applications from candidates with Welsh Language skills.

Disability Confident Employer

We are recognised as a disability confident employer, we aim to recruit and retain disabled people, and people with health conditions, for their skills and talent. You can indicate on your application form whether you require any support or adjustments to enable you to do the job, or to assist you with your application.