Job Description:

Communications and PR Officer

Post: Communications and PR Officer

Hours: 25 hours a week.

Salary: £22,542 - £27,552 full time, pro-rata for part-time

Fixed contract to 31^st March 2023

Location: OPFS HQ Edinburgh office with hybrid working considered.

Reports to: Digital Services and Communications Manager

Overview

OPFS was founded in 1940 and since then we have been at the forefront of shaping policy and services in Scotland, that support single parents and their children. Today, there are over 144,000 single parent families in Scotland, 25% of all families. We champion their voices and keep their needs at the heart of everything we do.

We want a society in which single parent families are treated equally and fairly. To help achieve this OPFS provides a range of single parent tailored services. We do this through our advice channels, self-help pages on our website and through our local community-based services. To create lasting change we involve single parents, experts by experience, to influence policy - to challenge discrimination and judgmental attitudes, to reduce child poverty - and make services more accessible to all families.

Main Duties

The Communications and PR Officer will be responsible for supporting the development and maintenance of high-quality integrated communications and building the brand and profile of OPFS. You will support a range of communications, PR, single parent audience development and marketing activities that support the delivery of the organisation’s strategic goals. Working within our communications team, you’ll lead on the planning and delivery of all aspects of PR activity, contribute towards comms and identify, and respond quickly, to short term opportunities.

You’ll help co-ordinate the scheduling, drafting and delivery across our social media channels, write and edit press releases and other written materials such as blog posts, latest news features and statements and support single parents to take part in comms/media.

Duties include:

• Building brand and increasing our reach through writing style and visual brand.
• Delivering effective communications, marketing campaigns and projects.
• Work effectively with single parents to ensure active involvement in and support for communications and campaigns.
• To co-ordinate public relations activities ensuring consistency of messaging, identifying media opportunities, and developing content for news releases and various channels.
• Key responsibility in developing digital content for a range of projects across social media, website, and other online platforms.
• Write and publish content, ensuring that it reflects and reinforces OPFS brand and personality.
• Proactively plan workloads whilst working in an overall team framework.
• Identify and understand the different audiences OPFS communicates with and how best to communicate with them.

Personal Specifications

Essential

• Good general education to degree or equivalent experience with strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience and understanding of a wide range of digital communications tools and channels and how to deploy each effectively.
• Copywriting for online and offline communication.
• Experience of digital trends and developments.
• Knowledge and experience of the following platforms: Google Analytics; Email Marketing platforms (i.e., Mailchimp); Social Media Management software; Microsoft Office 365; Adobe creative suite; Website Content management systems (i.e. WordPress).
• Previous experience, in either a voluntary or professional capacity of public and media relations, marketing and digital.
• Previous experience of maintaining and growing a strong brand and profile, including the delivery of a consistent brand across multiple channels.
• Experience of sourcing, building relationships with and working with case studies in the media including ability to brief spokespeople and case studies for interview.
• Knowledge and understanding of single parent issues, including social exclusion and poverty.

Desirable

• Experience of working with Scottish media on public relations campaigns including policy and campaigning issues.
• Microsoft SharePoint.
• Facebook Ads and Google Ads implementation.
• Experience of messaging tools (i.e. Slack).
• Google suite of tools.

Terms & Conditions

1. Period of appointment: The appointment is fixed term until 31^st March 2023. Any extension would be dependent on funding being secured. Confirmation of appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a 3-month probationary period, references, and receipt of a satisfactory disclosure check.
2. Salary: OPFS scale points 13 – 17 £22,542 - £27,552 per annum (pro-rata for part-time).
3. Hours of work: 25 hours per week.
4. Holidays: Annual leave entitlement is 25 days and 12 public holidays pro rata based on contracted hours of 25 hours a week. After 5 years’ service, staff receive an extra 5 days leave per year pro rata for part time.
5. Pension: If eligible, you will be auto enrolled in our Pension Scheme. Your contribution will be 3% and OPFS will contribute 7%.
6. Training and support and supervision: OPFS is committed to the development of its staff through internal training and access to external training. We also have an annual staff appraisal system in place an all staff receive regular monthly support and supervision from their manager.
7. Equal Opportunities and Family Friendly Employment: OPFS aims to be an equal opportunity and family friendly employer. We have investors in People status and Living Wage accreditation.
8. Closing date: The closing date is 1^st December 2021 at 5pm. Please download an application from our website www.opfs.org.uk and email your completed application form to jobs@opfs.org.uk. Please contact info@opfs.org.uk or 0131 556 3899 if you require a paper application form.

The job description is a broad picture of the post at the time of preparation. It is not an exhaustive list of all possible duties, and it is recognised that jobs change and evolve over time.