Job Description
Communications and Media Officer
Job description
Contract: Full time. Permanent.
Salary: £25,000-£30,000 p/a depending on experience
Location: Oxford office / hybrid / remote working (with some travel as required)
Responsible to: Communications and Media Manager
Responsible for: Delivery of FHT communications programme
Closing date: 12noon Monday 26 June 2023
Interviews: Wednesday 5 July 2023
Background
Freshwater Habitats Trust (FHT) is the UK’s leading charity for all freshwaters. We are a friendly, evidence-based conservation charity that works to protect UK and European freshwater wildlife through practical and innovative nature conservation projects.
Our organisation is well respected nationally and internationally, and we work with a network of statutory, NGO and private partners both in the UK and Europe. Freshwater Habitats Trust was originally founded in 1988 (as Pond Conservation) and has a substantial track-record of originating new ideas through research in freshwater biodiversity conservation to inform and drive our practical conservation and policy work.
FHT is based in Oxford, with key regional hubs in the North of England and the New Forest. However, we work nationally with practical projects throughout the Midlands and in other locations throughout England, and out-posted staff based in Cornwall and Wales. We also work with partners on research and policy projects in the UK and internationally. Since 2017 we have seconded staff to the Newt Conservation Partnership (NCP), a new community-benefit society established by NatureSpace, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC) and FHT, to create and manage habitats for the NatureSpace District Licensing scheme for great crested newts.
FHT operates mainly by running projects of variable size, length and duration to protect and enhance freshwater biodiversity. The income generated maintains core activities including fundraising and communications. Individual project budgets vary from a few thousand pounds to £1-2 million, the latter typically running on 1–3-year cycles. For further information on our project and activities, see: https://freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/
Role
The Communications Officer will work with the Communications and Media Manager to promote FHT’s evidence, experience and activities. The post holder will produce a range of communications outputs to raise awareness of our work with key audiences, including the media, legislators, policy makers, funders and our wide range of external partners.
This is a new role to support the Communications and Media Manager across all of our communications work as we grow our organisation and profile. This is an exciting time to join the charity as we launch our new strategy to build the Freshwater Network – a national network of wilder, wetter, cleaner, connected habitats to reverse the decline in freshwater biodiversity. We are also preparing to launch a new website, which will enhance our brand as well as providing innovative ways of capturing and displaying our significant data on freshwater biodiversity.
You will play a key role in managing our social media platforms and creating engaging social media content that communicates our key messages to our diverse audiences. In addition, you will work with colleagues across the organisation to produce press releases, blogs and other written content to convey our messages and communicate our knowledge about freshwaters.
This is a varied role, which will also involve some event management and internal communications support, as well as producing our email newsletter for supporters and dealing with public enquiries.
You will work across a number of our projects, providing communications support to our project teams, and will have the opportunity to lead on communications for some of our initiatives, such as our annual Spawn Survey. Along with the Communications and Media Manager, you will also provide communications support to the Newt Conservation Partnership, a community benefit society, which Freshwater Habitats Trust runs with Amphibian and Reptile Conservation to deliver the NatureSpace District Licensing Scheme for Great Crested Newt.
Key responsibilities
You will work closely with our Communications and Media Manager to deliver our communications strategy. This will include:
Social media:
o Monitor FHT social media accounts and deal with comments.
o Use Canva to create engaging, informative content for social media accounts, supporting us to grow our social media following and increase engagement with our key messages.
o Schedule social media posts on Hootsuite.
o Deliver social media campaigns for our strategy, the Freshwater Network, and for initiatives such as the Spawn Survey.
o Maximising on opportunities to link our brand and knowledge to topical issues and external events on social media.
o Produce social media evaluation reports on Hootsuite to provide data for our senior management team and trustees and to inform future communications activity.
Website
o Support the Communications and Media Manager to work with staff across the organisation to keep our website up to date (NB we are preparing to launch a new website this summer).
o Update and edit website content as required.
o Work with staff to produce blogs to communicate our knowledge and passion for freshwater biodiversity.
Media:
o Draft press releases on newsworthy activity for local, regional, national and trade media.
o Work with the Communications and Media Manager to liaise with media, including supporting staff to prepare for media interviews.
o Deputise for the Communications and Media Manager as needed to act as point of contact for media enquiries.
Other
o Support the Communications and Media Manager to deliver internal communications work, including staff updates and staff away days.
o Support project managers with event logistics and promotion.
o Provide support with stakeholder communication work, including updating and managing contact databases.
o Manage the FHT picture library and promote best practice in terms of permissions and copyright in relation to image acquisition and usage.
Additional general responsibilities for the post holder
● Work closely and constructively with your line manager in all areas of your responsibility
● Undertake other duties as the senior management team may from time to time require
● Help to build a positive relationship between Freshwater Habitats Trust and its partners.
● Understand and follow Freshwater Habitats Trust’s internal procedures including Health and Safety, information management systems, site protocols etc.
Competencies
Qualifications
● Degree in a relevant subject, or equivalent training of work experience.
Knowledge and experience
Essential:
● At least two years’ experience in a communications role.
● Proven ability to produce engaging content for social media for a professional organisation.
● Excellent writing skills, with a high standard of written English and proven experience in composing engaging and accurate content for a range of different platforms, including online.
● Computer literate: Word, Excel, database use and management, and website management tools (eg Word Press).
● Full current driving licence.
Desirable:
● Competent at using design software (eg Canva) to produce social media content and social media scheduling platforms (eg Hootsuite) (or other social media scheduling platforms).
● Demonstrable experience of placing stories in the media, or being part of a team that has successfully placed national or major regional stories.
● Experience of producing newsletters on platforms such as Mailchimp.
● Experience in producing video content for social media and other platforms.
● Experience in communications relating to science and/or conservation.
● Experience in communicating complex, technical information to a range of audiences.
● Knowledge of wildlife conservation and/or freshwater ecology/biology.
● Experience in managing, or providing support for, events.
Personal qualities
● Ability to manage workload and meet deadlines.
● Team orientated and comfortable working with a wide range of partners.
● Good verbal and written communication skills
● Good interpersonal skills - approachable, professional and courteous.
● Attention to detail.
● Creative and able to spot opportunities.
● Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
What we have to offer
At Freshwater Habitats Trust we value employees' unique views and encourage them to develop their interests. Besides paying a competitive salary, we also offer the following benefits:
· The option to work flexibly, including hybrid or remote working
· 35-hour week
· 25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays
· Pension with 6% employer contribution
· Mobile phone allowance
· Working from home allowance
· Free eye tests
· Free Employee Assistance Program
· Mileage pay
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: £25,000.00-£30,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Additional leave
- Casual dress
- Flexitime
- Health & wellbeing programme
- Work from home
Schedule:
- 8 hour shift
- Flexitime
- Monday to Friday
- No weekends
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Headington
Reference ID: Finance Manager FHT
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