R0123 Communications Officer

Grade: 6 £30,777 (SCP 26) – £36,369 (SCP 32) (depending on experience)

Directly responsible to: Media and Communications Manager

Full time permanent role

Location: Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Birmingham, West Midlands. (With home working)

Closing Date: 12 noon 19.01.22, interviews to take place week commencing 24.01.22

This is a politically restricted post.

The Office of the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner would like you to join us as our Communications Officer.

First and foremost, we’re looking for someone who understands how to spot and tell stories via print, social media and broadcast platforms. 

Up until now you might have worked in journalism or you’ve got a good few years PR experience behind you. Either way you will be a competent writer and you will be able to demonstrate how your work has resonated with large audiences. If you don’t already have good relationships with media in the region, you will certainly understand how to develop and maintain them.

You will be providing a communications function directly to the Police and Crime Commissioner, so you’ll need a good understanding of the local and national political landscape and current affairs too. This will mean you are fully aware of the role of a Police and Crime Commissioner and you’ve also kept across some of the big regional and national policing issues too.

As well as planning and writing proactive stories for a range of media outlets you will also be responding to reactive media enquiries at speed. This could involve drafting a PCC response for a newspaper or researching a brief for the Commissioner ahead of a national TV or radio interview.

Part of your day will be spent managing the PCC’s social media channels and updating web content, so we’ll be keen to know that you’ve done this in the past and how you think we can improve and expand our reach. You’ll see from our social channels that we love short videos so you’ll be asked to do this to accompany some of the stories you write. If you can already film and edit using a smart phone then that’s brilliant, if you can’t then we’ll teach you.

We have adopted hybrid working so you’ll only be commuting to the office part of the week (once restrictions relax and we’re allowed back in of course). We’re also a fairly small team so you’ll be the kind of person who likes to roll their sleeves up, work quickly and is adaptable as the day changes at short notice.

The West Midlands region is a vibrant and diverse part of the country. The Police and Crime Commissioner is committed to equality and diversity and welcomes applications from individuals of all backgrounds. Applicants must be able to demonstrate a good understanding of diversity and human rights, and a personal commitment to promoting diversity and racial equality. We also offer a guaranteed interview scheme from those with disabilities.

Why work for us?

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner is committed to the reduction and prevention of crime, so by joining us you’ll be actively contributing to improving the West Midlands region. You will get to work alongside great people who are passionate about driving improvement and change! In return for your valued contribution we provide an impressive employee benefits package:  

• Diverse, Inclusive and supportive organisation
• Flexible working
• Hybrid working from home policy
• Generous annual leave allowance
• Pay progression through multiple increments
• Learning & Development opportunities
• Access to an employee benefits package
• Committed to being an anti-racist and trauma informed organisation

Click here to learn more: Working for us

Our values

It is important to us that every employee is committed to and share our organisational values:

We behave with INTEGRITY and HONESTY in all we do. We work OBJECTIVELY and IMPARTIALLY

to support the Police and Crime Commissioner and each other to achieve the objectives of the Police and Crime Plan.

We support each other by driving INCLUSIVITY within our interaction with each other and the public.

For more information about the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner visit: Home – West Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner (westmidlands-pcc.gov.uk).

For an informal confidential conversation about this post, please contact Tom Turrell on wmpcc@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk

The closing date for applications is 12 noon, 19.01.22. Interviews will take place on week commencing 24.01.22.

Please note we do not accept CV’s. To download an application form and information pack please visit: www.westmidlands-pcc.gov.uk/your-commissioner/working-for-the-police-and-crime-commissioner or telephone 0121 626 6060.

Please note CV’s will not be accepted.