Recruitment Information Pack. Director of Engagement & Communications

Transcription

1 Recruitment Information Pack Director of Engagement & Communications

2 A message from our Chief Executive: To address the challenges that our seas face now and in the future, the Marine Conservation Society seeks to promote positive environmental change and gain public support on a wide scale, through compelling communications and influential stakeholder engagement activities. We have ambitious aims our vision is to secure seas that are fit for life and we do that by influencing political and social changes that will result in healthy fish stocks and clean seas and beaches. We work for oceans that provide sustainable life and livelihoods for all those that rely on them, and wonderful, rich habitats and environments for us all to enjoy. We need an exceptional individual to bring our vision to life for our audiences and this key role will lead our communications and volunteer and stakeholder engagement strategies which champion the MCS brand and generate impact through public support and engagement. To be successful in this role you will demonstrate strong leadership with strategic as well as tactical ability. You will be confident and resilient enjoying working with senior stakeholders and developing your team to be great at what they do. Becoming part of our passionate and dedicated team, you will have the opportunity to make your mark as we continue to develop the organisation to meet our core objectives. If you re looking for the challenge, looking to change the future of our oceans and all that depends on it, we re looking for you. Sandy Luk Chief Executive

3 Director of Engagement and Communications 1. Post Contract Location: Full time, permanent Flexible, requires frequent/regular visits to offices in Ross-on-Wye and London 2. Reporting structure Responsible to Responsible for Chief Executive 4 direct reports - 19 Indirect reports 3. Overall job purpose As a member of the Senior Management Team, ensure strategic leadership within the organisation with accountability for the execution of the MCS engagement and communications strategy and action plans. Lead the development and implementation of external affairs and engagement strategies at MCS, to increase MCS profile, and ensure delivery of effective communications and stakeholder engagement which maximises the value of the science generated through our activities. 4. Key responsibilities Lead development, delivery and execution of effective public affairs and stakeholder engagement strategies, including in relation to key parliamentary and government stakeholders, and of high quality tailored external and internal communications activities. Lead in the development, implementation and delivery of existing, new and innovative engagement and communications methodologies. Ensure that engagement and communications activities and events are maximised for the purposes of achieving MCS strategic aims, including in particular increasing the organisation s profile and membership. Manage the Engagement, Communications and Public Affairs teams, including recruitment, management, personal and professional development and budgetary control. Support MCS organisational development and management as a member of the Senior Management Team. 5. Main duties Lead development, delivery and execution of effective public affairs and stakeholder engagement strategies, including in relation to key parliamentary and government stakeholders, and of high quality tailored external and internal communications activities Develop, monitor and evaluate the progress and impact of effective stakeholder engagement, public affairs and tailored communications strategies and work programmes and report to staff, Senior Management Team and Board and external stakeholders. Ensure that MCS has the resources (knowledge, staff, technical) to support its engagement, public affairs and communications needs effectively. Ensure the highest standards of interaction, engagement and quality are delivered through all communications.

4 Ensure all communications consistently reflect MCS brand, have compelling copy and, where appropriate, raise MCS s profile and achieve returns in support of key fundraising and marketing objectives. With the Head of Communications and Senior Management Team, develop and support the delivery of an MCS internal communications strategy that supports a growing organisation and is fully inclusive of out-posted staff. Oversee the development and execution of high-quality communications tailored to appropriate audiences to achieve the planned strategic and specific outcomes. Oversee the delivery of volunteer survey data and its capture for a wider audience, and strategically assess how the data can best serve MCS and lead the implementation of actions accordingly. Ensure that engagement, public affairs and communication policies are regularly reviewed, effectively communicated and adhered to by all staff. Lead in the development, implementation and delivery of existing, new and innovative engagement and communications methodologies Act as the principal point of contact for MCS communications activities, ensuring communications opportunities are maximised for the benefit of MCS s strategy delivery and profile development. Lead on the development and delivery of a coherent and comprehensive media strategy to achieve impact and return on investment. Develop MCS team skills and raise internal capacity to deliver high quality communications, balancing internal capacity with the need to use external agencies for specific tasks. Support and develop relationships with other stakeholders (including other conservation NGOs), such as non-governmental bodies, to maximise advocacy, engagement and communications opportunities. Promote and develop new and innovative media and social networking initiatives to maximise MCS s reach to supporters and stakeholders with measurable impact and return on investment. Together with the Director of Programmes act as the principle sign-off authority for all press releases and external communications Ensure that engagement and communications activities and events are maximised for the purposes of achieving MCS strategic aims, including in particular increasing the organisation s profile and membership Ensure optimal data capture and data management to maximise conservation impact and income generation opportunities from stakeholders, volunteers and supporters to donors, members and individual givers. In collaboration with the marketing team, oversee the organisation of MCS key events including the annual AGM and Conference, and attendance at promotional events ensuring maximum returns on investment. Strategically develop and implement innovative volunteer engagement programmes to maximise opportunities for corporate engagement to not only deliver direct conservation impact and enhance the stakeholder engagement experience, but to also generate income.

5 Oversee the management of partnership projects where volunteer engagement is a key element. Oversee a holistic approach to the overall volunteering programme, coordinating the volunteer delivery across the UK, developing the volunteers digital network and working across regions towards national campaigns. Develop marine education (ocean literacy) programmes and links, in collaboration with internal conservation leads and external partners, for delivery in schools, colleges and higher education institutions to raise the profile of MCS and marine conservation as well as stimulating conservation behaviours and attracting new members. Manage the Engagement, Communications and Public Affairs teams, including recruitment, management, personal and professional development and budgetary control. Ensure effective working between the Engagement, Public Affairs and Communications teams and the other directorates and teams at MCS. Manage the overall budget for the department, including preparation of an annual budget and close monitoring of income and expenditure against budget by Managers. Be responsible for the effective and efficient use of staff capacity and skills to optimise team performance. Ensure that all members of the Engagement, Public Affairs and Communication teams are motivated and guided to contribute fully to the realisation of MCS s mission, vision, goals and objectives. Provide support and supervision to direct reports and ensure support and supervision is given to any indirect reports in accordance with MCS policy and procedures. Ensure regular and effective review and appraisal of staff performance is carried out in accordance with MCS procedures. Organise regular Engagement, Public Affairs and Communications team meetings and joint team meetings with Marketing and Fundraising as appropriate to engender team work and exchange of information about activities. Support MCS organisational development and management as a member of the Senior Management Team Input to the development and delivery of the organisation s wider strategy and business planning as a member of the Senior Management Team. Actively input to Senior Management Team meetings, bringing issues raised by the Engagement, Public Affairs and Communications teams to the attention of the Chief Executive and Senior Management Team, and providing relevant feedback to team members. Co-ordinate input on organisational matters from the Engagement, Public Affairs and Communications teams. Keep team members informed of organisational developments and changes. Identify and support opportunities to improve MCS working environment and support developments and change initiatives.

6 Lead by example on all aspects of team and personnel management, championing best practice and actively seeking to develop management skills in self and others. Make presentations to the Board on stakeholder engagement and communications strategies and activities. 6. Internal reporting Inform the Chief Executive of developments and activities on an ongoing basis. Produce an annual work plan. Maintain a detailed advance quarterly work plan or online calendar. Oversee preparation by the Engagement, Public Affairs and Communications teams of a quarterly written report on activities and progress against targets for submission to the Chief Executive and Trustees. Attend regular meetings with the Chief Executive as required. Attend monthly Senior Management Team meetings or as required. Attend other departmental (Fundraising/Programmes/Finance and Resources) team meetings as required. Attend and report directly to Trustee Board meetings as required. Liaise directly with Trustees as appropriate, keeping the Chief Executive informed of communications. 7. General duties Abide by the core values of MCS in all aspects of their work. Support MCS strategies and initiatives to deliver conservation goals, expand the organisation s membership, raise funds and communicate the wider aims of MCS throughout their work. Maintain the highest professional standards at all times, ensuring that all outputs are produced within agreed budgets, time scales and specifications. Represent MCS externally, attending meetings, conferences and events as and when appropriate. Assist with general enquiries on information and resources from MCS, when necessary. Act responsibly in terms of the health, safety and welfare of yourself and colleagues, acting in accordance with our Health & Safety Policy and Procedures, and the policies as set out in the Employee Handbook. Carry out all other such duties as may from time to time be determined by the Chief Executive. The duties and responsibilities highlighted in this Job Description are indicative and may vary over time. Post holders are expected to undertake other reasonable duties and responsibilities relevant to the nature, level and scope of the post as advised by the Chief Executive. 8. Working relationships Internal to MCS but outside immediate work team. Work effectively with the other members of the Senior Management Team to deliver MCS strategy and business plan. Work effectively with Trustees to ensure coordination and support for volunteering, engagement and communications strategies. Work effectively with and support the Programmes team to ensure that communications and advocacy associated with programme and campaign activities are maximised and communications and advocacy are consistent with MCS brand. Work closely with them to identify key stories for communicating.

7 Develop the ability of the Programmes team to deliver effective communications and advocacy e.g. taking useable film footage, sending posts/tweets, using hashtags, etc. Build a culture of impactful and efficient communication across MCS. Volunteers External consultants External stakeholders Work closely with Fundraising and Marketing teams to ensure income and marketing opportunities from volunteering are maximised. Expand the MCS volunteers. Build into one coherent UK team, with stronger focus on delivering MCS strategic goals. Develop the MCS volunteer team, enabling and empowering them to deliver far greater direct conservation impact, communication, membership recruitment and income generation. Management and oversight of external consultants and other suppliers, where required, to deliver communications and volunteering objectives (balancing with the raising of internal capacity). Responsibility for managing and coordinating key stakeholder relationships where communications, volunteering and education opportunities are of primary importance. 9. Working environment Physical environment Travel Working arrangements can be flexible, with working from home by agreement, however, the jobholder will be expected to be based in London or Ross on Wye with regular travel factored in to other MCS offices around the UK. Approximately 60% office based. Throughout the UK as necessary. May include some international travel and overnight stays 10. Person specification Proven ability and competencies Other skills and abilities Essential Currently working at a senior level responsible for the critical analysis of and decision-making on organisational strategy. Management of a large team, including recruitment, development, and performance management. Experience within the NGO sector, or with communities or volunteers. A demonstrable portfolio of a wide range of publications and other communications products. Evidence of utilising new and developing media and a good understanding of the digital and technology landscape, including social media. Strong leadership skills, able to motivate and influence others, lead organisation-wide change and delegate effectively to deliver outcomes. Excellent project management skills, able to plan strategically, deliver and monitor results, and meet challenging deadlines, with limited budgets. Desirable To develop a customer relationship management approach. Copy writing skills with proven track record of delivering materials (printed and online) that generate results. The management of suppliers and contractors. Experience of working with and coordinating volunteers. Digital skills: website management, film making, digital campaigns, social media, etc.

8 Excellent interpersonal skills with a proven ability to manage individuals and promote team-work. Demonstrable interpersonal and networking skills used to build strong long-term relationships with key stakeholders. Proven ability and confidence to represent the organisation with key stakeholders. Good understanding of brands, stakeholder needs and communications that generate the desired response. Qualifications, training and knowledge Personal qualities Professional qualification in communications or stakeholder engagement. A wide-ranging working knowledge and understanding of public affairs, volunteering and communications strategies and media. A strong leader able to inspire and motivate teams and individuals. A management and personal style in line with MCS s values: supportive, approachable, responsible, reliable and personable. A good team player who places emphasis on building open and supportive relations and working by example. A resilient and highly motivated individual, able to work on their own initiative as well as within a team. Flexible and adaptable approach to work. A passionate and committed interest in communicating with varied audiences to achieve a positive and active response. Excellent attention to detail to ensure consistently high standards of content and design in all outputs. A desire to promote positive change and seek ongoing improvement in working practices. 11. Dimensions and Limits of Authority Budget Jobholder is accountable for a budget of approximately 500k Can sign off expenditure up to 5,000 without pre-approval. Management Working within the limits of MCS policy, the post-holder can recruit and performance manage staff, and take disciplinary action (excluding termination of contracts) where this is deemed necessary. Responsible for recommending starting salaries for new staff and annual pay awards for Engagement and Communications staff. Strategy Accountable for developing and implementing Education, Volunteering, Stakeholder Engagement, Public Affairs and Communications strategy for MCS. Policy Accountable for ensuring compliance with internal policies relating to engagement and communications e.g. sign-off procedures. Outputs Accountable for outputs of engagement and communications materials.

9 How to apply Please submit your CV and cover letter to with the role you re applying for in the subject line. We prefer to make applications anonymous so please ensure you send your documents in an editable format that Word can handle no Pages format or PDFs, please. What we need to see For your cover letter we are looking for you to tell us how your experience meets the role requirements. Please refer closely to both the job description and the person specification when completing this. Your cover letter should include examples of your work or experience which provides evidence of how you meet the job criteria and person specification and what skills you bring which would make you successful in the role. Your cover letter should also let us know what inspired you to apply for this role with us tell us what it is about our work that attracted you to the organisation and the position. Interviews for this role will be held at our offices in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, or at CAN Mezzanine in Borough, London as appropriate. If you re invited to come and see us for an interview, you may be requested to prepare a task in advance, or take part in a group activity as part of the assessment process we ll let you have all the details in the invitation to interview. If you feel you require any reasonable adjustments which would allow you to take part fully in the interview process, do let us know. The legal bit If you re successful, all offers of employment are conditional, subject to the following: candidates are required to provide proof of current and continued eligibility to work in the UK and will be required to present original documents if invited for interview. Information on what you ll need to show will be provided as part of the invitation to attend an interview but you can read more on the Home Office UK Border Agency website: receipt of two references which are satisfactory to MCS. If you would like to speak to us please call the HR team on

10 MCS - Our vision, our mission Our vision Seas full of life - seas and coasts where nature flourishes and people thrive. Our mission To drive political, cultural and social change for healthy seas and coasts that support abundant marine wildlife, sustainable livelihoods and enjoyment for all. What we stand for Science and people - our staff, volunteers, supporters and partners - are at the heart of everything we do. We act because everyone relies on the ocean to survive, from the air we breathe to the food we eat. By helping people to discover, value and enjoy being connected to our seas, we can all make better decisions today, which will ensure seas full of life for future generations. Why we need to act Our seas are under threat - from pollution, overfishing and a lack of protection. We are taking too much out, for example fish and oil - often using intensive or destructive techniques. We are putting too much in - waste, pollution and damaging development. What we need to achieve Stop taking too much out of our seas - MCS will work to ensure sustainable use of the seas by minimising harm when we harvest resources, for example through fishing and oil extraction. Stop putting too much into our seas - MCS will work to prevent and clean up marine litter and pollution, and to minimise damage from development and climate change.

11 Working with MCS Hours of work Annual leave Occupational sick pay Learning & development Pension Childcare Voucher Scheme Our normal full-time working week is 35 hours. We offer Time Off in Lieu (TOIL) where you may have been required to work in excess of your standard hours and we have a flexible approach to our daily start and finish times in order to support you in balancing your work and home life. We offer 25 days annual leave per annum, plus Bank Holidays pro rated for part-time or fixed term contracts. Your entitlement to leave increases with service, to a maximum of 30 days after 10 years with us. Senior Management/Directors start at 27 days annual leave per annum, plus Bank Holidays, rising to a maximum of 30 days after 5 years. MCS seeks to support our team members when they have periods of sickness and once through the probationary period you are entitled to occupational sick pay equivalent to 8 weeks at full pay followed by 8 weeks at half-pay in any rolling year (pro-rated for part-time or fixed-term contracts) MCS recognises that its employees are fundamental to its success, and seeks to provide an outstanding and distinctive social and working environment in which both the organisation and its employees can flourish and achieve their full potential. We seek to employ and develop high calibre and highperforming staff in order to meet our strategic objectives. We will auto-enrol all employees in their third month of employment into our stakeholder pension scheme. On a monthly basis, MCS will contribute the equivalent of 5% of your annual salary into our scheme. After 6 months service, MCS will contribute an amount equivalent to 6% of your annual salary into our scheme on a monthly basis. You may choose to make personal contributions when you commence employment with us, and at any time from then. Our childcare voucher scheme is open to all employees who are parents or guardians and currently use registered childcare facilities. Employees can easily self-administer their vouchers through the Computershare online service. Equality & Diversity at MCS Everyone can expect to be treated with consideration and respect and MCS is committed to providing an inclusive environment for all. Good working relationships release the full potential, creativity and productivity of each individual, in an atmosphere where everyone can learn and work without prejudice, discrimination, harassment or violence. MCS is an equal opportunities employer welcoming applications from all sections of the community. Registered Charity No: Registered (England & Wales) SC (Scotland) Office: Overross House, Ross Park, Ross-on-Wye, HR9 7US