Communications Officer
Department: Communications
Line manager: Head of Communications (News and External Affairs) and Head of Communications (Marketing, Access & Student Recruitment)
Salary band: 5 £34,000 per annum
Hours: 37.5
Working environment: Office-based, with hybrid working available.
DBS check required: Yes - Enhanced
The role
You will build relationships with our students, academics and staff to identify stories that will showcase the College, such as student successes, our extensive wellbeing and academic support programme, cutting edge research, or the gardens, buildings and renowned Women’s Art Collection that contribute to our unique identity.
You will be responsible for planning digital communications content, which is aligned to the College's communications strategy, generating content including web, video/photo and social media. You will work with varied stakeholders to create this content, such as students, staff, and also external partners such as schools.
Utilising a full range of digital tools and platforms, you will communicate clear, accurate and compelling stories to varied audiences including prospective applicants to the College, alumnae, our current students and others.
You will work closely with the College’s Access and Student Recruitment team and Admissions team to engage with schools and young people, encouraging progression to higher education, and to promote the College to prospective students from under-represented areas, ethnic minority groups, and economically disadvantaged groups.
How to apply
A full job description and person specification can be found below. To apply for this role please email your CV and cover letter to hr@murrayedwards.cam.ac.uk
91¶¶Òõ you
You have experience producing high-quality video, photographic and written content suitable for a range of platforms, formats and audiences, and a strong track record of planning and managing content development across digital channels.
You are skilled at managing a varying workload and your own time to set and to meet deadlines, as well as at building and managing relationships with varied key stakeholders.
You enjoy spotting opportunities to generate creative and engaging content, producing high-quality, accurate work that is tailored for specific audiences whilst considering institutional sensitivities and risks.
Main duties and responsibilities
Overview
• Supporting the Heads of Communications in the development and delivery of College communications plans and campaigns
• Supporting wider College communications as required: development, alumnae relations, events and special projects.
Social Media
• Working with the Heads of Communications to plan campaigns for the College social media accounts across multiple platforms, tailoring regular content to a range of target audiences. The post holder will be responsible for Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.
• Developing and delivering communications campaigns in support of Access and Student Recruitment activity, focusing on key events in the academic year. Campaigns will address perceptions of the College and wider University of Cambridge, as well as engaging prospective university applicants who may not otherwise consider the College.
• Recruiting and working with student ambassadors to create social media content, as well as working with relevant staff and alumnae
• Reporting on analytics and using findings to increase impact.
Website
• Supporting the joint Heads of Communications in managing the content of the College website, ensuring it is kept relevant and up to date for applicants and other audiences.
Photography/Videography
• Coverage of College events and activities, to a level of quality suitable for social media, website and internal use.
• Coordination of external contractors on some occasions as required.
• Coordination of required consents from subjects/participants for data protection and safeguarding purposes, as appropriate.
• Management of Communications content within the College’s digital media library.
Design
• Design of promotional material, including social media assets, posters, banners and merchandise
The Communications Officer may, on occasion, be asked to undertake other duties related to the role.
Person Specification
| Essential | Desirable | |
| Qualifications: | Educated to degree level or equivalent experience. | Experience working in a higher educational setting |
| Skills, knowledge and experience: | A strong track record of planning and managing content development across digital channels. | |
| Experience developing key themes and campaigns across social media channels. | ||
| Experience producing high quality video, photographic and written content suitable for a range of platforms, formats and audiences. | ||
| Experience identifying, researching and generating news content for different web and social media platform formats. | ||
| Ability to write clearly, accurately and compellingly, tailoring content for a range of audiences and platforms. | ||
| Experience building and managing relationships with key stakeholders, both for content creation, and audience engagement. | ||
| Ability to balance creativity and audience engagement with the need to manage institutional sensitivities and risks. | ||
| Ability to balance and manage a varying workload, sometimes setting and/or meeting tight deadlines. | ||
| Awareness of reputational considerations, safeguarding responsibilities, data protection requirements and legal issues relating to digital communications and social media. | ||
| IT skills: | Experience using a range of social media platforms. | Experience using content management systems. |
| Experience using photo and video editing software. | ||
| Experience using Canva to design and create assets for social media, print and other uses. | ||
| Knowledge of, and confidence using, web and social media analytics tools. | ||
| Strong MS Office and cloud working skills – in both office and remote-working contexts. |