Job Description & Person Specification:
DATE: December 2017
POST: Digital Communications Senior Officer
CONTRACT: Permanent
HOURS: 37.5 per week
SALARY: £33,000pa
HOLIDAY: 26 days + Bank and statutory holidays
LOCATION: Sherbourne House, Decima Street, London
RESPONSIBLE TO: Senior Communications & External Affairs Manager
Summary
Depaul UK has a wide range of services for young people and adults at risk of homelessness. We specialise in the provision of supported accommodation, with lasting commitments to the young people in Sheffield, the North East, Greater Manchester and London. Depaul UK is also proud of its national emergency accommodation network, Nightstop UK. Other supporting services include family mediation and working with young people from the care and criminal justice systems.
The Digital Communication Senior Officer role is at the heart of the newly created Communications & Marketing Department, inside the Fundraising & Development Directorate. The postholder will be heavily engaged in the digital promotion of Depaul UK, including promoting the support we receive from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, and will lead our social media campaigns, edit the Depaul UK website and drive its development.
The Digital Communication Senior Officer will be:
• Experienced at managing organisational websites and social media channels,
• Experienced at drawing up and implementing social media and website strategy,
• Skilled at producing online assets such as memes, video and gifs and infographics,
• Experienced at creating and driving social media campaigns,
• Effective at being a team player and liaising with a wide range of stakeholders inside and the outside the organisation, and
• Diligent in their work, with strong writing and editing skills and attention to detail.
Key Deliverables
Social Media:
· Taking the lead on Depaul UK’s social media channels, focusing particularly on the YouTube, Twitter and Facebook channels,
· Drawing up, signing off and implementing social media and website strategy, with the support of the department head,
· Liaising with and coordinating the other staff who update the Depaul UK social media channels: @DepaulUK, @DepaulNightstop, @DepaulNorth and @NightstopSYorks, and @NightstopGMcr on Twitter, @depauluk, @NightstopUK and @depaulfundraising on Facebook,
· Ensuring regular and effective social media updates for players of People’s Postcode Lottery (PPL), working closely with the Communications & Publications Senior Officer and PPL’s press office and social media teams,
· Creating and maintaining a social media “calendar” and scheduling content on our social media channels through Hootsuite, with suitable assets and hashtags,
· Creating, launching and managing new social media channels, e.g. an Instagram channel or a Nightstop Facebook channel, in line with an agreed strategy,
· Designing social media campaigns to raise the profile of Depaul UK’s work and events, and
· Liaising with the Nightstop UK social media team to ensure joined-up thinking and a consistently high quality of content on the Nightstop social media channels.
Website
· Managing and developing the Depaul UK website, working closely with the department head,
· Updating the Depaul UK website, creating and editing content, working closely with the “departmental webmasters” and other authorised users,
· Managing the Depaul UK Blog channel, commissioning and editing contributions and keeping it updated,
· Liaising with staff updating the Nightstop UK website to ensure a consistently high quality of content, editing materials and coaching team members, where required,
· Liaising with the Depaul International digital communications manager and the Depaul family’s website contractor/s on costing, scheduling and management of Depaul UK website development work,
· Liaising with the webmasters of the websites of other Depaul subsidiaries, when required,
· Leading on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) of the Depaul UK site and liaising with Nightstop’s lead on SEO.
Digital Advertising
· Managing Depaul UK’s Google Adwords (PPC) account, creating campaigns to promote events, managing the grant budget and applying for new Adwords grants, when require,
· Liaising with the AdWords contractors on Depaul fundraising campaigns,
· Managing Facebook advertising campaigns on the Depaul UK Facebook channel, with an agreed strategy and budget.
Evaluation
· Evaluating the progress of Depaul UK’s social media channels, website and Adwords campaigns, providing monthly evaluation figures for the Trustees and for the department head to disseminate,
· Liaising with Nightstop social media and website team members to ensure regular evaluation of the Nightstop website and social media channels.
What we are looking for from you (Person Specification)
To carry out this role we are looking for the following from you in terms of qualifications, experience, skills and competencies.
When completing your application form, please address all the areas below. Try to provide clear examples in your supporting statement that clarify how and when you gained the experience or knowledge as well as your level of capability
· Experience of managing organisational social media channels
· Experience of managing organisational websites
· Experience of liaising with staff to maintain high standards across the board
· Experience of promoting events through social media
· Experience of managing Google Adwords campaigns
· Excellent standard of written and spoken English
· Strong news writing style
· Experience of running digital advertising campaigns (Desirable)
· Knowledge of creating social media assets, such as video, gifs, memes and infographics.
· Knowledge of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
· Knowledge of digital evaluation techniques
· Knowledge of the homeless / social care / young people sector (Desirable)
· Knowledge of using website Content Management Systems (CMS)
· A willingness to work within the “Vincentian Values” of Depaul, for example, doing what we say and being innovative in our approach
· A clear understanding of the need for confidentiality
· Awareness of and commitment to equal opportunity and diversity practice and to its delivery in practice, treating colleagues and clients fairly and with respect
· Commitment to promoting an environment, which has the highest regard for the Health and Safety of others.
The candidate should show a commitment to continuing professional development including to be self-aware and resilient.
What we will do to support you in this role
We will provide you with the following resources to assist you in delivering the role:
• You will be line-managed by the department head, the Senior Communications & Marketing Manager
• You will be provided with suitable development opportunities to help you understand our heritage as a Vincentian organisation
• A full induction and training to enhance the “hard” and “soft” skills required.
Vincentian Values
The Depaul Group began in the UK in 1989 at the initiative of the late Cardinal Basil Hume, as a response to the needs of the growing numbers of homeless people on the streets of London.
Vincentian values are at the heart of what we do, they focus on:
· A commitment to rights and responsibilities
· A focus on putting our words into action
· Taking a wider role in civil society
· A belief in the potential of people
You can read more about St Vincent Depaul, Depaul UK and Depaul International on our website.
This job description is a statement of requirements at the time of writing and is not contractual. It should not be seen as precluding future changes after appointment to this role.
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