Job Description

Institute for Government. May 2015

Job Title:Web and Publications Editor

Reports to:Director of Communications

Manages:Web and Publications Officer

The organisation:

The Institute for Government is an independent charity, founded in 2008 and dedicated to helping make government in the UK more effective. Working directly with leading politicians from all parties in Westminster, and with senior civil servants in Whitehall, the Institute provides evidence-based advice to help them do their jobs better.

The Institute is a well-respected voice, both in the UK and internationally. It has developed a well-attended programme of events and seminars, alongside a wide-ranging programme of research designed to help shape the future of government.

The Institute’s current focus is on:

  • Improving the accountability of government to parliament and the public;
  • Improving relationships between ministers and civil servants;
  • Supporting ministers to be better prepared for their roles;
  • Strengthening the way in which policies are developed and implemented;
  • Supporting the civil service to become more effective;
  • Helping government departments to work well with the wider public, private and voluntary sectors;
  • Supporting UK government to adapt to new democratic structures, particularly given the evolving nature of the devolved administrations.

For more details see

The job:

This is a key role in our seven-strong communications team, with two key responsibilities: the strategic development of our website and the ways in which we publish and disseminate our reports; and leading the production of our publications, operating as a chief sub-editor whilst working with research colleagues to schedule and produce Institute reports and blogs.

Supported by a Web and Publications Officer with strong sub-editing skills, the Editor is also responsible for day-to-day website publishing work; managing the Institute’s bulk email communications; and making use of the Institute’s evolving data capabilities to improve our web and email communications.

Responsible for:

  • Scheduling, planning and quality control of all publication production work, and taking the lead role in querying and sub-editing Institute reports;
  • The strategic development of our website and our report publishing fomats, and the management of suppliers providing web development and design services;
  • Editing the website on a daily basis, including quality control and sub-editing of blogs;
  • Running the Institute’s email communications programme, and improving its ability to disseminate our work to relevant audiences in ways they’ll find attractive and persuasive;
  • Managing the Web and Publications Officer.

Major tasks:

  • Scheduling and managing the Institute’s published outputs, working with researchers to agree deadlines, taking the lead role in querying and sub-editing reports and blogs, and overseeing workflow and quality in the Web and Publications Officer’s sub-editing work;
  • Working with research colleagues to help them develop published outputs whose structure, presentation, language and dissemination are well-suited to reaching and engaging desired audiences;
  • Developing our website’s functionality, appearance and capabilities to improve its accessibility, attractiveness and value to desired audiences, and its strength as a platform for Institute publications and messages, whilst editing it on a daily basis to maintain a flow of new content;
  • Commissioning and managing suppliers of web development and sub-editing services,commissioning design work to produce templates, infographics, branding and publications, and guiding the Web and Publication Officer’s layout and design work;
  • Managing the Institute’s bulk email communications, handling and overseeing the production, targeting and sending of our bulk emails, and monitoring and improving their performance;
  • Reviewing and developing the ways in which we publish reports, with an emphasis on building publications around the interests and needs of desired audiences and on improving readers’ ability to access, read and share our reports online;
  • Developing and monitoring website performance metrics, applying SEO techniques to boost readership, and supporting research colleagues to improve the impact of their work online;
  • Working with the Director of Communications, the Media Officer and events staff to make full use of the Institute’s developing database and data handling capabilities, and thus to improve our targeting of, segmentation of, and email communications with relevant audiences;
  • Working with the Media Officer to develop the Institute’s social media presence and operations;
  • Allocating sub-editing, web editing, email marketing and design work to the Web and Publications Officer, and helping them to develop theirskills and abilities;
  • Other tasks as identified by the Director of Communications.

Person Specification

Essential:

  • Experience of sub-editing complex, technical and long texts, putting queries to authors to improve structure, argument, clarity and flow, and proof-reading amended copy in compliance with style and brand guidelines;
  • Experience of managing a website, including editing and strategic development roles, and of gathering web performance metrics;
  • Demonstrable expertise in scheduling work processes involving multiple teams and external suppliers, and in managing several projects through to completion simultaneously to variable deadlines;
  • A track record of commissioning and managing suppliers, and of project managing web development and design projects from initial planning through to delivery;
  • Experience of managing people;
  • Skills in writing for the web, applicable to explanatory or marketing copy;
  • Experience of running email campaigns, including copywriting, the use of bulk email management systems, and the analysis of performance metrics;
  • Experience of using and developing web CMS –ideally including bothDrupal and Wordpress – and of maintaining and improving an organisation’s profile on social media channels;
  • Basic HTML & CSS skills, and a detailed knowledge of Microsoft Word.

Desirable:

  • A demonstrable interest in the operation of government, and experience in the civil service, politics or the wider public sector;
  • Expertise in Campaign Monitor, image creation and management software, and video editing;
  • Experience of marketing, particularly to improve the readership of published work and/or the breadth and depth of data assets;
  • Experience of managing project budgets;
  • Expertise in managing and using data, and experience of using a CRM, in order to segment and target relevant audiences.