Career Opportunities: Communications Manager (PEC) (27805)

Salary: £34,866 - £45,163  per annum

The Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (Creative PEC) is a wonderful place to work.  It operates as a twin-hub with offices in both Newcastle University and at the Royal Societ of Arts in London - so there is flexibility to be based in either London or Newcastle with some flexibility for remote working too.  Your overall employer will be Newcastle University which comes with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date:  14 January 2025

The role

If you are looking to take the next step in your communications career, join the Creative PEC and make the most of your potential. Working in partnership with Newcastle University and the Royal Society of Arts our goal is to support the creative industries to thrive, working in partnership with universities as policy makers at the heart of government.   

Working with our Head of Communications we are looking for a communications manager who is passionate about the creative industries, arts and culture and wants to play a vital role in a dynamic and friendly team.

You will be a communications all-rounder with particularly strong digital skills - helping us to transform our online presence and drive our engagement with policy makers, academics and people working in the creative industries.

Our offices are split between London and Newcastle, with an option to choose either as your base for hybrid working. 

This is a permanent full time opportunity subject to further funding beyond the 4 years remaining on the AHRC grant being secured.

Interviews for this role will take place on Tuesday 28 January 2025.

Our mission is to support growth in the UK’s creative industries through independent, authoritative research and policy advice. The Creative PEC is led by Newcastle University with the Royal Society for Arts (RSA) and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). 

You will manage our growing communications and events function within the Creative PEC. Reporting to the Head of Communications, you will be responsible for the line management of the Communications and Events Officer and work across the organisation and beyond to engage audiences in our work.

Key Accountabilities

• In line with the Creative PEC’s communications strategy, develop and implement communications plans and tactics which engage specific audiences and raise awareness of the organisation with stakeholders locally, nationally and internationally. Proactively seek out opportunities to promote the work of the Creative PEC
• Work closely with the policy unit, the operations team and the PEC’s researchers to co-ordinate research outputs and manage the busy publications schedule
• Lead on the publication of individual research reports providing editing, proofing, design and print management, dissemination, launch event and publicity services
• Support the policy unit in summarising academic research and drawing out key messages
• Develop and implement the Creative PEC’s social media strategy managing and establishing accounts, and producing creative content that engages with relevant audiences
• Develop content strategies to drive visitors to the Creative PEC website. Monitor and improve user experience and site performance, undertaking regular reviews to ensure content is up to date, correct and fit for purpose
• Lead the communications performance dashboard providing regular update reports to the Creative PEC team, partners and funders
• Manage third party suppliers including designers, printers, photographers and those involved in producing events to deliver agreed outputs and outcomes
• Work closely with the Head of Communications on media relations including writing press releases, responding to enquiries and identifying media opportunities
• Build and nurture highly productive relationships with colleagues, partners and funders
• Line manage the Communications and Events Officer in line with HR policies ensuring they are supported to thrive 
• Attend and assist with events held in the evening and at weekends requiring occasional overnight stays

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential

• Demonstrable experience of delivering innovative and engaging multi-platform communications plans and activity to targeted audiences
• A proven track record in the production of print and online publications and publicity materials
• Excellent writing skills and attention to detail with a proven ability to produce clear, concise copy for online and offline publication, and be able to summarise complex material clearly and succinctly for a range of audiences
• Knowledge of and ability to manage social media platforms producing creative content for organic and paid for campaigns
• Experience of using website content management systems to update and create content. Able to produce creative content strategies
• Able to monitor and evaluate digital communications metrics using tools such as, but not limited to, Google Analytics and Meta Business Suite
• Proven ability to use initiative, to think strategically and to adopt an active approach to problem solving
• Able to use Microsoft Office suite, in particular Word, Excel, and Outlook

Desirable

• Experience of Wordpress
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary, collaborative environment
• Evidence of previous line management experience

Attributes and Behaviour

• Excellent planning, organisation and time management skills with the ability to work to tight deadlines and manage multiple tasks
• Proactively seeks out relevant stories and opportunities
• Outstanding team working skills with the ability to work confidently and build relationships with people at all levels inside and outside the organisation
• Ability to undertake independent research into a topic to inform communications activities
• Actively seeks out professional development opportunities and keeps up to date with new developments in the communications sector and in particular digital communications
• Flexible and adaptable in working with different disciplines and coping with changing and conflicting priorities; with a flexible approach to work
• A personal commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion which is demonstrated in professional ways of working and outputs

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent work experience in a similar role

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 27805