Job Description

Details

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Reference number

440826

Salary

51,977 - 56,588
51,977 - 56,588 + 28.97% employer pension contributions
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
GBP

Job grade

Other

Contract type

Permanent

Type of role

Communications / Marketing

Working pattern

Full-time

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

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Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information

Location

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Edinburgh

About the job

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Job summary

About the team

Scottish Forestry is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government responsible for forestry policy regulatory and support functions.


The Corporate Affairs and Communications Branch is split into two teams. The Corporate Affairs team covers Ministerial liaison, Parliamentary business, Freedom of Information requests corporate correspondence, corporate governance. The team also services the key management boards. The Communications team handles internal and external communications, media, social media, strategic communications, brand, publications, Gaelic Language Plan and the website. As both teams are relatively small therefore there is a lot of interaction across work areas.


The role involves working with colleagues across Scotland and supports Ministers on forestry publicity visits, therefore some travel will be required.

Job description

What you will do

Scottish Forestry is at the heart of protecting, expanding and promoting Scotland's forests and woodlands. We're looking for an experienced professional to lead our external media relations activities and social media platforms - ensuring our vital work is clearly understood by the public, stakeholders, and government.


As part of a small, friendly, and collaborative team, you'll take a leadership role on external media activity across the agency, providing expert advice to colleagues at every level, from local office staff, to policy advisers and the Executive Team. You will also act on behalf of Scottish Government Ministers on forestry issues and work closely with their media teams and Special Advisors when necessary.




You'll handle high-profile and sometimes sensitive media issues, develop proactive media responses and strategies, whilst helping to develop the narrative on Scottish Forestry's priority work in delivering woodland creation, biodiversity and economic policies.


If you're an experienced media communicator with sound news judgment, political awareness and a passion for Scotland's environment, this is your opportunity to make a real impact, supporting sustainable forestry and helping tell one of Scotland's most important environmental stories.

Main Duties

Be the senior lead contact for all external media relations advice and expertise to Scottish Forestry staff at all levels, delivering experienced media handling strategies to maximise impact and ensure best outcomes for corporate reputation. Lead on providing strategic and tactical media communications advice to Ministers, Special Advisors and Scottish Government colleagues on forestry issues. Take a proactive role in working with Head of Corporate Affairs & Communications and Head of Corporate Communications in developing and implementing the media relations aspects of the agency's communications strategy, with particular focus on woodland creation comms. Draft media releases and responses to enquiries. Take a proactive approach to media relations, identifying opportunities to publicise and correct any factual inaccuracies if appropriate. Advise senior management teams and Conservators of media issues and advise on action needed. Draft news releases, articles and respond to media enquiries in liaison with a range of staff, senior managers, and Special Advisors. Work closely with the range of external stakeholder PR contacts, key Scottish Govt comms teams, Special Advisors, and the media, to ensure consistency of message. Clear all media strategies and ensure Scottish Forestry's communication objectives are followed. Lead on the management, service delivery and budgeting to ensure that the necessary software packages and media monitoring services are in place for Scottish Forestry so that the agency is self-reliant on its ability to communication with the media effectively and alert staff to notable coverage. Manage and deliver attractive and on message content for all Scottish Forestry's social media channels, and report on engagement. Work with the wider communications team to share and generate content so that news items can be used in a variety of platforms and channels. Line management may form part of the role.

Person specification

Experience

Essential:

Proven in-depth experience at a strategic level working in Government or public sector media relations. Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively across teams, especially at a senior level. A strong and proven ability to think strategically whilst also deliver media relations outputs. Demonstrated ability to work with minimal supervision to tight deadlines. Ability to write clear, concise and targeted copy, for news releases, speeches and other editorial content. Ability to write media communications strategy and handling plans at a senior level. Proven experience in issues management, including timely response and advice to senior leadership. A strong track record of dealing with media - newspapers, digital and broadcast platforms - able to demonstrate contacts or ability to form networks.
Desirable:

Experience of developing relationships with senior external stakeholders' PR contacts and commissioning photographers. Experience in developing attractive content for a range of social media platforms, setting out a social media strategy and delivering at pace. Experience with working in a team, contributing constructively to the shared outcomes. Experience of budgeting and working with external suppliers and their software systems for media monitoring and news distribution. Presenting media reports for senior management teams on media coverage and strategy.

Technical

Essential:

Degree level or equivalent qualification, or professional and/or academic qualifications in journalism, media, communications or public relations.
Desirable:

Working knowledge of website platform systems for inputting news content and blogs. Microsoft operating systems A clear understanding of Civil Service / public sector regulations.

Behaviours

Behaviour 1 and Lead Criteria:

Seeing the Big Picture

Behaviour 2:

Communicating and Influencing

Behaviour 3

: Delivering at Pace

Benefits

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Alongside your salary of 51,977, Scottish Forestry contributes 15,057 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

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Selection process details

Complete the application form on the Scottish Forestry Website.



Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:


UK nationals nationals of the Republic of Ireland nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020 Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.



We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

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Contact point for applicants

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Job contact :

Name : Scottish Forestry HR Team Email : sfrecruitment@forestry.gov.scot
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Recruitment team

* Email : sfrecruitment@forestry.gov.scot