Farming is going through a once-in-a-generation change towards a more sustainable model as part of the UK Government’s Agricultural Transition.
With work on this scale, clear, high-quality and timely communication is essential. The Farming Communications team’s role is to ensure our audiences understand the changes, and to persuade them to join us as we move towards the new farming approach.
Our audiences include farmers, land managers, stakeholders and the general public. Essentially, anyone who is affected by the changes, or who is interested in them.
Your role as Communications Manager in the Farming and Countryside Programme Strategic Communications team will be to deliver high-quality, multi-channel communications campaigns promoting schemes, grants and behaviour change in the farming sector. Your work will contribute to Defra achieving cross-government and departmental outcomes for the environment, economy and food security. Working in collaboration with colleagues from policy and wider Defra group, you will design announcements and communications activity to generate maximum impact and engagement.
You will write effective, engaging and clear products, and cascade them across a range of communication channels – supported by robust insight and evaluation. You will also act as a middle manager, working with the Farming Communications leadership team to maintain a positive, innovative and forward-thinking team culture.
Responsibilities
* Develop and deliver comprehensive, multi-channel communications and campaign plans applying COM-B to strategy development. Set clear evaluation metrics and measures against plans.
* Create and maintain strong internal networks with other teams; to coordinate and project manage delivery of all communications activity, so it is focused on collective goals
* Be a trusted advisor to policy teams and senior leaders, making recommendations according to evidence and insight.
* Line manage and lead a team within farming comms to deliver quality work, manage workloads, foster talent and develop skills.
* Write and coordinate input for strategic briefings, speeches, announcement handling and other communications materials.
* Use your understanding of audiences and keen attention to detail to ensure consistency of language and use of best practice principles at all times, even during large-scale, complex delivery.
* Use horizon scanning, evaluation and insight, including message testing, to ensure your plans and products are as effective as possible.
* Bring energy and fresh ideas to communications delivery challenges and a proactive, problem-solving approach.
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