Head of Communications - West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
37.5
1
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, Birkenshaw, BD11 2DY
Permanent
£54,775 per annum rising to £57,623 per annum after a qualifying period.

Kirklees Council are advertising this role on behalf of West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Shortlisting/assessment

30 May with interviews/assessment panel week commencing Monday 5 June 2023

Are you a strategic and creative thinker who is passionate about making a difference to people’s lives? Then we want to hear from you as we seek a talented Head of Communications to join our Senior Management Team.

Working with us at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service you will be making a difference to people’s lives every day; whether that’s preventing fire tragedy through engaging behaviour campaigns, by promoting our innovative organisation or managing media at major incidents.

Reporting to the Deputy Chief Fire Officer, you will lead the Corporate Communications team and be responsible for all forms of communications, marketing campaigns, media management, digital communications, and social media engagement. You will also provide guidance on all communications and public affairs matters to colleagues throughout the organisation.

You will be a strong and inspiring leader with a proven record of proactively managing impactful campaigns, crisis communications, internal change communications and promoting positive culture. You will have a strong team ethic and outstanding leadership skills. Strong people skills, resilience and an organised approach are essential as the role demands pragmatism in a challenging and changing environment.

So, if you have a talent for leading communications and public relations to change behaviours for the better, and are driven by championing equity, diversity, and inclusivity, then please come and help us achieve our goals here.

About our organisation:

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) has been rated as ‘Good’ at our most recent HMICFRS inspection. We are one of the largest metropolitan brigades in the country – serving communities in Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Huddersfield, and beyond. We cover urban inner-cities through to some of the most spectacular wild moors and countryside in the UK.

As we stride towards our vision of making West Yorkshire safer by developing an emergency service which is fit for the future, we are undergoing the biggest ever service-wide transformation and modernisation. This includes digital and data transformation, culture and behaviour change, and an innovative rebuilding programme which is putting inclusivity at the centre of our estate.

A fundamental change programme is also underway in how we deliver corporate communications and engagement to build trust and confidence in our communities. Communications as a strategic function now sits at the heart of the organisation and is aligned to the first ever standard for public sector communications where measuring data and impact is central to all that we do. See: Fire Standard for Communications and Engagement.

A recent review of the communications function, undertaken by industry leading communications specialists, has resulted in a raft of recommendations as the service continues its transformation in this area. It will be the remit of the new Head of Communications to build on these recommendations, including our planned restructure of resources.

There is now a service-wide recognition of the need for an inclusive approach to communications and engagement and the role it plays in contributing to our service’s positive culture and working environment.

What the job entails:

As Head of Communications, you will play a crucial role delivering and embedding our communications and engagement strategy to support the work of WYFRS.

Key to this role is ensuring WYFRS’ vision, strategic objectives, and any information it needs to share are delivered in a way that is understandable and accessible to all through tailored communications and engagement approaches to suit our multiple audiences.

Insight and engagement are now driving our community risk management planning so we can better understand and engage with the most vulnerable and in need in our communities. Our communications’ activity needs to add value here by using effective techniques to connect with our communities, enabling our services to target those who most need our help, as we work to prevent and protect people from danger.

To achieve this aim, you will develop clear strategic messaging; maximise our reach; and energise our stakeholder network and audience engagement through impactful campaigns. These will be delivered through a mixture of events and strategic partnerships including with other public sector organisations, the voluntary and community sector and engagement with media/trade press.

As with all roles in the service, there will be a focus on working collaboratively, both internally and with colleagues and stakeholders locally and nationally. You will have the chance to collaborate closely with teams from different departments leading on a variety of areas, from health challenges to climate change, from diversity and inclusion to community engagement. As such, this role offers plenty of scope for development and building contact networks.

Your work will be varied and demanding so you will need to be initiative-taking, and a strategist with the ability to bring different priorities and objectives together into a coherent narrative. You will bring with you several years of professional communications/ marketing experience, with proven ability to create and drive content, including writing articles and thought leadership blogs. The ideal candidate will have experience planning and delivering impactful digital content and campaigns.

You will be expected to develop an understanding of the broader operating context in the UK (media, economic, political, cultural), using insight and evaluation to understand relevant audiences, identify opportunities and messaging, and to develop, implement and evaluate campaign plans with your team.

What will the jobholder be expected to achieve?

Campaign Strategy and Delivery:

  • Work closely with senior leadership to shape, plan and deliver a campaign strategy to promote WYFRS in support of service-wide objectives.
  • Actively build relationships with teams across the organisation, locally and in the UK, to shape a joined-up communications narrative, working closely together with the National Fire Chiefs’ Council (NFCC) communications team and through FirePRO.
  • Lead with clarity and purpose: Provide line management to two Marketing and Communications Managers and oversee the team’s activities, as well as supporting regional and national campaigns to ensure these are adequately adapted to our audiences.

Strategic Communications and Content:

  • Provide high-level strategic communications advice to the Directors of Service including the Chief Fire Officer and other senior officials (including the chair of West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority) in line with priority campaigns, including briefing, interviews, speeches.
  • Create up-to-date and compelling content, including writing articles, opinion pieces and digital content.
  • Ensure a pipeline of key messages, success stories and focal points for activity / milestones across priority campaigns.

Engagement:

  • Lead internal capacity building through sharing expertise and knowledge to improve awareness and capability amongst colleagues with regards to communications and campaign best practice.
  • Develop strategic partnerships and maintain a network of stakeholders to ensure a clear understanding of the activity at the heart of your campaigns. This might include Group, Station and Watch Managers and heads of other enabling services, through to journalists, policy, strategy, and data officials’ other partners.

Essential qualifications, skills, and experience  

  • Degree and/or professional background in communications, marketing, public relations, journalism, and hold a CIPR or CIM qualification or be able to evidence equivalent experience.
  • Five to 10 years professional communications experience and a strong understanding of UK national, regional, and local media/wider communications environment.
  • Strong digital content and marketing skills.
  • Ability to engage with stakeholders effectively and credibly, including the ability to influence at the most senior level of business and the media.
  • Excellent writing skills, to provide clear, concise briefing and proven ability to draft articles and opinion pieces.
  • Leadership/management experience.
  • Ability to work across multiple teams and with partners based in various locations.
  • Evidence of strong relationship and account management skills and a demonstrated ability to think strategically.
  • Strong organisational and time management skills.
  • Initiative-taker – proactive with the ability to work well on own.
  • Commitment to being part of a diverse and engaged team: All staff are expected to contribute to the wider objectives and have personal values that are aligned to those of the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Required behaviours

  • Being able to see the bigger picture
  • Ability to make effective decisions
  • Ability to deliver at pace
  • Communicating and influencing
  • Collaborative approach

Benefits

We offer flexible working arrangements which include hybrid working which means that you will be able to work from home where appropriate. Therefore, applicants must also have a car available for work purposes with valid insurance and a reliable home internet connection.

We offer an excellent package, including Local Government Pension Scheme, free parking, 37-hour flexible working week, an employee assistance programme, training and development, sports, and social clubs with free use of gym.

We offer excellent opportunities for learning and development and actively encourage our employees to seek continuous professional development through a variety of training packages.

We are a caring organisation, promote an environment of inclusivity and learning and welcome people from all backgrounds.

Additional information  

Please note that the deadline for applications is 23:55 on Monday 29th May 2023. We advise you to allow enough time to complete and submit your full application, since only applications completed and submitted before the deadline will be considered.

Please also be advised that WYFRS will not be able to meet the travel costs incurred when travelling to the interview, nor the costs connected with relocation if offered a job.

29 May 2023, 11:55 PM

Important Information

This vacancy is closed to applications.