Support worker jobs in islington, greater london

Senior Communications Manager

Salary: up to £45k 

Term: Permanent 

Line manager: Head of Policy and Advocacy 

Background:

Our vision is a world where data is at the heart of understanding and decision-making 

Founded in 1834, the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) is one of the world’s leading organisations advocating for the importance of statistics and data. We’re a professional body for all statisticians and data scientists – wherever they may live. 

We have more than 12,000 individual members in the UK and across the world. As a charity, we advocate for the key role of statistics and data in society, and work to ensure that policy formulation and decision making are informed by evidence for the public good. 

The membership of the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) constitutes a preeminent source of statistical expertise. Members work with RSS staff to support our work across areas such as policy development, education, training, statistical communication, and statistical literacy. Communicating what we do is important to ensure that our work has impact, and that our members are informed. 

Job Purpose:

The main purpose of this role is to lead and coordinate communications activities across the Society’s policy and external affairs activities, ensuring that our work is communicated strategically and visible to appropriate audiences.

Key responsibilities:

Understanding opportunities and the changing external environment  

• Develop our understanding of the preferences and needs of our key internal and external audiences to better align our policy and external affairs communications to those preferences and needs. 
• Monitor and respond to emerging trends to ensure our communications channels and content for policy and external affairs remain timely and relevant.
• Build a network of key contacts across critical and adjacent organisations to maximise potential routes into influencing decision-making and make the best use of resources through collaborative working. 

Development of strategies and plans

• Lead on strategic communication of the Society’s campaign priorities
• Contribute to the development of the Society’s communications strategy across media, social media and communications planning.
• Work closely with colleagues across the organisation to maximise the communications value of the Society’s key policy and external affairs outputs and activities.
• Contribute to costed plans for communications campaigns that meet key strategic goals and include monitoring for impact.

Media relations

• Lead on the Society’s media relations work – proactively identify and exploit appropriate media opportunities to promote campaign priorities, drafting media statements and managing launches and announcements.
• Develop and maintain relationships with journalists across our key topic areas and respond to press queries. 
• Expertly advise, assist and brief the Society’s key spokespeople in respect of media relations issues and opportunities. 
• Manage, and develop the Society’s statistical ambassador scheme, supporting individuals and ensuring we have a pipeline of spokespeople that reflects the diversity of the data professions.

Content creation and editorial

• Develop communications content including blogs, press statements, posts and thought pieces to communicate our campaigns and policy work. 
• Contribute to the operation of the Society’s social media accounts, working with wider staff to ensure we are reflecting the breadth of the Society’s activities across the various platforms.
• Produce write-ups of events and roundtables.

External affairs

• Work with the CEO and Head of Policy and Advocacy to identify and develop relationships with external stakeholders, both UK-based and international and across government, civil society, academia and business, acting as a convenor, trusted advisor and critical friend. 
• Lead on the Society’s statistical excellence awards programme, including developing and maintaining relationships with awards sponsors to ensure the awards are both impactful and financially sustainable.
• Lead on the planning and delivery of policy focused events 
• Support the publication, launch and dissemination of relevant outputs across the policy team, and work with colleagues to ensure relevant and timely and communication of policy positions to support policy and advocacy objectives. 
• Maintain a database of relevant stakeholders.

Management

• Monitor and report on progress and performance against targets. 
• Project manage campaigns, external affairs and communications activities, ensuring that work is appropriate, of high quality, and sufficient volume to maintain presence and reputation. 
• Manage the budget for the communications function.

Interfaces with other teams and groups 

• Contribute to a cross-RSS communications group to share comms plans and outputs and identify opportunities for synergy and collaboration. 
• Provide support to key Society groups, for example the Campaigns Advisory Group. 
• Work with staff responsible for business development to pursue sponsorship opportunities where appropriate. 
• Engage with teams across the organisation to identify comms opportunities to advance our campaign priorities.

Person Specification

• Significant relevant experience in media relations and external affairs 
• Excellent written / oral communication skills, including writing, editing, sub-editing and proofreading 
• Excellent organisation, project and budget management skills
• Ability to work effectively, managing multiple projects and deadlines and reprioritising and achieving results in a changing environment.
• Ability to work on own initiative, escalating issues where appropriate. 
• Experience organising events in a policy context 
• Strong interpersonal skills: ability to persuade, inspire, influence, achieve results through others. 
• Collaborative team worker: proven ability to work efficiently and effectively with colleagues, committees, volunteers, and people with a wide range of perspectives, and to foster consensus. 
• Ability to establish and develop an extensive network of external contacts in the industry.
• Work closely with members of the Society who provide expert support on a voluntary basis including the President and Vice-President for External Affairs.

Desirable

• Interest in or experience of statistics, research, or other aspects of the Society’s work 
• Familiarity with developments within data science, statistics, machine learning, AI and related subject areas. 
• Experience working with volunteers. 
• Scientific background or experience. 

Working for the RSS

Pension and benefits

Our defined contribution pension scheme can be joined after three months in post. Your contributions of up to 8% of salary will be double matched by the Society (making a maximum contribution by the Society of 16%). A training budget, season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme and employee assistance programme are also available. 

Location

The RSS office is in central London. We offer flexible working arrangements, and this is a hybrid role with a minimum two days a week working in the office. In person attendance for certain meeting is required, including all-staff / team meetings and governance / committee meetings that take place in person. Limited travel within the UK and internationally may be required.

Working hours

35 per week full-time. Applications for job shares, part-time and flexible working will also be considered. The post-holder will be the point of contact for any out-of-office hours press queries. 

Holidays

25 days per annum, plus bank holidays and an additional shut down between Christmas and New Year. 

Probation

This post is subject to a six-month probation period.

How to apply:

Applications should be sent to via email and be in the form of a supporting statement telling us:  

• Why you should be considered for the role and how it fits with your career
• How your skills and experience align with the person specification  

Please also send us your CV.

Note that applications by CV-only will not be considered. We may arrange interviews before the deadline has passed. Any questions about the role should also be sent via email. If you are interested in applying but cannot do so until nearer the deadline, please email us to register your interest.