Head of Communications

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Job Category  

Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Policy & Political roles)

Job Subcategory  

Communications, Press and Media

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)  

To manage the Embassy public diplomacy effort and wider media relations.

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve?:

Media Management

The main responsibilities are to take forward the Embassy public diplomacy effort at a time when we are re-invigorating the bilateral relationship.  This will include designing and delivering the communications strategy.  The job holder will also be responsible for developing and maintaining high-level contact with a broad range of journalists and media representatives, including producers and managers.

In addition, the incumbent also assists with Embassy outreach, organising programmes for UK official visitors and experts, drafting press releases and press reports, coordinating press conferences and interviews and implementing the Embassy’s outreach programmes.  The ability to draft clearly and concisely under short deadlines is a key skill as well as being able to interprete and translate when necessary.

Public Diplomacy

Helping promote the UK in Argentina is an important part of this role.  There are longstanding positive links with the UK and much interest in British culture.  A key challenge is to improve understanding of the UK among targeted groups using social media and convential media channels.  The jobholder will lead on the strategic planning of communications and public diplomacy actions, again advising on the local political situation, for project work, visits, targeted public diplomacy activities and other ad hoc events related to the Post’s country business plan.  They will have the supervisory responsibility for the Embassy website, facebook page and twitter accounts.

Political 

This is a high pressure role explaining UK pplicy to the Argentine media which requires sensitive and often speedy responses.  At times evening media reports will be required along with short updates on fast moving issues.  The jobholder will need to be able to analyse as well as advise on the Argentine media environment.  In addition an indepth knowledge of the UK and of the local media environment (domestic political, economic and social) enabling them to provide political advice and sound judgement on key topics. 

Essential qualifications and experience  

Fluent in both English and Spanish – written and spoken.

3 years of experience in a press related agency, media outlet or communications and public affairs areas.

Knowledge of Argentine media sector, including social networking and various messaging systems.

Required competencies  

Leading and Communicating, Collaborating and Partnering, Delivering at Pace, Engaging Internationally

Application deadline  

23 October 2016

Grade  

C4 (L)

Type of Position  

Full-time, Permanent

Working hours per week  

35

Region  

Latin America and Spanish speaking Caribbean

Country/Territory  

Argentina

Location (City)  

Buenos Aires

Type of Post  

British Embassy

Number of vacancies  

1

Starting monthly salary (ARS)  

60,821

Start Date  

22 November 2016

Additional information  

Some flexible working patterns can be considered, however the nature of the job requires a flexible approach to working hours and there will be some out of hours working required (eg due to the rolling news cycle).