Marketing and Communications Officer
Location: York, with occasional UK travel, including overnight stays (some hybrid working possible)
Salary: £23,000 to £26,000
Basis: Permanent, full-time (37 hours per week)
We have an exciting opportunity for a Marketing and Communications Officer to join the team, to help ensure effective communications to a range of audiences, with a particular focus on a teacher and educator audience.
The Marketing and Communications Officer will:
- raise and develop awareness of the range of support available from STEM Learning by skillful tactical choice, using a range of digital and offline channels
- be confident with aspects of digital marketing and communications such as social media, email marketing, data mining, PPC and use of a website CMS
- adhere to agreed business processes, seek continuous improvement and work with colleagues in the team to contribute to regular performance reporting
- contribute to effective cross-working across Marketing and Communications by active collaboration
- have a positive attitude and be able to adapt to shifting priorities if and when required.
We are seeking a dynamic individual with strong digital experience, you will need to have a positive, enthusiastic approach and be used to operating in a fast-paced environment.
The Role
The Marketing and Communications Officer role exists to ensure effective marketing and communication delivery for a range of audiences and programmes.
They will raise and develop awareness of the full range of support available from STEM Learning by skilful tactical choice and use of a range of channels and approaches.
They will adhere to agreed business processes, seek continuous improvement and work with the Lead to compile evidence of effectiveness of activity for regular performance reporting.
They will work effectively with other Officers and the Leads.
They will contribute to effective cross-working across Marketing and Communications by active collaboration.
Key Results / Accountabilities
Manage and deliver marketing and communications activities:
- deliver a full, aligned portfolio of digital and offline marketing, communications and PR activities
- work with colleagues and partners to deliver effective, achievable communication plans
- monitor marketing/communications activities in terms of performance, budget and return on investment
- contribute to continuous evaluation and improvement of marketing/communications activities and support
- monitor competitors and markets and offer evidence of best practice and potential improvements
Shape and execute integrated marketing and communications campaigns:
- deliver powerful, integrated campaigns that promote our organisation, brand and products
- write all content in a confident, compelling and concise style, flexed to each medium
- use data effectively to develop high-impact, personalised marketing/communications
- find ways to improve marketing/communication by distilling and using insight from a range of sources
- leverage existing content, research and events to maximise impact
Deliver a suite of communications support to the STEM Learning network:
- offer effective marketing/communications guidance, advice and training
- share marketing/communications best practice
- continuously evaluate and improve marketing/communications support provided
- monitor the effectiveness of network marketing/communications activities
Manage own performance and collaborate actively with colleagues:
- ensure that own activities are delivered to time, cost and quality to achieve plans and objectives
- make use of feedback and coaching to improve skills and capabilities
- review own performance on a regular basis and contribute positively to performance review process
- collaborate actively with fellow Officers and Leads to share resource and expertise effectively
Other responsibilities:
- ensure data protection, contract and other STEM Learning policies are followed
- act as a ‘voice of the customer’ in the business to ensure we are audience-led
- develop and deliver training to internal and external stakeholders
- represent Marketing and Communications at appropriate events, meetings and committees
- keep professionally updated by undertaking CPD
- undertake other duties that may reasonably be requested
Key Challenges Faced in the Role
Balancing priorities and resources to achieve optimum results, reporting on effectiveness of communications activities and return on investment across different channels and activities.
Cross-working across Marketing and Communications to ensure best use of resources and alignment of approach and messages, leading to optimised promotion of STEM Learning propositions.
Maintaining rapid deployment of fresh, compelling digital content (website, email, social media) to maintain momentum and dynamism for propositions and brands.
Collaborating effectively with stakeholders: management, funders and external partners, including consortium working.
Embedding marketing/communication expertise across STEM Learning through productive working relationships with other departments, working groups and partner organisations.
Our Ideal Candidate
Education/experience: Degree and/or relevant professional qualification and/or a track record of experience in a similar or related role, or equivalent experience acquired through a combination of vocational training and on-the-job experience, demonstrating development over time.
Knowledge and understanding: Familiarity with typical marketing/communications work practices, processes and procedures, ideally including broader commercial awareness. Operational familiarity with a range of relevant systems, platforms, tools and channels. Clear understanding of compliance and good governance in all activities.
Communication skills: Well-developed written and oral communication skills with excellent attention to detail. Good interpersonal skills, ideally able to flex communication style and delivery to the needs of the audience. Skilled at writing compelling, concise copy for a diversity of media. Ability to influence effectively at own level.
Planning and problem-solving: Experience of planning and progressing tactical work activities using initiative and judgement without unnecessary recourse to managers. Strong self-motivation and achievement focus, with proven analytical and problem-solving capabilities. Finds a way forward in challenging circumstances.
Stakeholder management: Strong customer orientation and ability to form effective working relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders. Skilled in advancing a reasoned, evidence-led case for a course of action, and in negotiation. Effective skills in supplier selection and management.
Performance monitoring: Experience in monitoring key marketing/communication metrics, ensuring good cost control and with an ability to diagnose what is working well/less well and the creativity to think of practical operational improvements.
Personal qualities: This role would best suit someone who is positive, conscientious, circumspect and loves to get things done. Well-developed skills in assimilating complex information, making good decisions quickly and working well under deadline pressure. Able to maintain an enthusiastic manner and offer solutions, not problems.
Note: This important role will require flexibility of working pattern to manage the shifting levels of workload
Our Benefits
- 30 days holidays plus bank holidays
- Access to a fantastic pension scheme, where employer contributions are currently 21.4%
- Access to a salary sacrifice and staff benefits scheme including cycle to work scheme; health cash back plans; free eye tests; discounted vouchers
- A comprehensive employee assistance programme
About Us
The National STEM Learning Centre & Network is a key UK resource for supporting STEM teaching and learning through provision of resources, on-line and physical networking and communities and partnership with a wide range of organisations and individuals. This includes driving forward on-going development of the STEM Ambassadors and STEM Clubs programmes alongside subject-specific support for all involved in teaching STEM subjects to young people.
This role is instrumental in ensuring that all schools, colleges, employers and wider partners are aware of and able to make use of the support provided by STEM Learning, so benefitting teachers, technicians, school and college leaders and ultimately young people.
This is an operational role in a fast-paced, constantly evolving environment. The Officer will need to undertake a range of projects in parallel so that we are able to deliver high-impact marketing activities. The role will offer the opportunity for the Officer to gain strong executional experience across all areas of marketing and communications, and to learn from more experienced professionals.
The Officer will ensure that communications activities they manage are focused on the areas where they add most value. The Officer will help to equip network partners to undertake effective marketing and promotion whilst adhering to brand guidelines, compliance and best practice.
Next Steps
To Apply
Please submit:
- Your up-to-date CV, including your full postal address, email and contact telephone number.
- A covering letter (no more than the equivalent of 2 sides of A4) explaining your interest in the role.
- Contact details of two referees, including your current/most recent employer (please note, references will not be approached without your permission).