Communications Officer

Role purpose

The purpose of this role is to support and maintain internal and external communications with project and business counterparts, implementing agencies, service providers and assist to execute the communications strategy, maintain project documentation including metrics.

About us

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. We do this by making a positive contribution to the UK and the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust.

We work with over 100 countries across the world in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Each year we reach over 20 million people face-to-face and more than 500 million people online, via broadcasts and publications. Founded in 1934, we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body.

Function overview:

Marketing at the British Council is a strategic function which drives awareness, understanding and engagement with us across our diverse audiences. We use insight, knowledge and analysis of our market and our customers to engage them with the British Council’s international cultural relations mission, our products and services in the most impactful and effective way. We lead the development of our brand and use our expertise to tell inspiring stories to enhance our global reputation, build lifelong relationships, engage our staff and prove the impact of what we do.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Marketing Directorate plays an essential role in helping us to make a positive contribution to the UK and the communities where we work - 17 dynamic and diverse countries in MENA. The Directorate is driving an approach to marketing excellence through an integrated team of marketing professionals that include specialists working in communications, insights and analysis, marketing performance and digital communications. The work is varied, challenging and rewarding, and supports a portfolio of work in English language teaching services, examinations and professional qualifications, education programmes, and arts and society initiatives.

To join this high functioning team, we are looking for candidates who are adaptive and innovative. Prepared to think differently, drive value and demonstrate high levels of expertise and professionalism. They will be dedicated to growing the impact and reputation of the British Council and work seamlessly across many countries, supporting the requirements of multiple business units.

Main opportunities/challenges for this role:

Support implementation of the regional marketing strategy by performing communications activities for our programmes and services, contributing to the overall country, regional and global strategic objectives for the British Council in a flexible, cost-effective way.

Supporting to produce innovative content for online marketing campaigns, social media and country websites aimed at creating and maintaining a vibrant community of people interested in our programmes and services.

Increase digital engagement with our target audiences and establish a two-way communication where we will learn more about their online behaviour, browsing patterns, interests and development goals. 

Main Accountabilities:

Country communication strategy

• Assist to ensure compliance of activities with communication strategy by following communication principles and guidelines.
• Develop promotional messages in consultation with the project team.
• Participate in developing and evaluating feasibility, efficiency and quality communication materials for local markets.
• Assist in coordinating communication activities and events of the project and partners.
• Assist in conducting reputation raising activities, events etc. for target audiences.
• Participate in visits for showcasing and achievements – these include media, VIP visits.
• Dissemination of communication materials to relevant stakeholders at a country level.
• Review material regularly, based on feedback if possible.
• Maintain library system for press cuttings, monitor cuttings and report.

Consultancy, analysis & problem-solving

• Applies analytical approaches to identify and assess current state of country communications, define opportunities for improvement, develop and implement agreed projects and initiatives, ensuring consistency with cluster communications strategies, plans and approaches and global strategy where appropriate.
• Develops appropriate communications initiatives and interventions to support cluster marketing strategy, country business needs, aligned to global and regional communications strategies, plans and approaches.
• Prepare complex information clearly, producing tailored presentations, about the case for cluster communications initiatives.

Internal customer focus

• Builds an in-depth understanding of the country operational context, opportunities and challenges for communications.
• Makes appropriate linkages to issues across the broader organisation and cluster, to ensure that the development of communications projects and initiatives is based on informed business insight and joined-up thinking.
• Proactively seeks internal customer and other stakeholder feedback to monitor satisfaction with the standard of communications/media relations and PR advice and business support provided, enabling improvements to be made where issued are identified.

Service improvement

• Executes the communications projects and initiatives in the country.
• Ensures consistent application of agreed global communications and brand standards, templates and processes.
• Monitors impact and effectiveness of country communications projects and initiatives, and identifies opportunities for improvement.

Functional expertise

• Provides support with communications to internal customers and other stakeholders in the country.
• Executes high quality and effective country communications plans and solutions using established processes, tools and systems to ensure consistency.
• Proactively pursues an annual cycle of formally recognized Continuing Professional Development to maintain and deepen their professional expertise. 

Relationship & stakeholder management

• Actively participates within the Marketing Community of Practice and communications networks.
• Develops peer/personal networks within and outside Marketing to enhance own knowledge and expertise.
• Proactively builds and maintains excellent relationships with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Determines work plans and coordinates input from others (who may be outside the direct management line) to meet specific objectives.

Key Relationships:

Internal

• Country / Cluster Marketing team
• Cluster communications team
• Country Director in cluster
• Regional Marketing Director and leadership team
• Regional Head of Communications
• Director of Communications (Centre of Excellence)
• Global communications team leads
• Country Programme Leads
• Country and cluster leads
• Marketing Community of Practice advocates and members

External

• Country media
• Suppliers
• Partners

Role Requirements:

Threshold requirements:

Passport requirements/ Right to work in country: You must have the right to work in Lebanon

Direct contact or managing staff working with children? No

Notes: Occasional national and international travel and unsocial/evening hours working

Qualifications:

Relevant degree e.g. communications, journalism, marketing, or equivalent level of experience (Minimum/ essential)

Role Specific Knowledge & Experience:

Minimum/ essential

• Experience in a communications officer or assistant position at a national level within a medium or large organisation.
• Demonstrable experience of implementing marketing strategies and plans
• Demonstrable experience in managing supplier relationships
• Experience in a global organisation (desirable)

Role specific skills:

CIM Marketing Competencies

Insights (Level 2)

Identifies and collects information from research and customer feedback as insights

Integrated marketing communications (Level 2)

Contributes to the development of marketing communications campaigns

Delivers integrated marketing communications campaigns using both physical and digital tools

Monitoring and measuring effectiveness (Level 2)

Supports the collection and reporting of measurement data

Supports reviews of marketing activities to identify improvements

British Council Core Skills

Communicating and Influencing (Level 2) - Relates communications to circumstances: Displays good listening, writing and speaking skills, setting out logical arguments clearly and adapting language and form of communication to meet the needs of different people/audiences.

Managing projects (Level 2) – Analyses project data: Examines project data and performance, reporting on progress and recommending corrective action as needed.

Planning and organising (level 1) – Is methodical:

Able to plan own work over short timescales for routine or familiar tasks and processes.

Analysing data and problems (level 1) – Is systematic:

Breaks down problems into a list of tasks to be done and decides on appropriate action.

Managing risk (level 1) - Follows good practice:

Demonstrates understanding of risk management policies and procedures and record of following them.

British Council Behaviours

Connecting with others

Making regular opportunities to understand others better (Essential)

Working together

Establishing a genuinely common goal with others (Essential)

Making it happen 

Delivering clear results for the British Council (Essential)

Assessment stage: Interview