Job Description

We are looking for a digital communications expert to devise strategies and policies and lead programmes to ensure we always use the right platforms in the right ways, to communicate effectively with our audiences and achieve our corporate goals. 

Your first challenge in this demanding role will be leading a project to redevelop our corporate website and reform our content policies and processes, so they’re appropriate for a modern organisation. 

We are the independent body which oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK.  In this role you’ll contribute to ensuring the UK’s elections are well-run and the public have confidence in democratic processes. 

Main responsibilities

Devise strategies and lead programmes to develop digital communications platforms and systems, including websites, social media, blog and email, being accountable for aligning these with our corporate goals and securing buy-in from senior stakeholders. 

Establish and implement digital content governance processes and policies for our corporate website and be accountable for ensuring colleagues at all levels, including senior managers, comply with these. 

Be accountable for the accuracy and quality of content on our voter-facing website and ensuring technical systems interact effectively in the back-end, deciding on actions to resolve issues and continuously improve this. 

Be accountable for ensuring we have the right provisions in place to safeguard and ensure the continued running of our websites and take decisions to resolve issues, in particular around high profile electoral events. 

Devise strategies and be accountable for implementing innovations to continuously improve our channels and content, including adopting a ‘test and learn’ approach, using search engine optimisation techniques across our websites and developing a digital roadmap for our platforms. 

Take ownership of procurement processes and managing relationships with external agencies, suppliers and other third parties, being accountable for their performance and deciding on actions to address issues. 

Be a strategic adviser to others who are responsible for work with digital elements to it, ensuring our approach is coordinated and consistent across different functions. 

Manage a communications officer including objective setting, performance management and being accountable for the quality of the work they deliver. 

The right person for this role will be self-directed, results-driven and be able to establish themselves as the respected authority on digital communications. 

You’ll also need strong influencing and relationship management skills, as you’ll have input on work led by others and you’ll need buy-in from across the organisation to deliver your responsibilities. 

You’ll need to be able to manage multiple projects in an ever changing environment, with foresight and maturity to handle input from others, sometimes at the last minute. 

This is not an IT role but you will work closely with IT colleagues and for specific projects you will report into the Head of ICT. 

The Electoral Commission offers excellent terms and conditions, including flexible working hours and the opportunity to join the Civil Service pension arrangements (dependent on scheme rules) which include a valuable range of benefits. 

To apply for this role please complete the online application, including a supporting statement which outlines how you meet the essential criteria from the person specification in the job description.  The deadline for applications is 11.59pm on Sunday 24 June and interviews will take place from 3-5 July.