Communications Officer – telling our stories, shaping our future
Clear, trusted communication has never been more important. In a fast moving digital world, we need to ensure our messages cut through - helping people feel informed, supported and connected to the place they live.
Currently, Cotswold District Council is collaborating with other councils across Gloucestershire as part of an exciting, once in a generation programme of Local Government Reorganisation, bringing new challenges and opportunities to engage our residents, staff and stakeholders.
But as we prepare for this future, we continue to deliver vital services that matter to our communities today from planning for sustainable growth and improving recycling and waste services, to tackling climate change, supporting residents through the cost of living, and working with partners to promote health and wellbeing. Strong, creative communication is essential to in bringing this all to life.
We’re now looking for a proactive and creative Communications Officer to help tell these stories producing engaging, high-quality digital content that connects with our audiences.
About the role
As a Communications Officer, you’ll play a hands-on role in supporting the delivery of effective, engaging communications across a variety of channels. This will include a strong focus on digital content creation - including video, social media and visual storytelling.
You’ll work with colleagues across the council to support campaigns, create high-impact content, support media activity and deliver communications that promote the council’s priorities and keep our audiences informed.
This is a varied and rewarding role in a supportive team, ideal for someone who enjoys working at pace, has a strong creative instinct, and is confident bringing stories to life through digital formats.
This role is full time but for a fixed term up until March 31st 2028.
You will be:
- A proactive self-starter who enjoys turning ideas into engaging content
- A clear and effective communicator, both written and verbal
- Creative, with a strong eye for visual design, storytelling and audience engagement
- Confident working across digital platforms, with a strong understanding of what works online and experience creating digital content, including video and social media assets
- Curious about audiences and motivated to continually improve how we communicate
- Comfortable managing a varied workload and delivering to deadlines
- Collaborative, with the ability to build positive working relationships
What you’ll be doing:
- Supporting the delivery of communications plans and campaigns
- Creating engaging digital content, including video, social media and web content
- Planning, filming and editing video content to support campaigns and storytelling
- Managing and growing engagement across digital channels
- Supporting media relations, including drafting press releases and handling enquiries
- Supporting internal communications to keep staff informed and aligned
- Working with colleagues and partners to promote key projects and services
- Assisting with events and campaign activity, including digital coverage
- Monitoring performance and using insight to refine and improve content
You’ll need:
- The ability and skills to create engaging digital content, including video and social media
- Strong storytelling skills, with the ability to adapt content for different platforms and audiences
- Good technical skills in content creation tools (e.g. video editing, social media platforms)
- Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities
- An understanding of digital channels, analytics and audience engagement
- Good stakeholder and relationship management skills
- The ability to use insight and data to improve communications activity
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- A genuine interest in how creative communications can support communities and services
Why join us?
This is a great opportunity to develop your communications career in a team where your ideas are valued and your work has real impact.
You’ll be part of a forward-thinking organisation, working on projects that matter locally, while contributing to wider change across Gloucestershire.
If you’re looking for a role where you can build your skills, work on a wide range of activity, and help people stay informed and engaged - we’d love to hear from you.
For more information about this role please see the Job Description/Person Specification.
We are rightly proud of the businesses, communities and residents who live in this beautiful part of the world, putting them first and at the heart of everything we do. We’re busy recreating a council set up for success, which can deliver for the needs of our communities in a fast-changing environment. That means we need to be ‘fleet of foot’ and look for innovative and creative ways to deliver against our Corporate Plan priorities.
Accredited of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies - Please state this within your covering statement or in a separate email.
Our organisation is committed to meeting its statutory and moral duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people under 18 years of age and adults at risk who are the recipients of its services and/or activities.
Safer recruitment practices are applied to all job vacancies. Successful candidates will be required to complete a pre-employment medical questionnaire; provide references; proof of identity; nationality and immigration status; three years’ employment or education history (if applicable) and, in some cases, verification of criminal record.
