Communications & Marketing Officer

Responsible to: Chief Executive

Salary: £29,000 to £30,160

Hours: 35 hours per week

Term: Permanent

Location: Remote

About Forces Children Scotland

Forces Children Scotland supports children & young people from serving, reservist and veteran families across Scotland to realise their potential and thrive. We work with children and young people to co-produce services and projects to overcome their unique challenges to mental health and wellbeing, education and learning and important transitions.

Our approach to working with children and young people

Forces Children Scotland is committed to taking a children’s rights-based approach to all aspects of our work from planning to service delivery. This means we strive to ensure our work is grounded in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Engaging in co-production with children and young people can help ensure their right to participate in matters affecting them is meaningfully upheld and implemented.

Purpose of Job

To develop and deliver communications projects, services and campaigns which support the delivery of our mission. To take the lead on enhancing our website, bringing capability of design for digital and publications in-house, and producing assets across our platforms and channels. To tell the story of our work, the impact it has on forces children and young people, equipping colleagues with the communications and marketing tools to help deliver upon our strategic plans.

Responsibilities and Duties

1. Communications and brand
   1. Develop and deliver communications projects, services and campaigns
   2. Be a champion and steward of our brand
2. Manage and maintain website
   1. Responsible for both the back-end and front-end CMS development (WordPress)
   2. Optimise site performance and accessibility (SEO best practices)
   3. Liaise on technical enhancements
3. In-House Design
   1. All in-house design for digital content and publication development
   2. Asset production and channel optimisation of content for socials
4. Internal co-operation and external collaboration
   1. To raise awareness of the experiences and voices of children and young people from armed forces families across a wide range of audiences.
   2. Enable policy, participation, services and fundraising colleagues to achieve objectives through an effective communications function
   3. Work in partnership with colleagues in the military, voluntary, children’s sectors, and local communities, in order to tell our story.
5. General
   1. Represent Forces Children Scotland externally, to the press and at events or forums as required.
   2. To monitor and evaluate activities against agreed outcomes.
   3. To liaise closely with other Forces Children Scotland staff in supporting the aims and objectives of the organisation.
   4. Carry out any other duties commensurate with the post as identified by your line manager.

Person Specification

Skills and Experience

QUALIFICATIONS

A relevant qualification, to degree level or equivalent, in a discipline related to communications, or equivalent work experience.

EXPERIENCE (ESSENTIAL)

• Experience of working on the back-end and front-end of websites
• Experience of CMS and SEO
• Experience of designing digital content and publications with e.g. Canva and Adobe
• Experience of managing social media channels
• Experience of working in a collaborative, inter-agency, inter-disciplinary way
• Experience of living the values as part of an organisation

EXPERIENCE (DESIRABLE)

• Understanding of the issues affecting Armed Forces Children and Young People and their families.
• Experience of working in the voluntary sector.
• Evidence to demonstrate the capability to co-produce resources alongside participation colleagues.

KNOWLEDGE (ESSENTIAL)

• Knowledge of website industry trends, CMS and design principles to establish functionality and appearance.
• Knowledge of best practice around in-house design for digital content and publication development.
• Effective social media performance management.
• What successful brand stewardship looks like.

SKILLS

• Excellent organiser with good verbal and written skills, and the ability to communicate clearly.
• Have the ability to work on a people-first basis, whilst following processes which give us a proportionate level of structure to our work.
• Willingness to commit to our desired work culture and role model the expected behaviours.
• Effective internal and external collaborator with excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to develop and maintain positive relationships with colleagues, as well as children and young people, parents, carers, and other professionals.

Commitment to and understanding of:

• Children’s rights
• Co-production
• Working in partnership with young people, empowering them to make decisions about their own lives.

Additional information

Pension Scheme

Forces Children Scotland offers a Pension Plan, with Smart Pension. The Plan is a money purchase arrangement. You can choose at what rate you wish to contribute (subject to statutory minimums) with Forces Children Scotland contributing up to 4% of gross salary.

Employee benefits

Access to ‘Health Assured’ Employee Assistance Platform.

Annual Leave

Forces Children Scotland’s leave year runs from 1 April to 31 March. Employees are entitled to 36 days of annual leave (including public holidays). These allowances are pro-rated for part-time employees.

TOIL

TOIL is provided for work undertaken over normal contracted hours.

Selection Process

The closing date for applications is 5pm on Monday 17 March 2025.

For an informal discussion, please contact Steven Sweeney, Chief Executive – steven.sweeney@forceschildrenscotland.org.uk

Please complete our Application Form and Regulated Work Declaration as part of the selection process.

Application Form Regulated Work Declaration

We kindly request that you also send in a child-friendly version of your application setting out your values, skills, and experiences that make you a suitable candidate for these roles.

The format could be written, a graphic, a short film, or a picture, and should be suitable for review by a 14-17 year old.

Two-stage interviews are anticipated to be held on Tuesday 25 March 2025 (online) and Tuesday 1 April 2025 (in-person).

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact admin@forceschildrenscotland.org.uk.