News Manager

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Job Description

West Midlands Police is recruiting a News Manager to join the Corporate Communications team to support corporate proactive and reactive news across the organisation.

Job purpose

Working to agile and flexible practices within designated communication areas, in support of organisational strategic and operational priorities.

Reporting to the Head of News, this role will be responsible for:

• Prioritising the force's vision and values and focus on building trust, confidence and legitimacy with audiences and communities
• Working with multiple teams across the department and wider organisation to design and deliver communication strategies, plans and activities which deliver maximum reach and impact
• Promoting the organisational brand and reputation among key stakeholders
• Developing and managing effective relationships with key internal and external stakeholders including media, influencers and partners
• Managing risk and reputational threat to the organisation by identifying areas of risk, seeking the right people to liaise with and writing timely communications strategies to minimise harm to the organisation, damage within our communities and protecting the integrity of ongoing investigations
• Delivery of reactive and proactive communications engagement on complex and wide-ranging issues across multiple communication channels to reach target audiences
• Managing, coaching and developing staff
• Representing the department at strategic meetings, including Gold meetings, and offering guidance and expert advice
• Organising and attending meetings and events when required and on occasion work outside normal hours if needed
• Undertake other duties which are consistent with the nature, responsibilities and grading of the role as when required

Main duties and responsibilities:

• Develop, manage and implement reactive and proactive communication strategies, plans and activities which deliver maximum reach, impact and measurable outcomes.
• Align communication activity to support organisational priorities, build trust and confidence and protect the brand and reputation of WMP, maintaining the corporate identity of the force and providing guardianship for its quality and consistent use
• Proactively identify areas of risk and criticism and provide advice to senior leaders on the management of media to minimise adverse reporting/reputational harm
• Provide senior leaders and others with operational briefings on the media's position/reporting on priority issues
• Develop and manage effective relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, including media, influencers and partners, based on honesty, authority and credibility
• Use insight to identify and reach target audiences, and inform media handling proposals and channel strategy
• Monitor, measure and evaluate communication activity and plans
• Provide dedicated communications support and guidance to major and serious and organised crime departments
• Manage media communications for operational activity of CTP WM CTU, WM ROCU and CMPG
• Represent the department and the force as a senior subject matter expert on communications
• Proactive and reactive media handling, including placing stories in a strategic way to reach target audiences and managing the provision and support of senior spokespeople in media opportunities
• Engage with journalists proactively and have the confidence and ability to effectively brief to shape and contextualise stories, and prevent or correct inaccurate coverage
• Manage effective news engagement on social media platforms
• Work in partnership with communications colleagues from all disciplines to ensure consistent, creative, strategic external communications across channels and audiences.
• To work creatively and innovatively to seek out new opportunities and channels to maximise the force's internal and external engagement opportunities
• Be a thematic lead/SPOC for identified organisational priorities and areas of focus
• Manage, coach and mentor staff, creating a professional environment and promoting achievement orientated teams which have the correct skills, competencies and resources to deliver
• Review and approve other communications colleagues' (managers and officers) work for accuracy of both content, tone, and style.
• To deal with distressing material that forms the basis of investigations and prosecutions, and ensure that material is dealt with and shared in a sensitive and professional manner when dealing with the victims, their families and the whole spectrum of other interested parties in this process
• Being aware of and managing the welfare of other team members' emotional resilience
• Establishing effective monitoring and evaluation processes and using them to assess risk and opportunities, evaluate the effectiveness of approach
• Work with the Strategy and Insights Manager to analyse and apply audience insight on which communication channels perform best
• To cover any other duties commensurate with the post.

Qualifications/Experience

Essential:

• Significant experience of designing and implementing communication plans and campaigns and measuring the outcomes
• Display high level of tact, diplomacy and emotional intelligence in the strategic management of highly sensitive information when working with external partners
• Good team working skills demonstrating awareness of individual differences and providing support as required
• Experience of managing staff and being accountable for their performance
• Proven writing and communications skills to senior journalist level, including knowledge of media law
• Filming and editing experience for real-time visual content
• Experience of using social media and other digital based engagement effectively
• The ability to work calmly and accurately under pressure, managing multiple deadlines and deliver results through effective planning and organising of work
• Up to date knowledge of best practice in media and communications and media law
• The post holder is responsible for their own self development on a continuous basis and awareness of developments in the industry
• Comprehensive and deep understanding of the Force's data management systems to ensure accurate information about the status of investigations is given in a timely manner and mitigates the risk posed to investigations and the reputation of WMP
• Ability to demonstrate the highest levels of integrity on account of regular full access to the detail of many of the Force's most sensitive investigations and organisational/reputational issues
• Display high levels of emotional resilience and awareness both at a personal level and on behalf of other colleagues within the team on account of the often distressing nature of the material handled in carrying out the role

Probationary Policy:

Under the Probation Policy, if you are currently in your probation period, "during your probationary period you will not be permitted to apply for alternative police staff roles within the Force unless there are exceptional circumstances. In such cases, you would require the support of your line manager prior to applying for alternative roles, and if successful, your probationary period will start over."-Policies - Probation Period (Police Staff) (wmpad.local)

Hours and Location

The team works an 11 week rota within the core hours (07.30-15.30 or 10.30-18:30). The team work two weekends (08.30-17.00) within that 11 weeks - there is weekend allowance for these days (the weekend allowance is 4.18%) - during these weeks you would have requisite rest days in return. The role is based in Lloyd House, Birmingham - there will be a requirement for travel across the force due to the nature of the role.

Vetting

Successful applicants will be required to pass Management Vetting and Counter Terrorism Clearance scrutiny prior to commencing their role, this will include a full background & financial disclosure as part of the vetting process.

Medical

Appointment to this role will be dependent upon successfully completing medical checks, which may include a drugs test.

Contact

For further information please contact Sarah Astbury on sarah.astbury@westmidlands.police.uk

Prospective officers and staff must be held to a higher standard of behaviour and accountability than members of the public, and that therefore their right to privacy can be fettered in certain circumstances. This is to ensure that members of the police are fully aware and accountable for the unique powers entrusted to them and the standards of professional behaviour they swear to uphold.

West Midlands Police is a Disability Confident Leader - the highest level an organisation can achieve under the scheme run by the Department of Work and Pensions. As part of our commitment we operate a 'Disability Confident Interview Scheme' - all candidates who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role will be offered an interview.

It is important to note that there may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled people who meet the essential criteria for the job. For example: in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. In these circumstances, the employer could select the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job, as they would do for non-disabled applicants.

"Diversity and Inclusion Vision: Maximise the potential of people from all backgrounds through a culture of fairness and inclusion to deliver the best service for our communities"

About Us

West Midlands Police is the second largest police force in the country, covering an area of 348 square miles and serving a population of almost 2.8 million.

The region sits at the very heart of the country and covers the three major centres of Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton. It also includes the busy and thriving districts of Sandwell, Walsall, Solihull and Dudley. Leisure, retail and conference amenities, together with Premiership and Championship football teams, attract millions of visitors annually.

The West Midlands is an area rich in diversity, with 18 per cent of its population from ethnic minority backgrounds.

An average of 170,000 motorists travel through the region daily, making its motorways some of the busiest in Europe.

Against this backdrop, the force deals with more than 2,000 emergency calls for help every day, as well as patrolling the streets and responding to incidents 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week.