| Job description | Job title: Digital and Social Media Officer
Contract type: 10-month fixed-term
Location: London with a minimum of 2 days per week in the office in line with our hybrid working policy
Salary: London c£42,262 pro rata per annum (more may be available for exceptional candidates + Civil Service Pension)
Role overview
As the UK’s independent public spending watchdog, the NAO plays an essential role in our democracy. Working for us, you’ll be communicating to key stakeholders including government, Parliamentarians, the media and the public, helping to drive positive change.
This is an opportunity for an exciting and varied communications role, covering for an extended period of leave. In the first five months of the role you will take responsibility for managing and creating content for the NAO’s social media channels. For the remaining five months you will focus on specific improvement projects related to social media and other areas of communications.
Main purpose of the role
The Digital and Social Media Officer is responsible for planning, creating and managing social media content across the NAO’s channels, with LinkedIn as the main focus, and supporting NAO spokespeople with their use of social media.
You will also support wider communications activity, such as content production for web and e-mail marketing campaigns.
The role sits in our Communications team and reports to the Senior Digital Communications Manager. It is a hands-on delivery role that requires strong editorial judgement, attention to detail and the ability to adapt content for different audiences and platforms.
Main responsibilities
• Plan, write, edit and publish engaging social media content for the NAO’s channels in line with the NAO’s tone, style and priorities.
• Work closely with NAO colleagues at all levels to support their professional use of social media, especially LinkedIn, and strengthen the reach and impact of their work.
• Work with our Design team to commission, develop and deliver social media assets, including video, and create simple assets where appropriate.
• Write and edit other digital content when needed, including content for the NAO website, blogs, e-mail marketing and other publication-related content, in line with the NAO’s tone and style.
• Use social media tools to schedule, monitor and evaluate content and channel performance, identify opportunities for improvement, and monitor channels for reputational risks or issues that need escalation.
• Work closely with colleagues in the Communications team to ensure joined-up external communications across different channels.
• Support the development of the NAO’s approach to WhatsApp and Reddit.
• Plan and co-ordinate the delivery of social media content across multiple channels, working closely with colleagues in the Communications team and the wider NAO.
• Keep up to date with developments, trends and best practice in social media and digital content to support the ongoing improvement of the NAO’s channels and content.
Relationships and Accountability
This role reports to the Senior Digital Communications Manager and works closely with colleagues across the Communications Team, as well as the Private Office, Parliamentary Relations Team and audit teams. The postholder will also build and maintain external relationships with Parliament and wider civil service communications teams, alongside think tanks, public sector trade press and bodies, and research and polling organisations. There are no line management responsibilities associated with this role.
Skills, experience, attributes and qualifications
Essential criteria
The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:
• Demonstrated writing and editing skills, with experience creating effective content for different audiences across multiple social media channels and adapting copy for different platforms.
• Editorial judgement to turn complex information into accurate, clear and engaging content for external audiences.
• Experience of scheduling and publishing content across multiple social media channels
• Experience of monitoring social media channels, and analysing and reporting on channel performance.
• Confidence working with colleagues at all levels, providing practical advice and support on social media content and professional use of social channels.
• A good eye for content presentation and an appreciation of what makes effective visual content for digital channels.
• Ability to manage multiple pieces of work and deliver to tight deadlines.
• Experience using data to improve content and communications activity.
• Interest in the political landscape, and how government and the public sector work.
Desired criteria
As this is a cover role, we do not expect candidates to have experience in all the following areas.
• Experience of managing or growing a LinkedIn channel.
• Experience using social media scheduling, monitoring and analytics tools to plan content and improve performance.
• Experience supporting internal stakeholders with their professional use of social media.
• Basic skills in graphics design and social media asset creation using tools such as Adobe Express, Canva or Adobe Photoshop.
• Experience of using AI tools to improve quality or increase efficiency.
• Experience of producing video content for social media and other digital channels.
• Experience of planning and delivering email marketing, including A/B testing.
• Experience of planning and managing multiple projects at the same time.
• Experience of working with content management systems.
• Experience of working with creative design teams.
• Experience of working in a political, government or other public sector role.
To apply candidates should provide:
• an up-to-date CV.
• a covering letter outlining briefly how you meet the essential criteria and any relevant desired criteria, and why you are a good fit for the role.
• please include in your covering letter links to up to 3 examples of social media or other relevant communications content you have created (for example, posts, threads, or campaign content). If the content isn’t publicly available, you can include screenshots or documents instead.
The closing date for applications is 23:59 on Sunday 31 May.
Selection process
• Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a first-stage interview held in person early in the week commencing 15 June. The interview will include an on-site written exercise. Candidates should allow up to 2 hours for this stage.
• Second-stage interviews will also be held in person and are expected to take place later in the same week.
Nationality Requirements:
• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with (or eligible for) status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
Please note, we are not able to sponsor work visas. Please contact us at hrservicedesk@nao.org.uk should you have any questions on your nationality eligibility.
Equal opportunities and diversity
Disability and Reasonable Adjustments: Applicants with a disability who wish their application to be considered under the Disability Confident scheme should confirm this when submitting their application. Under this scheme we guarantee an interview to an applicant with a disability who meets the minimum requirements for the role. You should also let our HR team know if you wish us to consider any Reasonable Adjustments at any stage of the process (HR Service Desk (HRServiceDesk@nao.org.uk).
Applicants will not be discriminated against on the grounds of any protected characteristic or any other extraneous factor. |
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