Main purpose of job:

The Communications Team oversees and coordinates communication activity and media work for the British Embassy and Consulates General in China; advising on and delivering strategic campaigns and internal communication; leading our digital communication and projecting the UK’s soft power and influence by building partnerships with other organisations and opinion leaders.    

We are an energetic and creative team with high levels of ambition to make a big impact in China in support of UK national missions and goals.

The Campaigns Manager will have an important role in promoting the UK’s growth, ‘soft power’ and ‘values’ messages through network wide campaigns (recent examples include UK Music is More than Music, the ‘Feel the Rush’ sports campaign and Every Degree Counts climate and green energy campaign) as well as working on smaller projects and events (for example making the most of a visit from a UK celebrity or expert or the premiere of UK film).

The successful candidate will be a passionate communicator with an understanding of and enthusiasm for the UK.  They will be bursting with ideas about how to project a positive image of the UK and have the drive and attention to detail to turn those ideas into reality.

The jobholder will devise, execute and run campaigns and events that engage and influence our target audiences on priority areas where we want to raise awareness, challenge assumptions or encourage behaviour change amongst target groups of the Chinese public. Successful delivery will necessitate effective planning and activation at every stage from audience insight research to campaign development and event management.  The job holder will also help coordinate evaluation and reports after the campaign.  Strong analytical, written and verbal communication skills are therefore essential.

Team working and interpersonal skills are also essential as the job holder will have to negotiate persuasively with suppliers, media partners and sponsors, and work collaboratively with stakeholders in post, London and in partner companies and organisations.  They will need to exercise their judgement and be adaptable, prioritise effectively and plan their time well in order to ensure that campaigns are delivered seamlessly. Also, they will need to have a track record of doing the heavy-lifting to initiate projects, and have the drive and determination to make things happen, sometimes within a very tight time frame.

The post holder will have line management responsibility for one more junior officer

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve?:

Campaign development – 25%

Plan and implement campaign activity in line with overall objectives, with a particular focus on supporting growth.  This involves translating a strategy into a tactical plan and then delivering the planned activities.  It will involve close working with partners across the UK and China network and external partners. Capture results through timely and accurate evaluation reports.

Event management – 25%

Organise and ensure the smooth running of events linked to campaign activities, VIP visits or regional outreach work. Ensure value for money spend at all times.

Stakeholder Management – 25%

Build relationships with external and internal stakeholders as an essential part of planning and delivering successful cross-HMG campaigns. This will include devising pitches for potential external sponsors, as well as maintaining a close working relationship with internal government partners.

Financial planning – 10%

Budget planning, payments to suppliers and ensuring suppliers are paid on time. This will include managing a range of budgets, small and large, and ensure that we adhere to government rules around tendering and auditing.

Cross team support – 15%

As part of an integrated approach, lean in as needed to support comms and DBT marcomms colleagues on media, digital and other activities, including in other network posts, responding flexibility to changing requirements and workload demands.  

The FCDO also operates an agile workforce. To facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time as we may reasonably require.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

Campaigns officer.

• Experience in campaign & event management, asset production, working closely with a range of stakeholders,