Main purpose of job:

The Integrated Review Refresh, published in March 2023, set out how the UK will prioritise the Indo-Pacific, making the region a permanent pillar of the UK’s international policy. To support this policy, FCDO is strengthening its strategic communications capability in the Indo Pacific. 

The Indo Pacific Communications Hub is a new team based in British High Commission Singapore which will replicate FCDO Comms Directorate’s successful hub model deployed in other regions across the world. The team will be a vital hub working with and complementing FCDO’s network of communicators based in London and at posts across the Indo Pacific region. The team brings together specialist skills in campaign delivery, strategic communication, media handling, digital, insight, monitoring and evaluation to the network. 

With a focus on engaging and optimistic stories on cross cutting topics about the UK’s mutually beneficial partnerships with countries across this geographically and culturally diverse region, the Hub will use third-party voices, digital and traditional media channels, and excellent insight to engage audiences and influence perceptions. 

HMG’s Indo Pacific communications aim to demonstrate the UK’s long term commitment to a free and open Indo Pacific by showing the value of its reliable partnership with the region on security, stability, prosperity and climate change.  

This is an exciting opportunity for an excellent content production manager to join a new team delivering innovative campaigns supporting an HMG foreign policy priority.  You will play a crucial role in shaping impactful strategic communications. 

Working directly to the Head of Regional Campaigns, you will be responsible for developing and producing high-quality, engaging digital content for Indo Pacific communication campaigns. The successful candidate will also provide input into campaign planning to ensure content is planned, designed and developed in a strategic manner taking into account platforms, target audiences and objectives. You will be confident advising on digital approaches and pitching creative ideas for engaging audiences across the Indo Pacific region. 

You will be based in British High Commission Singapore. You should also expect to travel, across the region and to the UK.

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

• Work with the Campaign Manager to advise, develop and produce high-quality creative social media and digital communications products – including video, graphics, photography, social media copy and other short form content – in support of key strategic objectives, tailored to different local needs across the Indo Pacific. This includes story-gathering – finding and bringing to life powerful human interest stories for digital platforms.
• Work closely with the Indo Pacific Communication team in London and communicators across the region providing advice and pitching creative ideas to ensure campaigns make strategic use of digital communications techniques and platforms. Ensure digital communications are fully effective, make use of audience insight, and are properly targeted and evaluated.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of a digital asset database of existing campaign assets and delivery partner multimedia content.
• Work with the Insights Manager to support the upskilling of communicators across the Indo Pacific in line with the latest Government Communication Service learning and development  programmes, including in digital campaign planning, digital audience insight and production. This includes championing the improvement of visual content across HMG Indo Pacific Network, and working with local teams to adopt a story-telling approach to digital content. This includes using evaluation and data insight to inform campaign planning and understand the impact of our digital communications.
• Build trusted relationships with local, national and international partners, developing and maintaining an active directory of third party stakeholder contacts – from academia, NGOs, think tanks, campaigners and social media influencers – for supportive digital engagement opportunities.
• Translate business and policy objectives into digital communications objectives, generating ideas and plans to meet them and being confident in providing strategic digital communications advice. This includes working closely with policy colleagues in London and across the HMG Indo Pacific Network to identify excellent digital stories that will advance our communications objectives, whilst also identifying and managing risks.
• Monitor digital output from across the Indo Pacific network, capturing and sharing examples of best practice across the network and identifying teams who would benefit from further training or support.
• Work closely with FCDO’s digital network – including other regional digital hubs – and engage collaboratively with other HMG department digital teams.

The following are essential upon arrival:

• Minimum 2 years’ experience producing high quality visual content for impactful communications campaigns – ideally in a digital communications agency or a large-scale organisation delivering regular communications campaigns
• Strong photography, video production/editing and graphic design skills and an expert in Adobe Suite or Final Cut Pro
• Knowledge of social media evaluation tools beyond native Twitter and Facebook analytics. Experience using Brandwatch would be valued
• Experience taking briefs and ability to establish a clear and nuanced understanding of client needs whilst at the same time able to shape and guide those with lesser experience on the best way to develop digital content
• Experience of overseeing the management and delivery of a digital communication plan
• Experience of dealing with and managing corporate brands
• Knowledge of the social media landscape across the Indo Pacific and how different social media channels are being used
• An effective communicator with strong customer service skills, and comfortable presenting to and persuading senior staff.
• Driven and able to deliver against challenging timelines
• The ability to learn quickly and work with a high degree of autonomy
• A positive “can-do” attitude that can see way through challenges
• Excellent organisational and self-management skills to respond effectively to tight – and changing – deadlines and priorities.