Vacancy Information

Division / Department - Operations Command
Grade - M1
Status - Part Time
Contract Type - Secondment
Salary Grade Range - £47,712 - £52,491
Working Hours - 22.5 Hours per Week
Shift Allowance - No
Politically Restricted - No
Location - Lewes

The starting salary for this role will usually be at the bottom of the salary range and will be pro-rata if the working hours are less than full time. 

Chief Constables' Message

We really welcome your interest in joining our Police Force. It is a privilege to lead the teams in Surrey Police and Sussex Police who continuously work selflessly and tirelessly in order to keep people in our counties safe.

We are looking for talented and inspirational people who put the needs of the public at the heart of everything that they do and who want to make a difference. If you feel you are that person then we want to hear from you.

We wish you all the very best with your application.

Chief Constable Tim De Meyer & Chief Constable Jo Shiner

The Role & Key Responsibilities

Keeping people and our local communities safe from crises that threaten our way of life is at the heart of what we do. Whether flooding, pandemic, major fire or cyber attack, your skills could help Sussex prepare, prevent and respond effectively to the next emergency.

Sussex Resilience Forum (SRF) is the partnership of local agencies working together and with central Government to reduce risk in communities and prepare for emergencies, bringing together emergency services, health, local authority, environment, transport, voluntary and utilities sectors.

The small business management team is central to the SRF’s governance and co-ordination. We are currently seeking an experienced communications professional to lead, nurture and facilitate the multi-agency communications efforts of the SRF, ensuring information is effectively co-ordinated to engage the right people, at the right time and in the right way, maximising public safety. This will be on a six-month secondment basis.

You will be equally comfortable working at a strategic level across the multi-agency stakeholder network as in devising and delivering evidence-led communications across a range of channels. The role will matrix manage resources across partner agencies and, as such, influencing and negotiating skills will be key.

Key responsibilities

• Support SRF partner agencies to ensure that effective, tested, up to date arrangements, distribution lists, templates and protocols are in place in the event of a major or critical incident requiring multi-agency response, in line with the agreed SRF warning and informing model and processes.
• Build and maintain relationships with SRF partner communications leads, including via the Sussex Warning and Informing Group (SWIG), and with government and other stakeholders, to coordinate and support the development and delivery of effective warning and informing communications.
• Contribute as a member of the SRF Delivery Group to provide expert communications counsel and challenge, agree and ensure the delivery of actions, and advise and support SRF working groups as required.
• Contribute as a key member of the SWIG Executive Group, providing a point of liaison with SRF Business Management Team, Delivery Group and working groups, ensuing that appropriate communications advice and support is provided and MIG decisions are actioned are delivered.
• Manage the SWIG on a day-to-day basis, maintaining relationships and distribution lists, providing a point of contact for queries, managing meetings, and arranging events, exercises and training as agreed with SWIG Exec and SRF delivery and working groups.
• Work within the SRF and partner communications teams to support the coordination of comms and engagement activities that align with the SRF’s agreed approach to building whole society resilience.
• Produce regular content that the SRF and partners can use to assure stakeholders about the role and effectiveness of the SRF.
• Provide additional support as required to incident comms cells, enhancing communications resilience across the partnership.
• Contribute as a member of BMT to provide additional management-level support and resilience, undertaking any other activities to support the BMT and SRF as required.
• Undertake other duties appropriate to the grade and character or work as may be reasonably required, including specific duties of a similar or lesser graded post.

Skills & Experience

• Degree and NCTJ qualification or equivalent professional experience in media relations or PR Professional experience in one or more communications disciplines: PR, media relations, strategic communications, marketing, digital – working in a multi-agency or public sector environment would be beneficial
• Experience in directly or matrix managing a communications team in a high profile and fast paced environment – working in a political environment and developing political briefs beneficial
• Experience of developing and implementing effective and impactful, integrated communications strategies using OASIS and AMEC frameworks – working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite desirable
• Experience of crisis communications including planning, response and/or recovery Proven ability to negotiate and influence at all levels – including at Exec level, among external stakeholders and peers – with an ability to persuade under time or other pressures Excellent formal and interpersonal communications skills, both verbal and written
• Ability to balance short-term and long-term goals and competing planned and unplanned demand Experience in effectively stakeholder communications across multiple channels.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft products including Word, Excel, and SharePoint

Why Work With Us?

Policing is an exciting 24/7 business and we all have commitments outside work. We’re invested in supporting people to balance their life with work and we encourage flexible working. We are open to conversations about job shares and part time working. We encourage agile working, giving you the opportunity to manage your own diary and work wherever you give the best service to the public. This may include flexi-time and home working.

We take pride in looking after our people and offer a variety of benefits;

• career progression
• contributory pension scheme (LGPS)
• generous annual leave allowance
• discounts for everyday spend
• on-site gyms and a range of sports clubs
• generous and supportive parental leave
• financial and mental wellbeing guidance and support
• discounted contributory healthcare scheme

Please use the following links for more information on the benefits of working with Surrey Police or Sussex Police

Further Information

For further information regarding this vacancy, please e-mail magdelena.koluzs@sussex.police.uk, SRF Executive Delivery Manager.

Diversity Statement

We are only as good as our people.  It's important that our officers and staff can be themselves in the workplace and we know that as an organisation we'll grow from the variety of thinking, approach, and the skills that diversity brings; all of which help us to deliver a better policing service. We strive to ensure how we deliver our services, provide information and how we recruit is open and accessible to all.

We have multiple staff support groups who help to improve our understanding of minority issues and ensure they are reflected in our work. We are proud members of Disability Confident, hold Race Equality Matters Trailblazer status, are a signatory of the Race at Work Charter and are aligned with the Armed Forces Covenant and the HeForShe movement.

We are committed to being an anti-racist police service. We promise to challenge injustice, ensure fairness and to uphold anti-racist principles in both our organisation and our communities. For more information, you can read our full anti-racism statement here.

We value the differences that people bring from all backgrounds and communities. Regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, disability, social status, or religious belief, we would love to hear from you.

Please use the following links to find out more on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Surrey Police and Sussex Police

Additional Information

Following submission of your application you will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your application attached. Occasionally emails from this address can fall into spam/junk folders so please ensure this is checked regularly.  You may wish to consider adding noreply@surreysussexpolice.as.recruitmail.com to your address/contact list to ensure you receive all communications.

This post is being advertised in parallel with Force redeployment processes.  Any redeployees who are identified will be given preference.  This may result in the post being withdrawn at any point during the recruitment process.

Please note that not all jobs are available for internal candidates across both Forces, the current agreed recruitment principles are;

• vacancies in collaborated units are available to all officers and staff across both Forces
• vacancies in non-collaborated units are only available to officers and staff within the Force with the vacancy unless it is advertised externally
• if the vacancy is advertised externally and an officer or member of staff from the other Force is successful it will result in a transfer of employment

Surrey Police and Sussex Police Special Constables, Volunteers and Agency Staff (excluding self employed workers) covered under the Agency Worker Regulations (AWR) are eligible to apply for internal advertised posts.