Communications And Media Officer

About the role
In this role, you will be proactively creating and publishing positive City news stories for external audiences through communications channels such as media releases, social media, and web content.

Work type: Temporary, part-time (12-month contract, 3 days a week)
Classification: Band 6 ($90,263 - $97,365)

Key responsibilities include:

• Identifying and developing positive news stories and preparing media releases to maximise the community’s understanding and positive perception of the City’s projects and policies.
• Researching and preparing copy for a broad range of the City’s communications channels including Community Update, City News, and the Geelong Australia website.
• Briefing photographers and arranging photo opportunities to provide digital content for external publications and our own media channels.
• As required, supporting the Mayor and Councillors with written communications such as speeches and newspaper columns.
• As directed, working with internal and external stakeholders to implement coordinated communication and Media strategies for key projects.
• Facilitate seamless communication between councillors and the media team, ensuring effective preparation for council meetings.
• Contributing to the City’s primary social media channels – including the creation and posting of appropriate content (in and out of business hours, as rostered).

 About you
To be successful in this role, you will have demonstrated ‘hands on’ experience and ability producing professional communication content across a range of media under pressure and to deadline.

Essential Experience:

• Tertiary qualification in journalism, communications, media, professional writing and editing, marketing or public relations.
• A current Working With Children Check
• Demonstrated understanding of, and experience in, the research, production and editing of suitable content for publication, on behalf of a local government for its external audiences.
• Highly developed written and verbal communication skills relevant to local and state government audiences.
• An excellent practical understanding of contemporary Communications and Media issues and practice, technology and needs – including social media and web publishing.
• Demonstrated ‘political nous’, and a genuine awareness of current affairs relating to public administration and local government.
• An excellent understanding of Victoria’s Local Government Act, especially as it applies to the role of a modern communicator.
• Knowledge of legal matters relevant to a professional writer and publisher.

If this sounds like the role for you, then click apply now! 

Create our future together at the City of Greater Geelong
At the City of Greater Geelong, we are committed to working together for a thriving community. We do this by delivering over 130 services to our rapidly growing population and working hard to protect and improve what it is that makes Greater Geelong on Wadawurrung Country such a great place to live, work and study.  

We’re going through an exciting period of change that will help us serve our community better. From digital modernisation to the contemporary, sustainable office we've built in Central Geelong, now more than ever is a great time to join our team at the City of Greater Geelong.

Our Community is made up of diverse people from all walks of life, and it’s important to us that our workforce represents and celebrates this strength.

We encourage great people from all backgrounds to join us. We encourage authenticity, because inclusion makes us stronger. 

If you’re excited about working together to create a Clever and Creative Greater Geelong, and joining a workplace where all people can thrive, then hit apply – we’d love to meet you!

We particularly welcome and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with diverse culture and linguistic backgrounds and people with disability.

A career with us
Central Geelong-based City employees are now based in our new Civic Precinct, Wurriki Nyal. Meaning ‘speak and talk together’ in local Wadawurrung language.  Wurriki Nyal sets the benchmark for what a sustainable, inclusive and culturally safe workplace can be, including industry leading sustainability standards, a flexible and people-focused design, safe and inclusive spaces and public realm.

We’re committed to supporting better accessibility for our customers and our people.  We encourage you to talk to us about any adjustments or additional support you may require during the recruitment process, as well as how this role can be flexible for you. 

We offer:

• salary sacrificing and novated lease options
• cultural and ceremonial leave
• study leave
• paid parental leave (16 weeks primary and six weeks secondary) and superannuation payments on all 52 weeks primary parental leave
• IVF, surrogate and miscarriage bereavement leave
• training and career development opportunities
• a healthy and safe environment
• our employee wellbeing program
• corporate membership rates at Swim Sport and Leisure facilities
• unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning 

Applications and Enquiries

Click the Position Description link to view more information about this position.

Enquiries: Amarra Bowkett | Manager Communications | **************@geelongcity.vic.gov.au

Click the Apply button to submit your application or find out more about this opportunity. If we can assist you with any reasonable adjustments in order to submit your application for this role, please contact the Talent Acquisition team via email at *******@geelongcity.vic.gov.au noting your preferred method of communication and contact details and a member of the team will be in touch.

We collect demographic data to help us learn who our advertisements are reaching and how we can reach an even more diverse audience.  We are committed to building a more diverse team. Your responses to our demographic questions are strictly confidential and will not be individually shared.