What are the responsibilities and job description for the Digital Coordinator UK Mission to the United Nations position at Foreign & Commonwealth Office?
The British Government’s Mission to the United Nations (UKMIs) has an exciting opportunity for an active, and dynamic person to join the Corporate Services Team as a finance officer. This opportunity is a rewarding role which supports and further develops the special relationship between the UK and the UN, supporting work at the forefront of international diplomacy in order to make a real difference globally.
The Mission is part of the wider British Government’s network of Consulates and Government Offices in the United States and offers a unique career enhancing opportunity. The Network is committed to supporting its staff through a variety of benefits including generous leave, insurance packages and a highly competitive 401k programme. It also promotes a culture of flexibility which enables people to better maintain wellness through an excellent work/life balance approach that encompasses hybrid working, including working from home and flexible hours, where possible. In this role you would be working in a diverse international environment to support UK diplomats, armed forces personnel and other country based staff operating across the Mission.
The post holder will join the UK Mission’s high performing Communications team, responsible for communicating UK government policy priorities at the UN to international press and online audiences. The team’s work covers the breadth of UK priorities including international peace and security, development and human rights.
The Digital Coordinator will play an important role in digital content creation and producing live coverage of UK activity at the UN, using photography, video, graphics and high impact copy-writing. They will be responsible for disseminating daily press releases and statements to international media and updating the Mission’s webpage. There will be opportunities to lead on the communications strategy and planning for priority campaigns.
The successful candidate will have excellent copy writing, photography and graphic design skills; experience in day-to-day management of social media channels; and knowledge and interest in foreign policy.
Roles and responsibilities:
Strategic Focus
- Promote UK interests to UN-facing audience in New York, diplomatic capitals and UK by creating and implementing digital communications plans for UK government priorities and activities at the UN, including ministerial and other high-level visits and strategic communications campaigns.
Digital Media
- Manage and create content for our digital channels, including social media (Twitter and Instagram) and GOV.UK website, working with policy teams and others across the network.
- Proactively create, design and execute digital content and strategies for the channels, supporting UK priorities in a way that is relevant to audiences we are seeking to engage and influence.
- Work with UN contacts, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and other Government Departments in the UK on global initiatives and campaigns.
Digital design
- Print and digital design work for projects like event invitations, signage, infographics, digital collateral for channels, etc. in accordance with HMG’s global brand guidelines.
- Act as in-house photographer, including editing, distribution, and archiving.
- Act as in-house videographer, including idea generation, direction, shooting, and editing.
- Occasional work with external partners to design and implement social campaigns.
Logistics and support
- Lead on digital activities around high-profile ministerial and VIP visits and events
- Assist the wider Communications team with, event ideation and execution, staffing events and ministerial visits, etc.
Line Management
- Line management of Communications Associate.
- At certain times during the year, coordination of a wider pool digital officers for large events.
Essential qualifications, skills and experience
- Demonstrated social media platform management fluency.
- Strong technology proficiency and fluency within Adobe Creative Suite and familiarity working with content management systems.
- Experience photographing high profile events (both shooting and editing)
- Strong organisational skills and the ability to work independently as well as part of a larger team.
- Copy-writing skills (web articles, press releases, social media copy, etc.), with exceptional spelling, grammar and punctuation in alignment with style guidelines.
- A track record of designing or delivering proactive publicity activities to advance policy or other objectives.
- Ability to work flexibly and able to switch tasks and manage multiple projects as priorities dictate.
- Demonstrated social media platform management fluency.
- Strong technology proficiency and fluency within Adobe Creative Suite and familiarity working with content management systems.
- Experience photographing high profile events (both shooting and editing)
- Strong organisational skills and the ability to work independently as well as part of a larger team.
- Copy-writing skills (web articles, press releases, social media copy, etc.), with exceptional spelling, grammar and punctuation in alignment with style guidelines.
- A track record of designing or delivering proactive publicity activities to advance policy or other objectives.
- Ability to work flexibly and able to switch tasks and manage multiple projects as priorities dictate.
Under US State Department requirements, the UK Government in the US may only employ, as non-diplomatic staff, persons who are US citizens, US Permanent Residents or A visa holders with EAD cards*. If you hold a visa other than an A visa you are not currently eligible to work at our office. Please refer to our website for information on exceptions to this policy at www.gov.uk/government/world/usa. All selected candidates are subject to background checks and will require a security clearance prior to starting work. *A visas are acceptable at the Embassy and Consulates. The UK Mission to the UN (UKMIS) accepts G visas, and British Defense Staff (BDS) outposts accept A or NATO visas.
- Ability and willingness to work well as part of a small team.
- A self-starter with strong organisational and problem solving skills.
- A track record of designing or delivering proactive publicity activities to advance policy or other objectives.
- Awareness of the UK Government’s work in the US, and the international priorities of the UK Government.
- Strong networking and interpersonal skills.
- Flexible, and able to switch tasks and manage multiple projects as priorities dictate.
- Ability and interest in attending and staffing occasional evening or weekend events and receptions.
- Bachelor’s degree or minimum of 2 years relevant experience in in digital media and communications.
Learning and development opportunities:
The British Embassy and its US Network is committed to all employee’s ongoing learning and development needs. We offer a comprehensive platform for personalised learning for everything from soft skill development (communicating with impact, handling difficult conversations, time management) to more technical or professional skills necessary to complete your job (software training, formal qualifications etc.).
Working patterns:
This role is 40 hours a week, with an expectation that the core hours are covered – 1000am – 4:00pm daily.
Attendance to provide communications cover for events in-person is mandatory.
The British Embassy and its US Network embraces hybrid working, allowing its staff to typically work from home 2 or 3 times a week. We are an organization that also recognises the critical value of team work and we embrace and endorse collaboration by ensuring that all staff attend the office flexibly yet regularly.