Act as first point of contact for companies supplying information for the May Festival brochure

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1 COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT JOB DESCRIPTION is one of the flagship arts organisations for the East of England. We are one of the most significant arts festivals in the UK with a reputation for innovative and inspirational programming and commissioning. s profile has increased greatly in recent years, largely due to the success and growth of the May festival which has seen a significant increase in audience numbers, participants and ticket sales. The Festival now attracts artists of the highest calibre, is a leader in the presentation of outdoor art and works in collaboration with a wide range of national and international partners. In 2012, the Festival also commissioned and presented two high profile projects as part of London 2012 Festival How Like an Angel and Walking. The Festival is a destination festival and has contributed to putting Norwich and Norfolk firmly on the map as a place where people choose to live, work and visit. also runs one of the 10 national Bridge organisations. Funded by Arts Council England, the Bridges provide a direct link or 'bridge' between those working with children, young people, schools and communities with arts and cultural organisations across Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. About you You will bring with you excellent written and verbal communication skills, confidence in dealing with a range of people, high level ICT skills and experience of office administration. You will have an understanding of the role of marketing and communications to an organisation, preferably from within a cultural environment. You will be highly motivated, enjoy working as part of a hard-working and professional team and have an interest in the arts and cultural activities. Reports to: Head of Communications Purpose: Working closely with the Head of Communications, Digital & Communications Officer and external consultants, the postholder will provide a range of support across marketing, media and communications activity for the organisation.

2 Specific responsibilities Whilst the role will encompass a range of communications activities to support the work of the department, specific areas of activity and responsibility will include the following: Publicity Design and Production Assist with the production of Festival publicity materials as required, including the Festival brochure, ambient materials and branding, free programme sheets, and materials for sponsors. This to include gathering copy and images for use in publicity materials as well as using in-house design software to create publications and leaflets from scratch Act as first point of contact for companies supplying information for the May Festival brochure Media liaison Working alongside the Communications team and external PR consultants: Act as an in-house point of contact for press enquiries and to assist the PR consultant to fulfil requests for Festival information as appropriate Assist with the co-ordination of media press moments/photo calls as required Ensure media coverage is monitored, collated and evaluated Assist with the management of press tickets during the May Festival and any other relevant NNF events Digital marketing activity Work with the Digital & Communications Officer to develop the effective use of social media for the organisation, including posting updates to the Festival s social media channels (currently Facebook, Twitter and YouTube) Assist with the regular updating of the Festival website, via the content management system. Act as the main point of contact for all internal Festival departments with regard to organisational updates required Be responsible for ensuring that the archive of Festival imagery is kept up to date Publicity Distribution Co-ordinate the storage and effective distribution of brochures and other items of publicity, in conjunction with the Digital & Communications Officer working with the Festival distribution services and other distribution mechanisms to ensure comprehensive coverage of Festival publicity across the city, county and the region Co-ordinate the activity of the Festival s Publicity Team Manage fulfilment of brochure requests Box Office Operations 2

3 Collate show or ticketing updates once Festival is on sale; collect and compile box office sales figures for internal team and external producers / companies Launches & Events Support the Digital & Communications Officer and Festival Executive Assistant with the organisation of the Festival pre-launch event Support the organisation of any similar launches with a Communications-specific focus, eg press reception at an event Festival Friends Scheme Co-ordinate the Festival s Friends Scheme including administering payments, updates and communications, in conjunction with the Communications and Development teams Norfolk & Norwich Open Studios Provide communications support for Norfolk & Norwich Open Studios, including website updates as and when required Evaluation Support the Festival s evaluation programme through the production and distribution of evaluation cards as well as inputting results from these Databases Maintain Festival mailing databases, involving data-inputting and assistance with the regular processing of requests for Festival information Proof reading Proof-read Festival print and e-marketing materials for accuracy General Undertake general administration support for the Communications team including taking notes at meetings and contribute to the smooth day-to-day running of the NNF office by acting as one of the first points of contact for phone and visitors Compliance Carry out all duties within parameters agreed with the Head of Communications and in accordance with appropriate internal and statutory procedures Adhere at all times to NNF employment policies and procedures with particular reference to Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety, Child Protection & Finance 3

4 Team activities Work collaboratively with team members and other colleagues in order to meet organisational objectives Training Undertake training as identified and agreed with the Head of Communications to ensure the ongoing effective delivery of the post Undertake any other duties assigned by the Head of Communications, which might reasonably be deemed to be within the status of the job and appropriate to the post. 4

5 Person Specification In shortlisting and interviewing candidates, the panel will be looking for the following: Knowledge Broad knowledge of the contemporary arts and the environment in which they operate Knowledge and understanding of the role of the communications function within an organisation Broad knowledge of the local and regional arts scene Broad knowledge of local area (Norwich & Norfolk) A good understanding of the role of cultural activity in relation to broader social and economic agendas A good understanding of the importance of diversity issues as they relate to the creative and cultural sectors Qualifications Educated to degree level or equivalent Experience Minimum 6 months experience in a relevant post Experience of working as part of a team Proven marketing/promotions experience Experience of using CMS systems to update websites; experience of using new digital media (social media, , e- newsletters) Experience of managing staff, volunteers or work placements Experience of events management Skills Excellent written and verbal communication skills including experience of writing, editing and proofreading copy for publication Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to negotiate and gain the confidence and respect of external contacts Numeracy skills The ability to be results orientated Excellent organisational and administrative skills, the ability to prioritise workload and keen attention to detail Fluent standard of computer literacy (NNF uses Microsoft Office 2007/2010 on Windows XP Professional/Windows 7) Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines High degree of commitment and flexible approach to working hours Ability to work well on own initiative and within a team Basic competency in design software including Microsoft Office Publisher and / or Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator Good eye for strong design Ability to travel within the region if required Personal attributes A genuine passion for the arts A creative problem solver A positive can-do attitude Prepared to go the extra mile Willing to share knowledge Understands own strengths and weaknesses and committed to personal learning and development Essential Desirable 5

6 Terms and Conditions of Employment This is a full-time, fixed-term position to start as soon as possible and continue until the end of June The post is subject to a probationary period of one month at the end of which there will be a formal assessment. Assuming that performance has been satisfactory, the appointment will then be confirmed. Salary Annual Leave Hours of Work Place of Work Travel Notice Period Smoking Equal Opportunities In the range of 15,000-16,500 per annum pro rata 28 days holiday per year in addition to bank holidays pro rata 37½ hours per week (excluding breaks). Office hours are 9.30 am to 5.30 pm Monday to Friday. There will be some evening and weekend work for which NNF does not make overtime payments. Time off in lieu may be available for out of hours working at the Company s discretion. The place of employment will be the Festival s offices currently in Augustine Steward House, 14 Tombland, a grade II* listed building in central Norwich, and as required by NNF at such other places where the organisation carries on its proper business. The Festival uses a variety of venues throughout Norwich and Norfolk for performances and events. You may be required to travel throughout the region, sometimes in rural and isolated areas. Travel expenses will be reimbursed on the basis of the cheapest available public transport fare or at the appropriate rate for mileage established by NNF. One-month s notice in writing on either side during the fixed term. NNF operates a no smoking policy throughout its office premises. NNF is striving towards a policy of equal opportunities in all its activities and employment practices. NNF particularly welcomes applications from disabled people and will take reasonable steps to ensure that the working environment does not prevent disabled people from taking up posts for which they are suitably qualified. 6

7 Application Procedure Application is by the completion of the enclosed application form (a CV may be attached, in addition, if desired) which should be sent electronically to or posted to: Clare Lovell Head of Operations Augustine Steward House 14 Tombland Norwich Norfolk NR3 1HF Please mark your envelope PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL, ensuring that you have used sufficient postage. The deadline for receipt of applications is 9.30 am Wednesday 18 th. No applications can be considered after the closing date. Interviews will be held on Wednesday 2 nd October in Norwich. Please advise us in your covering letter if you are unavailable on this date. Shortlisted candidates will be notified by 6pm on Friday 20 th September. 7