Post: Head of Communications & Practice Development

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Children in Scotland is proud to have achieved the Investor in People standard

Location: Edinburgh
Accountable to: Director of Corporate Services
Vision:To contribute to Children in Scotland’s overarching vision of improving childhoods in Scotland by increasing and maintaining the organisation’s impact and influence on Scotland’s children’s sector.

Core Purpose: To lead and develop our communication and practice development activities, maximising income generation through all areas of this section’s work and contributing to long term sustainability of the organization by realizing opportunities across departments.

Responsibilities

The Head of Communications and Practice Development has primary responsibility to undertake the following:

1. Primary responsibility for the strategic planning, monitoring and management of the work undertaken in the section covering the Communications Department and the Practice Development Department. This will include, but will not be limited to:

   1.1	In line with Children in Scotland’s mission and aims, creating, and delivering on, strategic plans for the Communications and Practice Development Departments.
   1.2	Providing strategic direction and leadership of the organisation’s press activities.
   1.3	Providing strategic direction and leadership of the production and marketing of a wide range of publications – including magazines, newsletters and research findings.
   1.4	Provide strategic direction and leadership of the organisation’s conferences, training and other activities related to the development of policy and practice in the children’s sector.

2. Provide leadership to the Communications and Practice Development teams on marketing all aspects of this section’s work - to maintain and enhance Children in Scotland’s reputation as one of the leaders in the provision of publications, practice development, programmes and information for the children’s sector.This will include, but will not be limited to:

   2.1	Ensuring that the wide variety of professional development opportunities for Scottish policymakers and practitioners in education, social work, health and other fields related to children and young people is promoted effectively.
   2.2	Ensuring the value of membership is promoted effectively through all areas of this section’s work in order to increase and maintain membership across the organizations, agencies and individuals with whom it works.
   2.3	Ensure the relevant sections of the Children in Scotland website are kept up to date and appropriate.

3. Maximising income generation and contributing to the organisation’s long term sustainability through all areas of this section’s work. This will include, but will not be limited to:

   3.1	Identifying and developing, on an ongoing basis, income generating opportunities.
   3.2	In conjunction with the staff team, developing proposals/programmes that can attract external funding either through grants or through sales of services and products that deliver on the overall aims of Children in Scotland.
   3.3	Maintain and increase effective relationships with Children in Scotland’s partners and funders at local and national levels.

4. Line management of senior staff within the Communications and Practice Development Departments. 

5. Ensure effective interdepartmental working.  This will include, but will not be limited to:

   5.1	Expanding the influence and heightening the cumulative impact, on the children’s sector, of both the Communications and Practice Development departments by ensuring efficient and pro-active working together – and with other departments across the organisation.
   5.2	Ensuring the effective cross departmental working between the Communications and Practice Development departments in order to minimise cost and duplication of effort whilst maximising impact.
   5.3	Developing, and maintaining, effective communication and working practices between these two departments, for the enhancement of the organisation’s strategic objectives.

   
   

Person Specification

Essential qualities:

1. Excellent team leadership skills and a track record of leading a diverse team to deliver successfully on financial, project and resource driven targets.
2. A track record of demonstrating enterprising skills to generate income e.g. demonstrating success and understanding of sales and marketing.
3. A solutions driven focus – ability to demonstrate creative and innovative  problem solving skills to meet overall objectives.
4. A proven ability to make positive decisions and delivering results.
5. Excellent oral and written communication skills including the ability to communicate with various audiences – and to oversee the quality of CiS marketing material.
6. An understanding of and commitment to Children in Scotland’s beliefs, values and vision.
7. Proven experience in developing successful funding proposals.
8. Experience of managing budgets.

Desirable qualities:

1. Significant knowledge about Scottish policies, practices and programmes and how they develop in Scottish government.
2. A positive track record of working successfully with (or influencing) national or local government.
3. Practical experience of marketing.
4. Experience in working effectively with a variety of groups and agencies.
5. Experience of delivering successful and cost effective programmes and events at a national level.
6. Ability to manage information dissemination, through Internet, print and non-print outlets and ability to stay up-to-date with new knowledge and research.
7. Willingness and ability to travel occasionally within Scotland, the UK and Europe.

Terms and Conditions of Service

Closing date for applications - 12 noon, Friday 9 April 2010

Interviews will be held in Edinburgh on Monday 26 April 2010

Criminal Records Checks
Appointment of successful candidates for posts which will have regular contact with children, young people and/or vulnerable adults will be subject to a satisfactory criminal records check.

All candidates should read this further information.

Applications for any open vacancies are invited by post or electronically. Simply download the Guidance Notes, Application Form and the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form, complete both of the forms and return them to us at the addresses below.