Job Description - Home Working Communications and Marketing Assistant

Salary - 25K per annum 

Contract - Permanent 

Reports to Head of Water Efficiency Engagement

Hours - Full time (40 hours per week including 1 hour lunch break each day - NB see below re Four Day Week) 

Start date - 8th January 2023 (or as soon as possible) 

Location - Home-based (travel costs paid for meetings) 

Annual leave - 27 days FTE per annum plus Bank holidays (22 days FTE per annum under the Four Day Week - see below) 

PLEASE NOTE, WE ARE A DISABILITY EQUALITY ORGANISATION AND HAVE RINGFENCED THIS POST FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DISABLED ONLY.

At Waterwise we work a Four Day Week, under voluntary agreements which all staff members sign. This means that you will be contracted and paid as full-time but you will sign a voluntary agreement stating that you commit to employing efficiency tools both individual and team-wide to deliver and be paid for 5 days work within four normal 9 to 5 days - the office is closed on Fridays. Training will be provided and you will be expected to continue to refresh your training and to keep up use of the efficiency tools. Annual leave is also pro rata’d. More information on a Four Day week can be found here. We can answer any questions you may have about this at interview.

Waterwise 

Waterwise is the leading independent voice in the UK for using water wisely, for the benefit of people and the planet. Our vision is that water is used wisely every day, everywhere, by everyone. We are the UK’s conscience on water efficiency, on behalf of people and the planet, and are experts in water efficiency policy, regulation, research, behaviour and campaigns. Waterwise is a people-led organisation which prioritises the wellbeing of its staff.

Water scarcity is an urgent issue right here, right now, right across the UK - consistent record-breaking high temperatures and low rainfall, and recurring drought, show how climate change and population growth are already putting our water resources under severe pressure, and this challenge is growing. Water efficiency has to be a big part of the solution, and we support and challenge governments, industry, customers and others to be innovative and ambitious on water efficiency. Our work includes campaigns, events, media, policy and regulatory influencing, research, stakeholder engagement and services such as Waterwise Training and the Waterwise  Checkmark. We are funded by supporters across and beyond the UK water sector. Our Waterwise Strategic Direction to 2030, published in August 2022, tells you a bit more about us. Our UK Water Efficiency Strategy to 2030 tells you a bit more about our ambition.

At Waterwise we put staff wellbeing first, and our staff surveys show that our team knows, feels and appreciates this. Our values are 

Purpose: We will deliver independent and ambitious leadership to drive social and  political change on water efficiency 

Pioneer: We will be forward-thinking and visionary in our approach, being brave and  innovative in challenging the status quo 

Passion: We will campaign to protect water and the planet and work to keep our own  environmental impact as low as possible 

People: We will prioritise staff wellbeing, be an inclusive, kind and positive team. 

We are always looking for bright, committed people with a diverse set of skills and  experience to help achieve our vision that water is used wisely every day, everywhere, by  everyone. We are a lively, happy, friendly team, and we can’t wait to read your application! 

At Waterwise, we’re committed to driving equity and preventing discrimination at work and in the work we do. Please see our EDI statement on this here.

We are also working to reduce Waterwise’s own carbon and environmental footprint. 

Communications and Marketing Assistant role description 

This is an exciting new role for Waterwise! Working to our Head of Water Efficiency Engagement and with colleagues across the team, the overall purpose of this role is to to boost our voice - through designing and developing new communications and marketing approaches, creating content, managing our social media and working closely with stakeholders and the media, as well as working on campaigns. You will be our communications lead! You’ll have lots of autonomy to manage and deliver Waterwse’s communications and marketing, supported by your line manager.

Key responsibilities include: 

• Boost our voice externally, increasing promotion and delivery of Waterwise and our vision

• Promote Waterwise’s work and brand

• Deliver the Waterwise Communications Strategy and track progress against it

• Develop engaging content and work with the Campaigns Manager on campaigns

• Create a range of communications materials and assets (digital and print) - using Canva, Adobe Creative suite or similar open source software

• Develop, update and create content for the Waterwise website - adding functionality and updating the content

• Manage the Waterwise social media channels (twitter, instagram, hootsuite, youtube, tiktok and linkedin) - including proactive and reactive engagement

• Monitor the effectiveness of communications and social media engagement

• ​​Work with public affairs colleagues to effectively communicate with Waterwise stakeholders and funders

• Work with public affairs colleagues to develop and maintain relationships with mainstream and specialist media and planning and supporting a range of press and media activities

• Design, write and issue press releases

• Develop and maintain relationships with the communications teams in Waterwise Supporters, Affiliates, stakeholders and other funders

• Support the planning, preparation, administration, communication and organisation of internal and external events, campaigns and services such as the Waterwise Checkmark and Waterwise Training

• Assist the wider team on projects, programmes, events and core work

• Be the primary contact for all journalists - receiving all media requests and targeting team members as appropriate with recommendations to accept or decline, drawing on the communications strategy

• Proactively monitor media - social, broadcast and print - and track which journalists and publications are interested in what subjects

• Internal communications

• Event communications - designing the branding, communications and sponsorship packages for events, services and campaigns

• Content creation - designing reports, brochures, banners and other promotional materials

• Project manage, assemble and distribute reports to funders

• Produce the monthly Waterwise newsletter to external subscribers

• Execute cross-channel campaigns - writing copy, designing content, creating videos, scheduling content, monitoring and delivering sponsor benefits

• Set up, test and manage advertising online and in print, including delivering the creative

• Manage the marketing budget - setting, tracking and forecasting

• Produce and implement the branding style guide

• Update and keep fresh documents such as the Case for Funding Waterwise, Supporter and Affiliate packages, and the supportive quotes we use externally

• Design and develop new communications and marketing approaches for Waterwise

• Develop, lead and manage a wide range of proactive communications and marketing projects, approaches and tools

• Work with colleagues to provide content for blogs, trade media and the press

• Produce branded draft presentations for colleagues to use

• Working within a small but effective team, provide cross cover as necessary

Other tasks and duties may arise and training will be provided

The above is not an exhaustive list of activities but hopefully gives you a sense of the role  and requirements. As it’s a new role, we expect the tasks will evolve and develop over time. 

Communications and Marketing Assistant person specification

We need someone who is proactive and a self-starter with excellent oral and written communications skills. We are looking for an innovative, creative, energetic, proactive and passionate communicator with expertise in communications and marketing and the ability to carry out all the tasks listed above. You’ll need to demonstrate the ability to plan, design and deliver high-impact communications and marketing.

Essential knowledge, skills and behaviours 

• Excellent communication skills - written and oral 

• Creating engaging content and message development

• Experience of designing, advising on and delivering communications and marketing campaigns whilst ensuring consistent message delivery across all functions

• Experience of producing printed and online publicity materials

• IT skills including content management systems, InDesign, Canva, Adobe Creative suite or similar open source software and Photoshop

• Ability to create and update website information

• Writing and distributing informative and impactful press releases 

• Online capabilities including the use of social media as a professional communications and marketing tool, including the use of analytics

• Good interpersonal skills to work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders, including funders

• Strong organisational skills, including the ability to plan and work proactively to meet deadlines

• Excellent attention to detail 

• Ability to positively promote Waterwise and its work

• Ability to work flexibly within a small team

• Ability to manage own time and prioritise tasks

• Ability to plan, target, write, edit, coordinate and proofread internal and external

publications and communications

• Ability to work effectively as part of a busy team, and support and communicate well with colleagues

• Ability to communicate across the team about your work and workload

• Commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and wellbeing 

• Eligibility to work in the UK

Benefits 

At Waterwise the wellbeing of our employees is our number one priority. To recognise the  fantastic work our team does in driving water efficiency, and to support their wellbeing, we  have a wide range of employee benefits, beyond statutory commitments. These include: 

• Positive, values-based environment and an inclusive culture where it feels safe for  employees to say ‘no’ on grounds of workload 

• Strong emphasis from CEO on wellbeing and workload management 

• Homeworking 

• Four Day Week - being paid full-time but working 80% of this (or pro rata equivalent), in exchange for using tools to work efficiently - for full-time employees this equates to a day off every week, in addition to annual leave

• Flexible working 

• Part-time working 

• 27 days annual leave per annum for full-time employees (or pro rata equivalent for part-time colleagues), plus Bank Holidays (pro rata’d to 22 days full-time equivalent as we work a Four Day Week)

• Death in service benefit at x2 of salary 

• Paid chartered and professional memberships 

• Individual and team training budgets 

• Maternity leave and maternity adoption leave beyond statutory 

• Childcare costs for activities undertaken outside normal working hours 

• Sickness pay beyond statutory 

Equity, diversity and inclusion 

At Waterwise, we’re committed to driving equity and preventing discrimination at work and in the work we do. We know that simply having a diverse workforce is not enough. We want to create an inclusive environment within Waterwise and in our work and events, where everyone can contribute their best and develop to their full potential. We celebrate and value how different everyone is, and we work hard to ensure everyone is treated with dignity and respect. This aligns with our ‘People’ value that we will prioritise staff wellbeing, and will be an inclusive, kind and positive team.

Please see our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Statement here. 

We are committed to treating all current and prospective employees fairly and to ensuring  that our workplace and employment practices are free from discrimination, harassment or  victimisation on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil  partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. We  strongly encourage applicants from a wide range of backgrounds and with different identities and experiences to apply. Everyone in our team has a role to play in helping Waterwise become more diverse and inclusive, and we hope you will join us for this next stage in our journey. 

We want to ensure that our recruitment process is inclusive of and accessible for everyone.  If you are interested in applying for a role with us and think you may need some additional  support or reasonable adjustments made to any part of the recruitment process, please get  in touch on the email address below.

How to apply 

To apply for this role, you will need to answer role-related questions. Click here to apply.  Please provide evidence and examples from your work history or other aspects of your life to  answer the questions and demonstrate how you meet the criteria required. Please refer to the person specification when you are doing this.

Our goal is to remove bias from the hiring process and so rather than asking you for a CV  and cover letter, we have set up role-related questions which will allow us to assess your  approach to a problem and understand what knowledge and skills you have. Your answers  will be anonymised, randomised and reviewed by the selection panel. We will use these  scores to shortlist for interviews. We also think giving feedback is incredibly valuable for  candidates, so at the end of the process, you'll see how well you performed during the  application process.  

The closing date for applications is midnight on 22nd November 2023. There will be a two-stage interview process. First interviews will be held on 5th December 2023 and second interviews will be held on 14th December 2023. All interviews will be held online, on Zoom. 

We will consider flexible working requests within this role - please state your preferred hours and working pattern within your application.