P/T Communications Assistant in Ipswich

JOB TITLE: Part-time communications assistant
JOB LOCATION: Ipswich
JOB TYPE: Long term temp contract - until end of March 2027
JOB HOURS: 20 hours per week worked across 3, 4 or 5 days
JOB PAY: £13.45 per hour
JOB WORKING: On site - no working from home

Your new company
You'll be joining the team responsible for delivering highway maintenance and improvement services across Suffolk on behalf of Suffolk County Council. The Suffolk Highways contract began in October 2023 and has an initial term of 10 years, with the potential to extend for a further 10 years.
This is a newly created position offering the opportunity to work with a wide variety of stakeholders, including customers, local councillors, members of the public, local businesses and neighbouring highways authorities.

Your new role
Reporting to the Communications Manager, you'll support the delivery of proactive and reactive communications across the Suffolk Highways contract. Your work will help ensure that residents, businesses and road users receive clear, timely information and a high standard of service.
Your responsibilities will include:
* Receiving, recording and responding to enquiries from members of the public and other stakeholders
* Managing complaints in line with Suffolk County Council's Complaints Policy
* Monitoring customer feedback to identify trends and opportunities for improvement
* Supporting the Communications Manager with communications and social value projects
* Helping operational teams communicate planned programmes of work effectively
* Assisting with internal and external communications, including employee campaigns
* Supporting the delivery of the Stakeholder Management Plan and Communications Plan
* Contributing ideas to improve customer service and public perception of Suffolk Highways

What you'll need to succeed
You'll need previous experience in a public-facing role where you have dealt directly with customers, members of the public or other external stakeholders.
It is particularly important that you can demonstrate:
* Experience of responding to enquiries clearly and professionally
* A proven ability to manage complaints with compassion, consideration and a practical approach to finding resolutions
* Strong written communication skills, with the ability to adapt information for different audiences
* Confidence dealing with a broad range of stakeholders, including members of the public and local councillors
* Effective influencing skills and the ability to communicate clearly in potentially sensitive situations
* Experience of working towards agreed action plans or service improvement programmes
* Good organisational skills and the ability to record information accurately
* A forward-thinking approach, with the ability to suggest realistic and workable improvements

What you'll get in return
You'll join a long-term, high-profile contract where your work will have a visible impact on customers and communities across Suffolk. This is a varied communications role offering exposure to customer engagement, stakeholder management, internal communications and public service delivery.
You'll also have the opportunity to help shape a newly created position and contribute ideas that improve how the service communicates with the people and organisations it supports.

What you need to do now
If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.

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