Digital Communications Manager (Maternity cover) in Balloch

Join us to help shape a nature-positive, carbon-negative and thriving future for people and nature in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. As the National Park Authority, we are focused on leading bold, collaborative action with a range of partners to tackle the twin crises of climate change and nature loss and create a thriving, welcoming place for all.

Salary: £39,130-£46,856 (Band D) per annum

Working Hours: 35 hours per week

Contract: maternity cover, 15-month fixed term

Location: Balloch, with hybrid working model in place

The Role:

Are you a strategic, creative digital communicator looking for a way to use your skills to deliver meaningful work? At Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority, we’re seeking an experienced Digital Communications Manager to provide maternity cover on a 15-month fixed term contract. The successful candidate will lead the transformation of our digital presence, bringing the diverse work the organisation is involved in to life, inspiring diverse audiences with our mission to become a nature-positive, carbon-negative, thriving National Park.

This is a unique opportunity to shape and deliver high-impact digital content strategies, oversee major projects like the testing and launch of our new website and its ongoing development, and drive user-focused content that inspires action and engagement for people and planet. Working at the heart of a creative team within an ambitious organisation, you’ll collaborate with passionate colleagues and stakeholders, using your skills in applying digital-first thinking, user insight and accessibility best practice.

If you’ve got digital expertise, whether from client-side or digital agency roles, and are looking to use that expertise in a role with real purpose, this is your chance to lead change that matters.

Responsibilities:

• Oversee the delivery and ongoing development of a new, accessible National Park Authority website, managing external suppliers, leading an internal project team using Agile methodologies and ensuring a user-centred approach throughout.
• Overseeing the creation and delivery of content outputs for digital channels that are high quality, consistent in brand and tone of voice and adhere to best practice guidelines on content design, accessibility and usability.
• Work with the Media and Campaigns Manager to develop and deliver integrated campaigns and ‘always on’ communications activity that supports National Park priorities and meets user needs.
• Collaborate with teams across the organisation and external partners and stakeholders to mine for ‘good stories’ and content opportunities that support the team and organisation’s wider strategic objectives.
• Co-develop internal communications outputs, reviewing existing tools to ensure that our staff and our Board Members are kept up to date with the broad spectrum of work that the National Park Authority is involved in.
• In tandem with the Media and Campaigns manager and wider team, contribute to the delivery of the National Park Partnership Plan, Corporate Plan and engagement on other strategic work, supporting as required with the engagement of audiences.
• Embed best practice in digital engagement and accessibility within the team and across the organisation, using insight on the latest industry developments and learning from evaluating our work.
• Embedding and continually improving a content governance framework to enable content owners/writers in other internal teams to deliver accessible and engaging content for our new website.
• Ensure ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness of digital communications activity, ensuring goals and metrics are set for each owned channel and individual campaigns.
• Provide advice and support where required to other Operational Managers and our Executive team on digital projects, development of policies and strategies which have a digital focus.
• Manage budgets for digital projects and content creation and when required, lead on targeted digital and social media campaigns, both organic and paid-for.
• This role involves some line management responsibility and active contribution to the ongoing development of the team and its work.
• Undertake any other duties appropriate to the grade as required.

Who we are looking for:

Your skills, abilities and experience should include:

• Experience of delivering digital projects including website design and delivery.
• Experience of planning and delivering strategic digital communications campaigns, ensuring integration and alignment with offline communications and engagement work.
• Experience of applying user insight to develop communications strategies and evaluating effectiveness using the appropriate tools.
• Experience of motivating and leading team members in a busy, fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrable experience successfully managing a variety of projects including those involving multiple digital suppliers/specialists.
• Understanding of content design principles.
• Proficient in managing and updating Content Management Systems, alongside experience providing clear guidance and training to others on effective system use.
• Understanding of user-centred design principles.
• Articulate with excellent interpersonal and influencing skills.
• Proactive self-starter with initiative to use feedback and insight to continually improve work.
• Degree in digital, communications or a related discipline; or equivalent level of management experience within a digital communications role.
• Hands-on experience creating and optimising paid and organic digital campaigns, combined with proficient GA4 analytical skills and the ability to articulate digital metric/event tracking requirements to agency partners.

Ideally, but not essentially, you’ll also have:

• Experience of applying service design principles.
• Experience of applying and raising wider awareness of the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2/2.2AA.
• Experience in client-side digital role(s).
• Understanding of issues relating to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park and its audiences.

Who we are and our values:

We offer flexible and remote working, with a generous pension scheme and annual leave allowance. Staff have access to wellbeing services and there is a strong focus on wellbeing throughout the organisation. Being part of Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park Authority means being passionate about what you do, working hard to inspire and lead the way for others. We care about each other and are accessible and friendly treating each other with respect and understanding, we think about our planet with each decision we make. Together, we are the difference.

Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park Authority are proud to celebrate difference. Diversity of experience is vital in our success we want our business to be representative to the communities we work alongside. As an equal opportunity employer, we actively encourage applicants from a wide range of individuals, irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, gender identity and expression, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.