We’re Hiring! Communications & Events Officer

The Centre for Cross Border Studies seeks to appoint a talented and proactive Communications and Events Officer to join the team.

The Communications and Events Officer will promote the Centre’s work through its website and social media, monitor engagement, and organise events, including conferences and seminars.

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Background:

The Centre for Cross Border Studies runs several projects and activities involving a range of partners and stakeholders that seek to strengthen cross-border relations and cooperation on a North-South and East-West basis.

Their Strategic Partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Reconciliation Fund (2022-2024), the “Maintaining the Conditions for Cooperation and Cross-Border Lives” project has three core strands, which include the Ad-Hoc Group for North-South and East-West Cooperation, and the New Common Charter for Cooperation Within and Between these Islands.

Through the Ad-Hoc Group for North-South and East-West Cooperation, which the Centre convenes, the project supports civic society organisations from both jurisdictions on the island of Ireland involved in North-South cooperation to engage with those responsible for the implementation of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland and other relevant parties with responsibility for cross-border cooperation in order to arrive at a shared perspective of the conditions for North-South cooperation and the extent to which these are being maintained.

The New Common Charter for Cooperation Within and Between these Islands aims to empower civic society to drive cooperation, North-South and East-West. Developed by community organisations on the island of Ireland, with involvement of organisations from Great Britain, the Charter represents a set of key principles for civic society organisations participating in North-South and/or East-West cooperation.
Additionally, the Centre’s CBenACT project, supported by the International Fund for Ireland, is working to build capacity for cross-border cooperation with community organisations, and to strengthen support for such cooperation within the communities they serve.

The Centre for Cross Border Studies was set up in 1999 as an independent research and development centre to stimulate new thinking and action on North-South and cross-border cooperation on the island of Ireland. Since that time, it has established a unique reputation as a source of high-quality research, information and training on cross-border and transnational cooperation issues.

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The Role:
In this role, The Communications and Events Officer will collaborate with the Director and colleagues to promote the Centre’s work through its website and social media. You will also be tasked with tracking engagement and help plan external events, both online and in-person, such as conferences and seminars.

Responsibilities:

• Maintain and enhance the public image of the Centre for Cross Border Studies in collaboration with the Director and colleagues.
• Monitor user engagement on the Centre’s website and social media platforms, including Facebook and LinkedIn.
• Update and manage the Centre’s website and social media content, incorporating input from colleagues and generating content when necessary.
• Oversee the publication of various materials, including Briefing Papers, annual and research reports, articles, and The Journal of Cross Border Studies in Ireland.
• Coordinate the monthly publication of the Centre’s Borderzine, curating content and managing the contacts database.
• Organize, promote, and oversee the Centre’s events, both online and in-person, such as conferences, seminars, workshops, roundtables, and meetings, in consultation with the Director and colleagues.

Essential Criteria:

• 3 A-levels with grades B or above (or equivalent) and a minimum of three years’ experience in a similar role. OR An Honors degree with an equivalent of 2.1 or above and a minimum of one year’s experience in a similar role.
• Experience in creating content for websites or ezines.
• Professional use of social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook in a non-personal setting.
• Proficiency in managing the publication of reports, articles, and promotional materials using software such as Adobe Creative, Adobe Spark, etc.
• Regular usage of MS Office software including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Experience in organizing both in-person meetings and events.
• Familiarity with organizing online meetings and events using platforms like Zoom or other similar tools.

Competencies:
Ideally, the successful candidate will be familiar with the following software packages, although the Centre may consider using alternatives, so please include any relevant experience in your application:

• Website – WordPress
• Borderzine – Mailchimp
• Events – Zoom, MS Teams and YouTube streaming
• Digital content – Adobe Spark

Disposition and motivation:

• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to engage with a wide range of people
• Readiness to work cooperatively and supportively – and to strict deadlines – as part of a small, dynamic team
• Willingness to work flexibly to meet the requirements of the post
• Willingness and ability to travel to meetings and events in Ireland, Northern Ireland and occasionally outside the island of Ireland as required
• Access to a car or other suitable form of transport (if it is necessary to meet the essential requirements of the post)

Desirable Criteria:

• A-levels with grades B or above (or equivalent) OR an Honors degree with an equivalent of 2.1 or above in disciplines relevant to the post.
• Proficiency in maintaining and updating websites.
• Experience working with community-based organizations.
• Ability to manage the regular production and distribution of an ezine.
• Knowledge of cross-border bodies and related issues.
• Strong dedication to and understanding of the significance of cross-border and all-island cooperation, with a firm belief in its role in advancing peace and reconciliation in Ireland.

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Salary:
This position offers a basic salary of £23,754 – £27,979 (depending on experience) with participation in a Retirement Benefits Plan.

Please note: This role is a full-time (35 Hours), permanent position subject to on-going funding working Monday – Thursday 9am-5pm and Friday 9am-4pm. The Centre for Cross Border Studies is based in Armagh, although a hybrid working policy is currently in place with 3 to 4 days working from home and 1 to 2 days in the office.
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*Closing date for applications for this role is Monday 16th October. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews, which are scheduled to take place on Monday 23rd October in-person at their head office.*

Please note: All applications will be processed upon their receipt and not after the job advert closing date therefore we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role, should this occur the provisional interview date may be brought forward. Therefore if you are interested in the position, we strongly advise submitting your application as early as possible.

If you would like to confirm the current application status prior to applying for the role please contact Happy Jobs NI directly at hello@happyjobsni.com or on 02890995808.

Apply now!