Full Time - Fixed Term for 12 Months
As a key part of the Digital team, you will promote the Council’s websites, raising internal and external awareness of the information that is available and increasing take-up of online services. To this end you will produce, edit, and maintain high quality, customer focused, online information about the Council’s services for publication on the website.
We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.
We are open to flexible working patterns and can provide a hybrid working environment which utilises the best of both worlds with a mix of office working in central Reading and homeworking according to the needs of the Service.
About the role
With the Digital and Website Manager, promote, within the Council, the profile and value of professional web communications and ensure that the work of the team and the services it provides are positively communicated and understood internally.
Main duties and responsibilities
- Research, write and edit content for the website
- Apply user experience principles
- Carry out user testing and use metrics to optimise content
- Choose the best format to display information to the user
- Act as editorial control for web copy submitted by the Council’s staff for publication on the website
- Maintain and review the Council’s editorial guidelines/web standards
- Retrospectively apply the website standards to published pages
You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.
Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:
Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do
Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential
Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way
Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed
About you
The following experience is required for this role:
- Running creative on and offline promotional campaigns from initiation through to evaluation
- Writing strong and creative promotional copy for on and offline publications
- Hands-on experience in the day-to-day maintenance and development of websites
- using graphical software with an appreciation of web colours, image resolutions, graphic positioning and manipulation
- Understanding and experience of delivering successful internal communications using a company intranet
- Strong IT skills with a good working knowledge of Microsoft office, web content management systems, HTML, Google Analytics, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Acrobat Professional.
- Good understanding of social media and emerging web technologies
- Project-manage elements of the Council’s Digital Strategy
Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.
A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:
- Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
- A wide range of flexible working opportunities
- Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
- Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
- Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
- On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
- Season Ticket Loan - to help with the cost of your rail/ bus journey, to & from work
- Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax
For more information on this position please contact Ade Marques, Digital & ICT Delivery Lead at ade.marques@reading.gov.uk
Closing Date: Sunday 13th August 2023
Interview Date: Week commencing 28th August 2023
Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.