Communications Manager

Salary: £31,000 - £35,000 p.a depending on experience - negotiable for more senior applicants

Full time or part-time applications welcome

Garden Court North Chambers is a highly successful barristers’ Chambers committed to the advancement of social justice through adherence to the rule of law and the promotion of fundamental rights. Members of Chambers specialise in inquests & public inquiries, immigration & asylum, Court of Protection, family, housing, protest rights and public law.

We are seeking a dynamic new staff member to manage the communications and promotional activities of Chambers, through our website and social media platforms, but also by incorporating training and promotional events, and by developing media engagement.

Full time hours of work are 9am to 6pm Monday to Thursday, 9am to 5.30pm Friday. Work outside of core hours may be required for events. Part time and flexible working applications are welcome.

Job Description

The successful applicant will line-managed by and work closely with the Head of Practice Management (HoPM). It is essential though that they are self-motivated and can work independently.

Key tasks

To establish and maintain a communications strategy and plan for Chambers, utilising the latest in digital communication methods.

To manage the promotional activities of Chambers, its Practice Teams, and individual members, by managing and developing:
- Its website and social media,
- Webinars, podcasts and other digital training methods,
- In-person training and promotional events.
To assist the HoPM by promoting Chambers to professional clients.
To manage the promotion of Chambers via the media.
To manage and promote engagement with legal associations, charities and NGOs to further the ethos and business of Chambers.
To promote Chambers and its members to relevant legal directories.
To assist with the development and promotion of campaigns organised or joined by Chambers.
To undertake internal communication work building a culture of engagement across Chambers.

The above tasks will include:

Identifying newsworthy cases and issues upon which Chambers may wish to engage, including through liaising closely with members of Chambers and the Practice Management Team (PMgT) to identify notable cases and issues upon which we may wish to engage.
Working under the direction of the HoPM to assist in the practice development of individual members.
Engaging barrister members and pupils to produce high quality training and promotional material for the website and social media, including content production such as webinars, podcasts and vlogs.
Ensuring the website is:
- Accessible, attractive, interesting and as useful as possible to our professional and lay clients,
- Optimised to achieve top search engine ranking,
- Up to date, with members’ pages regularly reviewed, and news items frequently added,
- A source of training materials and information relating to our work and ethos, including webinars, vlogs, blogs and ‘how to’ guides.
Ensuring a variety of social media platforms are utilised to optimise the footprint of Chambers, and to promote news about Chambers’ cases and other activities as quickly, professionally and as widely as possible.
Identifying potential new clients to the PMgT and assisting them in the promotion of Chambers.
Maintaining and developing professional client contact lists, mailing lists and databases, in conjunction with the Practice Teams and PMgT.
Coordinating, advertising and managing training and promotional events in conjunction with Practice Teams and the PMgT. This to include maximising outcomes from events.
Liaising with outside bodies, including legal associations, charities and NGOs to promote the engagement of members of Chambers and the standing of Chambers as a whole.
Managing the use of Chambers seminar facilities for ethos-compatible third-party events.
In conjunction with the HoPM and individual members, coordinating and drafting submissions to legal directories.
Developing and maintaining effective relationships with journalists, media outlets and prominent actors in the human rights field to optimise the exposure of members and Chambers as a whole.
Maintaining and developing promotional material for Chambers to reflect and promote its ethos.
Assisting with the production of Chambers promotional material, including sophisticated marketing materials by utilising the latest advertising platforms optimised for social media.
Monitoring, evaluating and reporting on key communications activities, to help refine and improve the strategy.
Working to a budget set by the Chambers’ AGM and reporting to the Staffing / Planning Committee and Chambers’ Meetings as requested.

Person Specification

The individual will have:

A clear understanding and commitment to the ethos of Chambers.
Experience of developing and maintaining an organisational communications strategy.
A strong technical understanding of website and social media platform management and content production.
Experience of the use of a range of digital communications for promotion and development.
The ability to draft clear, engaging copy and undertake editing, under pressure.
Strong interpersonal skills.
The ability to work both in a team and on own initiative.
The ability to think creatively and demonstrate a very high level of attention to detail.
Strong administrative and organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise.

The successful applicant will be confident and articulate, and may have relevant experience in the NGO, international organisation, development or charity sector. A general understanding of the way the legal profession is organised and works will be helpful but not essential.

More information

Garden Court North Chambers occupies a modern spacious premises in Blackfriars House, a Bruntwood Works pioneer building offering a collaborative working space with a library and podcast room, a high-spec auditorium and a communal lounge and independent coffee shop.

We offer excellent working conditions in a friendly and modern environment; training opportunities; annual pay reviews; a contributory pension scheme; and 25 days paid annual holiday in addition to statutory bank holidays and any weekdays when Chambers is closed.

Applications

To apply for this post please submit a covering letter and CV via the “Apply now” button below.

The covering letter is your opportunity to tell us why you would like to work at Garden Court North Chambers and to highlight the skills and experience you have which make you a suitable candidate for this role.

Applications without a CV and covering letter will not be considered.

For an informal discussion, further information or to request that any reasonable adjustment be made in relation to your application, please contact:

Annmarie Nightingale
Head of Practice Management
anightingale@gcnchambers.co.uk
0161 817 6377

The deadline for applications is 9am on Wednesday 15 May 2024. This vacancy may close earlier if a high volume of applications is received or once a suitable candidate is found, therefore we strongly recommend that you apply early to avoid disappointment. If you require more time to apply as part of a reasonable adjustment, please contact Annmarie Nightingale as soon as possible.

Chambers is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion at the Bar and as an employer.

Closing date: 15/05/2024

Apply now

Chambers operates an equal opportunities policy and is happy to make reasonable adjustments to enable disabled candidates to demonstrate their suitability for the above position.