Job description and selection criteria
Job title / Head of Digital CommunicationsDivision / University Administration and Services
Department / Public Affairs Directorate
Location / University Offices, Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2JD
Grade and salary / Grade 9: £43,312 - £50,186 per annum
Hours / Full time
Contract type / Permanent
Reporting to / Jeremy Harris, Director of Public Affairs
Vacancy reference
Additional information
Introduction
The University
The University of Oxford is a complex and stimulating organisation, which enjoys an international reputation as a world-class centre of excellence in research and teaching. It employs over 10,000 staff and has a student population of over 21,000.
Most staff are directly appointed and managed by one of the University’s 130 departments or other units within a highly devolved operational structure. This includes 5,900 ‘academic-related’ staff (research, IT, senior library and administrative staff) and 2,820 ‘support’ staff (including clerical, library, technical, and manual staff). There are also over 1,600 academic staff (professors, readers, lecturers), whose appointments are in the main overseen by a combination of broader divisional and local departmental structures. Academics are generally employed by one of the 38 constituent colleges of the University as well as by the central University itself.
The University’s annual income in 2011/12 was £1.016bn. Oxford is one of Europe's most innovative and entrepreneurial universities: income from external research contracts exceeds £400m pa, and more than 60 spin-off companies have been created.
For more information, visit www.ox.ac.uk.
University Administration and Services
University Administration and Services (UAS) is the collective term for the central administrative departments of the University. UAS comprises structures to:
· support the University’s core academic purposes of teaching, learning and research;
· ensure the University can meet the requirements of government, funding bodies and other external agencies; and
· facilitate the attainment of the objectives set out in the University’s Strategic Plan.
The offices of the UAS sections are spread across the city centre, with the main University Offices located in Wellington Square. For more information, visit: www.admin.ox.ac.uk.
Public Affairs Directorate
The Public Affairs Directorate is responsible for developing public understanding of the University and the University’s own understanding of the public realm in which it operates. It is also charged with promoting effective internal communication in a large and dispersed institutional structure. For more information, visit: www.ox.ac.uk/publicaffairs.
The Directorate currently comprises four teams:
1. Public Affairs Office
2. Events Office
3. Press and Information Office
4. Publications and Web Office
These areas coordinate strategic communications, internal communications, and government and community affairs; manage major University events; manage media relations and University news; produce University publications, including Oxford Today (the University alumni magazine) and the Gazette (the University’s official journal of record); and manage the content of the top levels of the University website (www.ox.ac.uk).
The Head of Digital Communications is a new role in the directorate and will be responsible for managing a fifth team, Digital Communications, which will comprise three web officers and two online media producers, who are currently part of the Publications & Web Office.
Job context
Digital platforms represent the primary channels by which Oxford reaches and engages with external audiences. The main platforms used by the Public Affairs Directorate are:
· The main University website (www.ox.ac.uk), which is the most visited site among UK higher education institutions (1.75m visitors per month). As the University’s main public-facing channel, it acts as a key interface with external audiences, from prospective students to visitors and the media. A project is underway to refresh the site’s design and information architecture and to migrate it to a new CMS (Drupal). The aim is to create a platform that will showcase content in a more dynamic and interactive way through the wider use of video, stills and social media.
· The University’s iTunes U site, which has had 20m downloads since its launch in 2008. It contains over 4.2K podcasts, and has an audience from 185 countries.
· The University’s Facebook page, which has 1m likes - the highest among all UK universities.
· The University Twitter stream, which has over 62K followers - more followers than any other university in Europe.
· The University’s YouTube site, which has over 1m views.
About the post
The Head of Digital Communications is a new post in the Public Affairs Directorate. Reporting to the Director of Public Affairs, the postholder will be responsible for the strategic planning, development, management and delivery of the University’s digital media channels and social media sites. An experienced digital editor, s/he will be responsible for commissioning, creating and overseeing the delivery of a regular stream of engaging content for the University’s digital media channels: this ranges from magazine-style features and video interviews for www.ox.ac.uk to content for the University’s range of social media channels. S/he will line-manage a team comprising 2 x web officers, 1 x assistant web officer and 2 x online media producers.
Responsibilities
· Create and implement a digital communications and social media strategy, as part of the overall Public Affairs Directorate strategy, designed to promote and enhance the reputation of the University of Oxford and support its strategic objectives.
· Deliver a regular stream of engaging and timely content across multiple digital platforms, both by creating and commissioning new content and by reusing existing content where appropriate.
· Maintain responsibility for the regular updating of the top-level pages of the University website, in particular the homepage and research landing page, in consultation with the Head of Strategic Communications.
· To lead the creation of new features and functionality for the University website and to devise engaging ways of presenting content, from the University’s Annual Review to the Undergraduate Prospectus.
· Manage the strategic and tactical use of social media to ensure messaging is consistent and that inaccurate or potentially damaging comment is countered quickly and effectively.
· Line-manage the digital communications team, setting priorities, scoping requirements for new activity, managing workflow and ensuring that projects are delivered to schedule.
· Manage the budget for the digital communications team and ensure that expenditure is in line with the budget.
· Work closely with colleagues across Public Affairs to ensure the effective integration of digital media into all major communications activity and initiatives.
· Set standards and ensure best practice in the creation and delivery of digital content, and provide expert advice on digital communications to other areas of the University.
· Maintain brand and message consistency across digital channels.
· Assess the effectiveness of digital communications at Oxford by implementing and overseeing a systematic process of monitoring and evaluation.
· Review emerging technologies and new developments in digital media to ensure the University’s communication objectives are delivered as effectively as possible.
Selection criteria
Essential
· Educated to degree level or equivalent.
· Proven track-record of developing successful and creative multi-channel digital communications strategies.
· Demonstrable expertise in shaping, planning and delivering online content for a wide range of audiences across multiple digital platforms.
· Proven record of good editorial judgement in a news media context.
· Demonstrable record of creative approaches and solutions to digital media challenges.
· A skilled project manager, with proven experience of managing complex editorial and digital workflow planning.
· Outstanding writing, editing and proof-reading skills, with the ability to produce high-quality accurate work to tight deadlines and adapt editorial style to a wide range of audiences.
· Sound understanding of search engine optimisation, web analytics and content management systems.
· Sound understanding of digital user behaviour and customer journeys and the ability to apply these insights to develop more user-friendly experiences.
· In-depth knowledge of current developments and trends affecting online media and digital technologies.
· Highly organised, with the ability to prioritise and handle multiple tasks simultaneously while meeting competing deadlines.
· Resilient, calm and effective under pressure, with the ability to respond swiftly to a challenge and exercise good judgment.
· Strong people management skills, with the ability to lead, manage and motivate a team.
· Well-developed interpersonal and advocacy skills, with the ability to foster strong relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
· Ability to plan and monitor budgetary matters, including preparing and working to budgets and the administration of expenditure.
Desirable
· Experience of working in a large and complex organisation.
· Experience of working in the higher education sector
· Knowledge of the University of Oxford
Working at the University of Oxford
For further information about working at Oxford, please see: www.ox.ac.uk/about_the_university/jobs/professionalandmanagement/
How to apply
If you consider that you meet the selection criteria, click on the Apply Now button on the ‘Job Details’ page and follow the on-screen instructions to register as a user. You will then be required to complete a number of screens with your application details, relating to your skills and experience. When prompted, please provide details of two referees and indicate whether we can contact them at this stage. You will also be required to upload a CV and supporting statement.The supporting statement should describe what you have been doing over at least the last 10 years. This may have been employment, education, or you may have taken time away from these activities in order to raise a family, care for a dependant, or travel for example. Your application will be judged solely on the basis of how you demonstrate that that you meet the selection criteria outlined above and we are happy to consider evidence of transferable skills or experience which you may have gained outside the context of paid employment or education.
Please save all uploaded documents to show your name and the document type.
All applications must be received by midday on the closing date stated in the online advertisement.
Information for Priority Candidates
A priority candidate is a University employee who is seeking redeployment owing to the fact that he or she has been advised that they are at risk of redundancy, or on grounds of ill-health/disability. Priority candidates are issued with a redeployment letter by their employing departments and this letter must be attached to any application they submit.
The priority application date for this post is [time UK time on Day Date Month year]
Full details of the priority application process are available at: www.admin.ox.ac.uk/personnel/end/red/redproc/prioritycandidate
Should you experience any difficulties using the online application system, please email
To return to the online application at any stage, please click on the following link www.recruit.ox.ac.uk
Please note that you will be notified of the progress of your application by automatic e-mails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk mail regularly to ensure that you receive all emails.
4