Role description: Communications

Position:Communication Advisor

Position status and location:These are permanent positions based in our Wellington office.

Reporting to:National secretary

Staff reports:None

Cost Code sign-off:6030

Date:January 2018

Purpose of this position

The primaryrole of the Communications area is to take a pro-active approach to providing communications and resource materials to inform and educate members and build campaigns both within the union and with the wider community.

The team

The team consists of four positions working in separate but overlapping roles. These roles focus on the following areas but are expected to cover and support each other as required:

  • Media liaison
  • Graphic design
  • website/intranet/multimedia
  • Publications and resources

Working relationships

Internal / Internal democratic structure / External
All staff / PSA members and delegates / Service Providers

Communications – Team

Key Accountabilities

/ Activities

Participate constructively in their team

/
  • Work collegially and co-operatively within the wider PSA

Provide support for each other

Comply with PSA policies and strategies

  • Attend team meetings
  • Actively participate in all team activities
  • Respect each other’s view on matters
  • keep team members informed
  • Decision making by consensus
  • Ensure effective and timely handover
  • Maintain a balance between the autonomy of individual responsibility and team responsibility

Contribute to the mentoring/buddying of less-experienced staff

Communications – Media advisor

Key Accountabilities

/ Activities

Media liaison and campaign

/
  • To advise on media relations and systems of communicating with the media
  • Strategically exercising judgement as to when and on what issues a media release or media contact is appropriate
  • Having key staff responsibility for PSA media campaigns
  • To prepare and distribute media statements
  • To assist with briefing of spokespersons
  • To coordinate media contact over campaigns and issues
  • To monitor PSA’s media relations
  • To observe communication standards
  • To advise the National Secretaries and Assistant secretaries on appropriate and effective means of establishing and maintaining good relations with media, politicians and employers,
  • Taking calls from journalists
  • Building and maintaining relationships with journalists
  • Briefing journalists on the PSA position
  • Managing media opportunities such as campaigns, launches, particular days or events, government announcements, legislation and affiliate news
  • Building and maintaining relationships with appropriate stakeholders, such as affiliates, union communications people, government media staff, media staff in appropriate government departments and in social justice organisations

Communications – website/intranet/multimedia[1]

Key Accountabilities

/ Activities

Manage PSA website

/
  • Business owner of the PSA website
  • Edit, update and maintain the website to ensure information is up to date and relevant
  • Produce web content – generate copy and gather copy from other sources
  • Continuous development of the PSA website to engage members and others
  • Provide information, and presentations to staff and others
  • Liaise with external web developer and IS team to ensure effective functioning of the website

Manage PSA intranet

/
  • Business owner of the PSA intranet
  • Promote and grow the use of the intranet
  • Write content, edit, update and maintain the intranet to ensure information is up to date and relevant
  • Continuous development of the PSA intranet to ensure it is useful for staff
  • Provide information, training and presentations to staff
  • Liaise with SharePoint external developer and IS team to ensure effective functioning of the intranet
  • Manage site settings and permissions

Online and multimedia campaign support

/
  • Investigate and recommend use of online and multimedia technologies to support PSA communications and campaigns
  • Develop and manage social media usage
  • Produce photography, video and other techniques to support campaigns
  • Ensure website is an active campaign tool
  • Provide information, training and presentations to staff

Communications – Graphic designer

Key Accountabilities

/ Activities

Manage PSA brand

/
  • Offer guidance and advice to staff on best use of PSA brand colours, logo use, etc
  • Develop and innovate new designs, merchandise, and visual ideas for the PSA to keep our look fresh and relevant for members

Graphic and layout support

/
  • Design and layout both internal and external publications and graphics, consistent with PSA communications standards and guidelines
  • Provide graphic support as needed to meet core PSA objectives, as well as supporting our Networks, PSA Plus, Te Rūnanga and other parts of the PSA as needed
  • Provide design expertise and advise to other staff as needed

Print and production

/
  • Key relationship holder with print suppliers
  • Organise and undertake printing of quarterly magazine, union resources, merchandise, clothing orders

Communications – Publications and resources

Key Accountabilities

/ Activities

Periodic publications

/
  • Editor of Working Life, the PSA Journal
  • Editor of PSA News, the monthly on-line newsletter
  • Responsible for production of the annual report

Resource development

/
  • Development of resources for organising, delegate development and other campaigns and projects as required

Recruitment material

/
  • Working with others in the development of recruitment material

Other direct member communications

/
  • Responding to requests for communications from staff as required e.g. newsletters to members on bargaining, and sector and Rūnanga newsletters

General writing

/
  • Writing for the web and social media as required
  • Other writing as required

Person Specification

Skills/Attributes

  • Good communication and interpersonal skills
  • Excellent writing skills
  • Excellent editorial skills
  • Excellent range of communication skills
  • Think strategically
  • Strong ability to analyse political issues and situations
  • Establishing and maintaining relationships with internal and external stakeholders
  • Understands and advances the political nature of the PSA’s work
  • Appropriately assesses situations for strategic opportunities within the PSA
  • Understands the role and value of unions in current economic and political environments
  • Work methodically, systematically and with an eye for detail
  • Be approachable and customer focussed
  • Reconcile records
  • Work accurately
  • Work to deadlines
  • Convey the intended viewpoint to an intended audience
  • The enthusiasm to champion, grow and develop an Intranet

Knowledge

Note: these knowledge areas apply to the team as a whole and no single member of the team will be expected to cover the full range

  • Knowledge of website maintenance
  • HTML knowledge sufficient to read and tweak
  • Knowledge of LAN, WAN and Internet delivery
  • Basic understanding of technical network components and set up
  • Knowledge of social media
  • Knowledge of the role communications plays in campaigns
  • Knowledge of the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, especially in design
  • Knowledge of typographic layout, design principles and composition
  • Knowledge of printing and prepress
  • Knowledge of Microsoft Word and Power Point
  • Basic web admin skills
  • Knowledge of editorial processes
  • Knowledge of silver stripe

Working at the PSA

PSA Employment Principles

The management of the PSA is committed to being a good employer and providing a quality working environment; a process of constructive engagement with staff through their unions; and operating fair, transparent and consistent employment processes and good faith principles.

Our organisational values

The PSA takes a strategic approach to unionism and our organisation values are:

  • Collectivity and solidarity;
  • trust and integrity;
  • accountability.

Leadership and Management style in the PSA

The PSA aims to achieve an optimal balance between an empowering leadership style and ensuring sufficient accountability for achieving the strategic outcomes of the union.

By empowering leadership style we mean encouraging people and teams to take individual and collective responsibility for making appropriate decisions within their sphere of influence and to manage their work effectively. The PSA has staff working in teams with a dual emphasis on self management and team work. Within the context of the PSA’s team based approach to work, an empowering style means developing the ability of teams to co-ordinate and control their work and to work effectively with others to achieve the union’s strategic goals.

National and Assistant Secretaries hold management accountabilities which enable them to make appropriate decisions whilst being mindful of the PSA employment principles.

Treaty of Waitangi

The PSA affirms the te Tiriti o Waitangi/the Treaty of Waitangi as the founding document of Aotearoa, New Zealand and is committed to the Treaty principles of partnership, protection and participation in activities pursuant to the purpose and objects of the union as they relate to the working lives of members.

Professional Development

PSA staff members will attend to their own personal and professional development and provide collegial support to co-workers and contribute to the mentoring of less experienced staff. Staff will also participate in individual and collective professional development.

Health and safety

Every staff shall take all practicable steps to ensure his/her safety at work and that no action or inaction of the staff causes harm to any other person.

[1]This role works closely with the IS team