Communications Manager

Be part of the Department for Business and Trade’s (DBT) mission to drive more trade and investment between North America and the UK. With a mature, high-spending consumer market, an open, liberal economy, world-class talent, and a business-friendly regulatory environment, the UK is the leading destination for foreign investment in Europe and the second-highest investment destination in the world. The UK is also the world’s sixth-largest importer and second-largest services exporter.

We employ over 150 people across North America, all united by our vision of a future where we champion open and fair global trading that drives growth, creates better jobs and higher wages, and improves living standards in the UK and worldwide. We seek talented team members with the passion and drive to help us in our mission to build a global appetite for British goods and services, drive investment, negotiate trade deals and open up markets, improve international trading standards, and fight unfair trading practices (see www.gov.uk/DIT).

Main purpose of job:

Develop and implement an annual media and communications plan to promote UK trade and investment interests within Canada, directly supporting the Department for Business and Trade’s objectives. This comprehensive plan will drive lead generation and highlight trade and investment successes through diverse communication strategies, including media engagements, press briefings, and targeted social media activity. Analysing the Canadian media landscape and social media trends to provide senior leaders with strategic communications advice for maximising their reach and impact.

We tell our story effectively and engagingly, explaining why it is important and supporting the overall objective to drive UK trade and investment. As part of the Department of Business and Trade’s North American network, the Communications team is vital in promoting and supporting DBT activity to various stakeholders.

We use our owned communications channels and earn media coverage to highlight our network’s work to remove trade barriers, help UK and Canadian businesses grow, and promote the UK as a top destination for international investment.

The communication team works closely with media outlets and partners across Canada and the UK to ensure our messages land with our target audience and measure the outcomes of our communications activity. The team has delivered a variety of high-profile activities, from ministerial visits to tradeshows and trade missions, resulting in a wide range of media coverage and generating trade and investment leads.
Roles and responsibilities:

• Develop and execute strategic insight-led campaigns that ignite interest in UK trade and investment across Canada, leading the delivery of the DBT Canada comms plan and supporting core scripts.
• Produce high-quality written content for external communications channels, including social media, and work with international, regional and consumer media to deliver stories that extend our reach to new audiences.
• Capture captivating photographs and videos of high-level events and visits, fuelling the narrative across various channels.
• Creating engaging social media posts to high-quality content creation using platforms like Canva, you’ll command a diverse storytelling toolkit.
• Support the delivery of impactful events across Canada and trade missions, showcasing the UK’s strengths.
• Work with the Head of Communications, DBT North America and FCDO Head of Communications to forge vital partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, media partners, and government officials to amplify your message.
• Be a strategic communication advisor and empower the DBT Head of Canada with insightful communication strategies, ensuring their voice resonates with target audiences.
• Champion collaboration by connecting the teams across the DBT, FCDO, and other organizations worldwide, building lasting relationships to achieve shared goals.
• Manage work to a deadline, focusing on delivering campaign objectives.
• Work with other team members to evaluate and report campaign progress and outcomes and embed learning into ongoing work.
• Work together with Internal Comms to highlight the collaboration of DBT staff in comms projects.
• Support cross-team projects to advance UK economic and trade policy goals.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Resources managed: 

This role will have no management responsibilities but will be responsible for the collective management of the DBT North America MarComms budget for associated costs.

• Adaptable, collaborative, and strong team player able to work at pace.
• Great communication skills
• Previous professional experience of producing content for a variety of channels and experience of media relations.
• Strong written skills and the ability to get to grips with complex trade policy issues.
• Content capture capabilities (smartphone) and basic editing on platforms such as Canva.
• Creativity and keenness to develop and deliver innovative, low and no cost external communication campaigns, using earned media coverage, digital and internal channels.
• Proactive, with good organisational and planning skills.
• Able to develop good working relationships inside and outside HMG network.
• Understanding of insight, data, and evaluation to measure and inform communications outcomes and a keenness to act on results to improve future activity.
• Confident presenting and giving advice to senior stakeholders.
• Experience of producing content for a variety of media outlets and digital platforms.
• Enthusiasm for working for the UK Government and with international partners.
• Understanding of the media landscape in Canada

Language requirements: 

Language: English

Level of language required: primary language – excellent.