Communications Officer

20th February 2023

Role:                                      Communications Officer

Reports to:                         Communications Manager

Line manager:                   Operations and Communications Director

Salary:                                   £35,000

Location:                             Sci-Tech Daresbury with a flexible policy to support home working

Contract:                            37.5 hours per week; permanent, full-time

 

This is an exciting time to join MCS: in 2022, we reported exceptional growth and we now must continue to ensure we are at the heart of the UK’s drive to meet net-zero carbon by 2050.

Domestic energy is playing a huge part in achieving this target. However, deciding to invest in renewable energy remains a big step for many people; made more confusing by jargon and complicated financial models. MCS aims to cut through difficult language and complex processes as a way of ‘Giving people confidence in home-grown energy.’

The successful Communications Officer candidate will help us to deliver this head on. You’ll be a problem-solver, with the skills and proven experience across the integrated communications function.

You’ll be able to create and deploy communications as a lever for change: from building influential relationships with key stakeholders or engaging with colleagues, to crafting powerful copy and running targeted social media campaigns to drive behaviour change.

In doing so, you will play a vital role in creating and delivering high-quality, inspiring multi-channel content using the MCS brand voice and translating intricate technical detail into succinct, clear messages.

You will be digitally fluent, with a detailed, working knowledge of the online communications function. Gathering insight, producing content, reaching audiences, evaluating your work: all of this is key. You’ll also oversee the MCS case study database to seek new ways to showcase the value and impact of our work on people and communities.

The Communications Officer will manage our partners in a timely manner, including our PR agency, website developers and designers.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious candidate who can demonstrate excellent judgement, creativity, and strategic thinking, with a keen eye on results and the bigger picture.

 

Main role and responsibilities

  • Embody the MCS brand and act as its advocate for the company; ensuring that all brand guidelines are always followed. You will ensure that all MCS communications are ‘on message’ and adopt the right tone for different audiences.
  • Deliver strong, innovative, and creative communications through research; writing, editing and proofreading; dissemination across multiple channels.
  • Plan, develop and deliver marketing and communications plans and campaigns for selected target audiences to support core projects and objectives.
  • Manage the design, production, and distribution of communications materials, using both online and offline channels.
  • Assist our Digital Executive to develop and update the MCS website, creating content is relevant, up-to-date, fully optimised and engaging.
  • Work with our Digital Executive to manage the MCS social media, including producing dynamic content, liaising with the company to issue key updates, and assisting with installer/consumers queries.
  • Oversee day-to-day PR activity in conjunction with our PR agency, including feeding through relevant newsworthy stories; briefing activity; managing approvals internally and with stakeholders; reporting.
  • Assist our Events & Marketing Coordinator with the planning, promotion, and delivery of internal and external events, including our calendar of industry webinars, trade shows and company away days.
  • Implement effective internal and contractor communications outputs, including creating and managing e-shots, newsletters, and other direct methods.
  • Provide informed advice and guidance in relation to MCS’s communication channels, media and PR to the wider team at all levels.
  • Delegation of tasks to other team members, including direct management of Communications Assistant tasks
  • Uphold and work within MCS policies and procedures.
  • Actively promote and embody MCS’s core values, mission, vision and drive to ‘give people confidence in home-grown energy’ across the organisation and partners.

 

 

About MCS

MCS certifies contractors, low-carbon products, and installations used to produce electricity and heat from renewable sources, including solar panels and heat pumps.

Small-scale renewable energy – what MCS calls ‘home-grown energy’ – is increasingly affordable and gives people the opportunity to heat or power their home themselves, reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

Something that’s ‘home-grown’ is also something you can take pride in. By encouraging people to invest in renewable energy technology, we aim to make a real contribution to the global fight against climate change and help the UK meet its recent commitment to achieving zero carbon emissions by 2050 – while creating new green jobs in the process.

MCS experienced its most successful year to date in 2022, with record numbers of certified solar PV and heat pump installations. We are building on that strong foundation in 2023 and beyond.

As an MCS employee, you will have the ability to demonstrate, understand and apply our company values. These are embedded in all roles across the business, and you should evidence these values as part of the application process:

  • Expert 
  • Inspiring 
  • Collaborative
  • Principled
  • Determined

 

Our communications team

The six-strong, growing communications team is group of dynamic and creative professionals comprising Operations and Communications Director, Communications Manager, Communications Officer, Events Coordinator, Digital Communications Executive and Communications Assistant.

We support everyone across our business with producing creating vibrant content that positively engages with our stakeholders, including installers, manufacturers, consumers, and policymakers.

Our communications function is at the heart of our operations; helping us to showcase the very best of our standards, installer community and industry-leading insight. We are ambitious for the future, driven to innovate and stand out.

This role is fast paced, intellectually stimulating, and multi-skilled. As Communications Officer, you will play an integral part in ensuring our messages reach the right audiences in a timely and effective manner. A talented ‘people person’, you will naturally be able to develop and maintain relationships with those across our industry. You will be a confident self-starter with exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

Working closely with our entire team, you will be a dab hand at producing content for various channels, including our website, blog, direct marketing, and social media. You will be directly involved in integrated communications planning, execution, and evaluation, including liaising with our external agencies, including PR support. Supporting with event delivery will be a core part of your role as we showcase MCS across the industry at leading exhibitions and trade shows.

A commitment to working the occasional evening, weekend or away from home is expected.

At MCS we care about our employees, as reflected by our attractive set of employee policies which includes enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption policies, enhanced sick leave and flexible working to name a few.  We always support our team with their personal growth whether this be through funding training and qualifications, Lunch & Learn sessions, coaching, etc.

 

Person specification

Knowledge

  • A degree or equivalent qualification in communications, marketing, PR, digital or similar.
  • Minimum of two years’ experience in a communications environment.
  • A strong understanding of the broad communications landscape and best practices, including knowledge of a wide range of channels and industry trends.
  • Ability to write and edit copy for a range of audiences and channels.
  • Ability to deliver integrated communications plans using a broad mix of channels.
  • Experienced in content creation and evaluation across digital channels, including social media.
  • An understanding of the small-scale renewables technology sector.
  

Essential

Essential

Essential

Essential
Desirable

Essential
Desirable

 
Skills

  • Specific skills in digital communications, social media, PR (direct or indirect) and stakeholder engagement.
  • Exceptional written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
  • Strong copywriting and proofreading skills, with a natural flair for spelling, grammar, alongside the ability to write in different tones effectively.
  • Highly organised, with strong organisational and administration skills to prioritise workload, and set deadlines.
  • Ability to understand complex and technical policy issues and translate them into clear messaging and target-driven communications.
  • Proven event planning/management experience, including project management, supplier engagement, delivery, and reporting.
  • Experience of writing long-form content for B2B and B2C audiences, including features, blogs, etc.
  

Desirable

Essential

Essential

Essential

 

Desirable

Essential

 

Desirable
Behaviour

  • An enthusiastic team player, with the ability to work collaboratively, build capability, deliver insight, and inspire the confidence of colleagues.
  • A track record of building and maintaining high-level relationships with key stakeholders, internally and externally; ideally with a working knowledge of government.
  • Self-motivated and ambitious, with the ability to manage conflicting priorities well; this includes managing down and up to ensure the full team is on track.
  • A commitment to personal development and a desire to expand knowledge of the communications function.
  • Willing to work flexibly and travel across the UK to attend events and meetings as required.
  

 

Essential

Desirable

Essential

 

Essential

Essential

 

To apply, please send a CV and covering letter by Wednesday 29 March 2023 outlining how you meet the person specification and what you feel is the biggest communications challenge for low-carbon domestic energy today. Email to careers@mcscertified.com.

 

Successful applicants will be invited to a face-to-face interview at the MCS office, Sci-Tech, Daresbury.