Interim Lead Communications Advisor

Your new organisation Southend-on-Sea City Council is a unitary local authority, providing vital services to meet the needs of the local community. We employ around 1,800 staff who work alongside our partners and local communities to deliver the Council's priorities to make lives better for the people of Southend. Southend itself is a vibrant place to live and work, offering coastal living with excellent transport links. Working for Southend-on-Sea City Council offers a challenging and rewarding career in local government within a collaborative and innovative environment. As a Unitary Authority, we are responsible for all local government functions ranging from regulatory services, transport, public health, and parks through to planning, social services, community safety and education, so we offer a wide range of career opportunities. The diversity of our economy and communities and investment in a number of exciting regeneration projects makes our Council a great place to work, learn and make a difference. Your new role Southend City Council has a fantastic opportunity for an experienced and proactive Lead Communications Advisor to join our Corporate Communications team on a 3 - 6 month contract(3-5 days per week, depending on business needs). This role offers a competitive day rate of £300 - £350 and the chance to make a tangible impact on a high-profile service transformation. You will play a key role in delivering a targeted communications campaign to support the rollout of major changes to our waste and recycling services, launching in late October. This is a hands-on role ideal for a communications professional with strong content creation skills, writing, filming, and publishing across digital and traditional channels. Key Responsibilities: Develop and implement a proactive communications plan to support waste and recycling service changes. Create engaging, accessible content for a range of audiences across social media, the press, and internal channels. Collaborate closely with internal teams and external partners, including our waste contractor, SUEZ. Support behaviour changes communications to over 85,000 residents, ensuring a smooth transition to the new service model. What you'll need to succeed To be successful in this role, there is proven experience in delivering multichannel communications campaigns, ideally within a public sector or service-led environment. It is essential that you have strong content creation skills, including writing, filming, and publishing. You must be able to work independently and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced setting. Experience in waste, recycling, or environmental communications is desirable but not essential. Additional Information: This is a hybrid role with some on-site requirements in Southend (e.g., for filming). Candidates must use their own equipment and will not be eligible for expenses. What you need to do now If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV.Please note: Applications for this vacancy may close prior to the date advertised above so you are advised to apply as soon as you are able to.The Council is an equal opportunities' employer. We welcome applications, regardless of race, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, age or religion or belief. Hays EA is a trading division of Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited and acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk

Location: Southend-On-Sea, South East, GB

Posted Date: 9/16/2025