Description

Reporting to the Communications Coordinator, the Communications Officer is a new role in Jigsaw's award winning Communications and Fundraising team. You will support the development of our brand, communications, and media relations.

At Jigsaw, we understand and support young people's mental health. We are a community of professionals, supporters, and volunteers with a shared belief in an Ireland where every young person's mental health is valued and supported.

You will be a highly motivated individual, passionate about the possibilities of building a strong charity brand and crafting communications that help us to reach both the people who need our support, and those that want to support us.

You will have a good understanding of best practice standards for communications, branding, and media relations. And have proven experience of brand asset creation and management, facilitating engagement practices such as internal training workshops, and media management and reporting.

You will need to be proactive, build strong relationships with a range of individuals, organisations and other stakeholders, and develop and maintain effective partnerships.

This is a full-time, permanent role, subject to the successful completion of the probationary period.

Who we are

Jigsaw is Ireland's leading youth mental charity and is committed to advancing young people's mental health and to developing supportive communities by providing a range of primary care services and supports across the Republic of Ireland.

With the support of the HSE (Mental Health), the Sláintecare Integration Fund and a range of public, private and community and individual funders, we deliver a suite of free primary care mental health services and supports for young people and adults including:

• delivering free, one-to-one, primary care therapeutic sessions with young people (aged 12-25)
• offering community-based programmes aimed at better informing, supporting, educating and empowering young people and those around them, in places where they live, learn, work and play
• undertaking pioneering research and robust evaluation leading to transformative evidence
• providing a wide range of e-mental health supports through jigsaw.ie
• rolling out a comprehensive secondary schools programme (One Good School™) aimed at supporting the mental health and wellbeing of young people by developing a shared responsibility for mental health across the whole school community.

Jigsaw offer a listening ear, and give expert mental health advice and support to young people. They provide families, teachers, and those who support young people ways to cope and the skills to be there for young people.

For more information on Jigsaw, and the services and supports we provide, visit www.jigsaw.ie

RESPONSIBILITIES

Core job requirements

• Be a brand ambassador for Jigsaw, developing and maintaining a suite of brand materials and supports for both internal and external audiences, and working with internal teams to ensure that work is created on brand
• Create and maintain templates for brand materials used for external and internal use such as presentation slides, funding proposals, letterheads, etc.
• Lead on brand awareness initiatives including internal training and reports, the research and creation of public-facing documents, identifying partnership opportunities and attending meetings with potential partners when required
• Support the implementation and development of a brand assets management process and system, to support the consistent use of photography, illustrations, audio and brand templates
• Work with colleagues on the Communications and Fundraising Team to identify and pursue opportunities for brand awareness purposes
• Respond to media inquiries, arrange interviews, and act as a spokesperson for the organisation as required
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with journalists, and maintain a media database
• Seek opportunities to enhance the reputation of the brand, and co-ordinate publicity events as required
• Write, edit, and distribute content, including publications, press releases, website content, annual reports, speeches, and other marketing material that communicates the Jigsaw's activities, supports and services
• Maintain records of media coverage and collate analytics and metrics for regular reporting
• Ensure that the communications files and documents are organised and accessible to members of the Communications and Fundraising team

Requirements

Essential Criteria:

• Commitment to Jigsaw's vision, mission, and values
• A relevant Bachelor's degree or higher in communications, design, journalism, marketing, or a related field
• Minimum of three years' relevant experience in a similar role is essential
• Experience and skills in using design software (e.g. Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.) Canva, etc.) is essential
• Proficient in Microsoft Office 365 (e.g. Sharepoint, Word, PowerPoint, OneDrive, etc.), content management systems, and social media platforms
• Experience in using media management and analytics tools (e.g. MediaHQ, Kantar, etc.)
• Exceptional writing skills and able to compose engaging and accurate content
• Strong communicator who works well independently and with a team
• Superior time management skills, including the ability to set priorities, and work to tight and competing deadlines
• Ability to think strategically and identify ways to improve communication efforts
• Must be resourceful and take initiative even when given minimal direction
• Ability to provide or recommend solutions to problems; show flexibility to assume additional responsibilities

Benefits

The salary range for Officers is €30,000 - €40,000, commensurate with skills & experience.

Jigsaw operates the following benefits for its employees:

• Defined contribution pension scheme.
• Annual leave 25 days, exclusive of public holidays and 1.5 company days.
• Comprehensive annual CPD schedule
• Financial support for further education
• Flexible Working

Please note

• The closing date for applications is 5pm Friday 4th February 2022. First round interviews are expected to take place on the week commencing 7th February 2022 in Dublin.
• Application is by online application form only & CVs will not be accepted. Please complete all fields of the application form - incomplete application forms will not be considered.
• The above Job Description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.
• As Jigsaw is a regional organisation, this role requires access to a car and the post will require travel for work and a willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends, as required.
• All Jigsaw staff members are required to obtain Garda clearance as a condition of their initial and continued employment.
• Jigsaw is an Equal Opportunities Employer.
• Jigsaw is a registered charity. Our charity (revenue) number is CHY 17439. Our Registered Charity number is 20064846
• All documentation received by Jigsaw will be processed in accordance with the Data Protection Acts, 1988 and 2003 General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR; 2018). The information will only be used by Jigsaw in the processing of job applications and for ongoing administrative purposes with job candidates.