Job Description & Person Specification
Night Time Economy Strategy Coordinator
Contract Fee: £12,000
Duration and Working Pattern
Two day per week for 6 months
Job purpose
Lawrence Barton has been appointed as the Night Time Economy (NTE) Champion for Birmingham. This wide-reaching voluntary role is responsible for championing the sector and its needs within the city and creating meaningful change to improve the nighttime economy in Birmingham.
The role of the NTE Strategy Coordinator is to support the NTE Champion by creating the underlining structure and infrastructure that will be needed to deliver for the nighttime economy in the city.
Within the contract period, the applicant will need to develop a strategy for Birmingham’s City Centre Night Time Economy. This will need to identify short, mid and long-term actions. The areas covered should include (but not be limited to) improving safety, improving the perception of the sector, identifying opportunities and methodologies to increase influence, and review and feedback methodologies to ensure the strategy remains relevant. An action plan to accompany the strategy will also be required
The applicant will be expected to craft and recruit an NTE reference group.
The Night Time Economy is a busy and political sector. The applicant will be expected to undertake strategic communications work and support Lawrence in his strategic communications, including the development of a voice, tone, style and brand for the NTE Champion.
It is anticipated that a graduate from Birmingham City Council’s Graduate Scheme will be available to support some of this work. There will be a need to provide some line management of this graduate.
This role is a fixed term contract for 6 months, working 2 days per week. The successful applicant will be contracted by one of the City Centre BIDs. The role is funded by the 5 city centre BIDs – Jewellery Quarter, Southside, Westside, Central and Colmore- and Birmingham City Council.
Responsible to
The person doing the job is responsible to the Night Time Economy Champion
Responsible for
The person doing the job will have tasking responsibility and basic management responsibility for one graduate
Duties and responsibilities
The person doing this job will be expected to carry out certain duties and hold certain responsibilities, grouped under the following aspects:
NTE Strategy and Action Plan
Undertake a review of the challenges facing the NTE in central Birmingham
Conduct research with businesses, customers and stakeholders to identify issues and concerns within the NTE
Identify examples of good practice and evaluate their appropriateness for Birmingham
Identify and collate useful data to support a better understanding of
Birmingham’s NTE
Work closely with Birmingham City Council, West Midlands Police, the West Midlands Growth Company and the West Midlands Combined Authority to ensure synergy with current programmes and initiatives where possible
Engage actively with hyper-local governance mechanisms such as Business Improvement Districts, Business Groups, and other local partnerships
Create a cohesive strategy to address the needs of Birmingham’s NTE, bearing in mind its diverse and physically disparate nature
Create an action plan for short and medium term actions, including appropriate targets, resourcing and metrics for success
Create an appropriate review process that monitors success and keeps the strategy updated with new / emerging needs
Create an appropriate communications strategy to ensure that this work is acknowledged and understood by businesses and stakeholders
Night Time Economy Reference Group
Work with the NTE Champion to identify the types of stakeholders needed by the Group
Create an appropriate governance structure for the Group, ensuring it is connected to appropriate overarching structures within the city, to include clear guidance on its membership
Assist the NTE Champion with the recruitment of members of the Group
Create a final Terms of Reference for the Group
Strategic Communications
Provide Communications advice to the NTE Champion in response to issues raised in the public domain, including disaster communications
Identify key media partners and stakeholders and develop positive relationships with key staff
Procure assistance from third parties as appropriate in a transparent manner
Develop Communications Strategies for all key pieces of work, and or any work streams identified as part of the strategy and action plan
Work with the NTE Champion to create and protect a strong brand for the role of the NTE Champion and the work they do
Carry out appropriate social media support for the NTE Champion
Physical conditions
The job is based between Southside and Westside BIDs, although you will be required to spend time in other BID areas. The amount of time worked per week will be 15 hours, a third of which will be spent in the night-time economy from 8.00 pm, and due to the nature of the activities you may be required to work hours at the weekend. No additional payment will be made for work performed outside the core working hours.
Person specification
A person would be considered for this role who meets the essential criteria below:
Skills
ESSENTIAL
Able to conduct qualitative and quantitative research and analyze the results
Able to take complex and strategic problems and convert them into deliverable actions
Able to develop and monitor SMART targets
Excellent relationship building skills
Able to communicate with diverse audiences using a broad range of media
Able to manage a broad range of competing priorities
The ability to influence a range of stakeholders
DESIRABLE
A proven track record of influencing a broad range of Stakeholders when discussing complex issues with competing outcomes, creating consensus
Experience of acting as a media contact for organisations
Knowledge
ESSENTIAL
A good understanding of local government and the public sector, especially within Birmingham
An understanding of Project Management methodologies
A basic understanding of communications and PR techniques
A good understanding of the type of businesses engaged in the NTE, and the challenges and opportunities it presents, particularly in the city centre of Birmingham, including areas such as Temple Street, Broad Street, Hurst St, etc.
Knowledge of basic Governance structures for informal groups
Basic knowledge of procurement processes
DESIRABLE
An excellent understanding of the political landscape of the West Midlands
Good personal knowledge of key communicators within Birmingham
A knowledge of the various stakeholder groups in Birmingham
A strong background in communications, especially strategic communications, and planning
A good knowledge of the night-time economy in Birmingham, especially the city centre and the nuances of the challenges and opportunities it presents
Knowledge of a range of Governance structures that can be applied to both formal and informal groups
Experience of procuring services in organisations
Experience
ESSENTIAL
Experience of conducting research projects
Experience of conducting marketing / PR campaigns
Experience of setting up a range of Governance Structures, both public and private and drafting the supporting documentation
Experience of carrying out PR for complex and politically sensitive topics in a complex media environment
Experience of using social media
Experience of working with both public and private sector bodies
DESIRABLE
Experience of conducting large-scale research with a broad range of stakeholders
Experience of planning and executing significant communications using a broad range of media and techniques
Experience of working within a range of Governance Structures and helping to draft the supporting documentation
Experience of Disaster Comms as a discipline
Experience of working with various business sectors with competing priorities
Experience of using a range of social media platforms as a communications tool in a professional setting
Experience of line managing junior members of staff
Attitude
ESSENTIAL
Self-motivated
Solutions focused
A focus on working collaboratively with various stakeholders
A high level of transparency
CVs and covering letters should be sent to info@jqbid.co.uk by deadline Friday 24th March 2023 for interviews week commencing 27th March 2023.