Public Engagement Officer

They will manage the promotion of our activity to our members, lay audiences interested in joining the IT industry and early career professionals.

We are looking for an individual experienced in public engagement with a good understanding of the current engagement landscape in IT, who can use their experience to drive our work in this area to promote and support early career professionals within and outside BCS. The role holder will lead our public engagement work in line with our strategy, working on both digital content and face-to-face engagement.

Early Careers Executive

Without exception, every single member of the institute has had their first day in the IT industry, even our esteemed president! We all know how daunting those early years can be. The Early Careers Executive was created to support the future talent of our IT Industry, to provide you with a safe space to help you navigate your career through our exciting industry.

Who is the early career exec aimed at? The simple answer is anyone who considers themselves to be early in their IT career. Regardless of your route into the industry whether you’re a graduate, apprentice, self-taught or a career changer as long as you identify as an early career you are welcome here.

As an executive we want to build on the shoulders of the fantastic work our colleagues at BCS are doing. Our aim is bringing it all together and shouting it from the rooftops, so you know what is going on for early careers right at this moment, not only for your branch, your specialist group but your industry more widely.

Key responsibilities and actions

Examples of the work would include but not limited to:

• Use BCS’ and the executive’s social media accounts to promote our work
• Plan and manage social media campaigns
• Chair public engagement working group
• Draft/review content for publishing on the BCS website, social media, and other BCS publications
• Liaise with BCS Press and PR team to ensure consistency
• Monitor BCS communications and activity relevant to the exec
• Monitor communications and activity from other organisations in the IT early careers space to identify potential partners with which we could collaborate

Our expectations

Commitment

We expect that the role holder will attend monthly meetings of the executive held throughout the year. In addition to this we expect that the holder to be responsible for the completion of tasks that fall within the key responsibilities laid out above.

This role includes a 3 month probation period in order to establish whether it is suited to your skills and availability. This starts from when you are approved for the position, and ends 3 calendar months later. You will have a call with the Chair and another member of the executive 1 month before this, to check-in and ensure you don’t need any extra support, and you can still commit to the role for the rest of your term.

Personal specification

Essential

• Enthusiasm for supporting community
• Communicate with accuracy and effectiveness
• Knowledge of using remote working tools such as MS Teams, Google Docs, email and Slack
• Knowledge of using social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and others.

Desirable

• Experience using websites, magazines, podcasts, social media and other channels to support holistic public engagement

SFIA skills

• User experience – user research – URCH
• Skill Management - Learning and Development Management – ETMG
• Stakeholder Management – Relationship Management – RLMT
• Sales and Marketing – Marketing – MKTG
• Technical strategy and planning – emerging technology monitoring – EMRG

Support

The successful candidate will be supported by:

• The rest of the Early Career Executive
• The Community Board
• A training package which will introduce the scope and benefits of the role, then suggest various actions and processes the role holder should take.
• HQ staff initially via the Early Career Executive

Volunteering at BCS

• BCS provides a wide range of volunteering opportunities, locally and nationally. Being a volunteer at BCS allows a unique chance to deliver aspects of our Royal Charter. BCS also provides a range of opportunities to develop skills and meet others passionate about Making IT Good for Society.
• Volunteering with BCS can be an outlet to give back or a route to career development.
• As part of BCS’ aim to improve equality and diversity within the profession, we seek to increase the diversity of board and committee members. This means that BCS welcomes applications equally, regardless of race or ethnic background, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, or religious beliefs.