Press Officer

Early Childhood Ireland is the leading children's advocacy and membership
organisation. We work in partnership with our members to achieve quality
experiences for every child in Early Years and School Age Care settings. We
advocate for an effective and inclusive Early Years and School Age Care system
which values, supports and invests in childhood, children and services.
Early Childhood Ireland's Strategic Plan (‎2021-‎2026) has two ambitions. By
‎2026:
* Early Childhood Ireland is the largest membership organisation in the sector and our members are leading the way in achieving quality practice in their child-centred settings.
* Early Childhood Ireland is the leading advocate for children in Early Years and School Age Care (EYSAC) settings in Ireland, has influenced policy and legislative development in EYSAC, towards the quality system we have championed; and Ireland has achieved an investment level of ‎1% of GDP by ‎2025.
At Early Childhood Ireland, we are committed to investing in our people and
culture to ensure that as an organisation we deliver on our strategic plan
while also continuing to be a great place to work. We are currently operating
on a blended working basis, offering great flexibility to our employees, and
providing excellent opportunities to learn, grow and thrive.
Company
Early Childhood Ireland

Location
The main place of work is our Head Office. Blended working model - working
remotely and at our national office, the combination to be agreed with the
successful candidate.

Apply by
‎3 February ‎2023

Position / Title
Press Officer

Reporting to
Director of Policy

Contract Type
Permanent, subject to ‎6 months' probation

How To Apply
To apply, please submit an up-to-date CV and letter of application via email
for the attention of Joanne Dunne to [email protected],
with the subject line Application for Press Officer by ‎12.30 pm on Friday, ‎3
February. The cover letter should address the essential requirements and
convey the applicant's understanding of this role. The CV should be no more
than three pages long. Shortlisting of candidates may apply and will be based
on the Job Description and Person Specification. Candidates may be asked for
further information or to undertake other tasks to assist in the assessment
process. Early Childhood Ireland strives to be an Equal Opportunities
Employer.

Job Purpose
This is a new role which is pivotal in achieving both ambitions of Early
Childhood Ireland's Strategic Plan ‎2021-‎2026. As a key member of the Policy,
Advocacy and Campaigning team, the Press Officer will work to raise public
awareness of the importance of high-quality experiences for children and will
highlight the child-centred practice already being delivered in Early
Childhood Ireland's members settings, The post holder is responsible for
implementing a local media strategy which will consolidate our position as a
leading and trusted voice. The role will report to the Director of Policy and
will engage strongly with teams across the organisation. The successful
candidate will be highly collaborative, have excellent communication skills,
and a track record in implementing significant and impactful media plans at
national and/or local level.
Responsibilities
* Strengthen Early Childhood Ireland's presence in local and regional media through the delivery of an agreed plan, as well as identifying opportunities which allow the organisation to raise awareness of the importance of quality EYSAC in children's lives.
* Connection with our members to support their engagement with local and regional media.
* Work closely with all Early Childhood Ireland teams to ensure that our messaging and plans are coherent, understood and that opportunities for media work are identified, in line with the ambitions of Early Childhood Ireland's Strategic Plan ‎2021-‎2026.
* Manage key press events and initiatives.
Communications
* Establish/consolidate relationships with journalists, researchers and producers in local and regional media, both print and broadcast.
* Drive media activities around key member-involving events including Early Childhood Ireland National Pyjama Day and our Annual Conference.
* Prepare and disseminate timely and accessible press statements on a proactive and reactive basis.
* Contribute to both in-house and external publications.
* Provide back-up support when needed for the organisation's Twitter account.
* Evaluate the impact of Early Childhood Ireland's communication activities and identify relevant and emerging trends.
* Work alone and with other PAC team members to identify and respond to communications opportunities and to measure the organisation's impact on children's lives.
* Develop innovative and creative ways of preparing communication materials.
* Communicate and disseminate organisational learning into key messages and products for a range of media (web, publications etc.)
* Keep up to date with relevant developments in Ireland and internationally.
Other
* Contribute to relevant funding applications and reports.
* Contribute to organisational planning, monitoring and evaluation processes.
* At all times undertake the role in a professional manner, maintaining a high-quality standard of work, in accordance with the aims, values and ethos of Early Childhood Ireland.
* Undertake any other such relevant duties as may from time to time arise and are considered appropriate.
Person Specification
Each of the following requirements is essential, unless marked with a * to
indicate that it is desirable:
* A strong personal commitment to working for positive change in children's lives
* Minimum ‎2 years' experience in a similar role, focused on national and/or local media - please note that applicants with less experience will not be considered for shortlisting.
* A relevant 3rd level qualification
* Excellent writing ability
* Strong interpersonal skills
* Experience of developing and editing video
* Experience/qualification in project management
Skills and Experience
* Experience of developing and implementing proactive and reactive media plans
* Used to producing multi-platform content for external communications, including press releases, blogs, ezines and social media
* Very strong ability to translate EYSAC practice, research evidence, and fundraising content into compelling messages
* Ability to maintain positive relationships with online, print and broadcast journalists, researchers and producers
* Confidence in dealing with media queries and pitching stories to the media
* Drafting and disseminating press releases in a timely manner
Personal Attributes and Qualities
* Highly collaborative and able to engage confidently with and learn from expert colleagues.
* Ability to prioritise while managing multiple deadlines in a busy environment.
* Strong team player who is also capable of working independently.
Terms and Conditions
Employer: Early Childhood Ireland
Location: The main place of work is our Head Office.
Blended working model - working remotely and at our national office,
the combination to be agreed with the successful candidate.
Contract type: This is a full-time post reporting to the Director of
Policy. The contract is permanent, subject to funding, and the probationary
period is six months.
Salary: A salary in the range €‎38,000 to €‎45,000 is offered. The agreed
salary will be
commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Holiday entitlement: ‎23 days
Hours of Work: ‎35 hour working week. The position will also sometimes
require working in the evenings and at weekends. Time-in-lieu will be given.
Benefits available to staff
Benefits available to all staff include:
* Tax Saver commuter ticket scheme
* Bike to Work scheme
* Employee assistance programme available to all staff and their families
* Influenza vaccination and eye tests
* Access to health screening service
* Two privilege leave days per year, Good Friday and Christmas Eve
Benefits available to staff upon successful completion of probation:
(Access to these benefits will depend on role/length of service.)
* Defined contribution pension scheme offering ‎6% to ‎10% employer contribution based on service, plus employee contribution (membership of pension scheme is mandatory upon completion of probation)
* Access to Health Plan - group discount for Hospital Saturday Fund (HSF) with employers' contribution
* Death in service benefit
* Professional fees and training opportunities as applicable
* Flexitime
* Additional annual leave
* Paid maternity, parents', paternity and adoptive leave
* Paid sick leave
* Educational assistance
* AA roadside assistance if travel is required for the role
Application Process
To apply, please submit an up-to-date CV and letter of application via email
for the attention of Joanne Dunne to [email protected],
with the subject line Application for Press Officer by ‎12.30 pm on Friday, ‎3
February. The cover letter should address the essential requirements and
convey the applicant's understanding of this role. The CV should be no more
than three pages long. Shortlisting of candidates may apply and will be based
on the Job Description and Person Specification. Candidates may be asked for
further information or to undertake other tasks to assist in the assessment
process. Early Childhood Ireland strives to be an Equal Opportunities
Employer.