Interim Communications - Media Officer

About the Organisation 

Somerset Regional Council

This regional local government is an hour west of Brisbane and is the fastest growing local government area in south east Queensland. It has strong agricultural, environmental, heritage and tourism values. It contains important vegetation and forest, areas of high scenic and landscape amenity and significantly, the key water catchments for southeast Queensland.

The Somerset region has an area of 5382 sq km and includes five major townships, Esk, Fernvale, Kilcoy, Lowood and Toogoolawah. The region is home to approximately 25,000 people and is expected to grow to an estimated 34,500 by 2031.

Somerset's neighbouring local governments are Lockyer Valley, Ipswich City, Brisbane City, Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast, Gympie, South Burnett and Toowoomba.

"Real country, real adventure really close to Brisbane."  Somerset takes in the Brisbane and Stanley river catchments with waterways and lakes providing playgrounds for anglers and water sports, wilderness for camping and four wheel driving, walking trails, aerial sports, skydiving and scenic flights.  

About the Position

The purpose of the position of Communications - Media Officer is to promote Council, its policies and initiatives. This is a maternity relief position, six days per fortnight starting this month with an expected period of engagement of 10 months.

The suitable candidate will have the following;

• Tertiary qualifications in journalism/public relations/communications or a related discipline from a recognised tertiary institution.
• Experience in a pragmatic, flexible communications environment
• Local Government experience is desirable
• The knowledge and ability to liaise with Government Authorities, Community Groups, Individuals and Corporations on issues relating to Council communications
• Knowledge and experience working with the media and interacting with its representatives
• Proven ability to promote ideas and initiatives to key stakeholders
• An understanding of Council functions, policies and procedures and local government operations
• A knowledge of the Somerset Region is desirable
• Demonstrated skills in web-based communications and publishing strategies, high level written and verbal communication skills, preparing media releases, feature articles and speeches
• Ability to use desktop publishing programs and internet authoring tools
• Proven ability to assess situations for promotional opportunities

PEAK Services is working in conjunction with Somerset Regional Council exclusively on this position. We offer local government expertise across a wide range of professional fields, providing tailored solutions for councils and other similar organisations. We work with our clients to deliver meaningful outcomes in the recruitment and contracting services. 

How to Apply

Before you apply for this position, please read the position description carefully to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position.  You will be required to answer a few questions that relate to the criteria on the online application below.  Please note that you cannot submit your application without attaching your resume.  A cover letter is not mandatory, but may be added if so desired. When uploading your Resume or documents please ensure file names should only include 'A-z', '0-9', '.' and '-' characters.

PLEASE NOTE: Once you have commenced your application you cannot save and continue at a later stage. 

Applications will close on 14/06/2021 at 10 pm.  Please ensure you leave adequate time to complete you application before the closing date and time. 

For a confidential conversation, please call Julie O'Sullivan at Peak Recruitment Services on 04.28 642 119.