Communications Officer (Together for Children)
Sunderland City CouncilCity Hall, North East
Overview
This is a local council role (temporary, full time) with Sunderland City Council based in City Hall. The advertised salary is Grade 6 (SCP 22 - 25) £33,699 - £36,363. Applications close on 6 September 2026. GovJobs has indexed this vacancy from its official source — use the apply button to view the full advert and apply directly.
Job description
Temporary Maternity Cover - possibly up to 12 months
Together for Children (TfC) is the children’s services partner of Sunderland City Council (SCC), delivering vital support for children, young people and families across the city. Responsible for Children’s Social Care, Early Help and Education, we work every day to make a real difference where it matters most for our 280,000 residents.
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted, TfC teams are driven by a clear and ambitious vision: to improve the lives of children and their families, keep children safe from harm, and ensure every child has the opportunity to fulfil their potential.
This maternity cover opportunity is ideal for someone with a passion for communication and a commitment to putting children and young people first, creating opportunities, celebrating success, raising awareness of the support available, and showcasing the incredible work of our teams.
For this role, you’ll need to be experienced in planning and delivering integrated communications campaigns and you will work closely with the Senior Manager to deliver communications, marketing and public affairs activity on behalf of TfC. You’ll be part of a collaborative communications team within SCC and the role will see you work with colleagues across both the council and TfC.
You will also work with external partners and suppliers, including design agencies and PR consultancies, to deliver the TfC communications strategy and help ensure TfC’s work and priorities are reflected across wider SCC communications.
As Communications Officer you will support the evaluation and analysis of communications campaigns delivered across the services and help colleagues understand what has worked well and where there are opportunities to improve.
You will have a strong understanding of the political landscape and how communications can be used to influence, protect and grow the reputation of Together for Children and the city.
With a clear understanding of TfC’s values and how they align with SCC’s City Plan, you will ensure communications activity supports shared objectives. Your ability to present complex issues in clear, accessible language will help bring these connections to life for different audiences.
Within your role you will work in a hybrid capacity, including remote and office working to suit the needs of the organisation. Your role may also require some evening and weekend work around key events.
Why work for Sunderland City Council? Please see the attached leaflet to discover the fantastic benefits our employees can access
You can view more information about the position in the attached Job Description, and should you wish to have an informal discussion please contact Hayley Ford: hayley.ford@sunderland.gov.uk or Jemma Burdis at Jemma.Burdis@sunderland.gov.uk
Applications must be completed on-line at northeastjobs.org.uk/sunderlandcitycouncil
If you need any support, contact: jobs@sunderland.gov.uk.
Please note that CVs are not acceptable.
All communication about your application for this post will be to the email address that you register with North East Jobs. This may include details of an online assessment you may need to complete and an invite to interview if you are short-listed. Please check your email inbox after the closing date for notifications as you may not be notified by any other method. Please remember to check your junk mail items.
How this role compares
We hold 350 council vacancies in North East that publish a salary, and their median advertised starting figure is £33,699. This role sits close to the middle of the range.
There are 4,945 council roles open across the UK on GovJobs right now, 555 of them in North East.
You have 7 days left to apply. Council adverts we hold typically run for around 26 days, so this is a shorter window than usual.
Sunderland City Council has 23 other vacancies open on GovJobs, with a breakdown of what they pay and the kinds of roles they recruit for.
These figures are calculated from the vacancies GovJobs currently holds, not from official pay statistics. They are a guide to the market, not a valuation of this post.
How to apply
GovJobs does not take applications or send your details to the employer. Use the apply button to open the official Northeast Jobs advert, then check the employer's instructions, attachments, person specification and closing time before applying.
This listing was last checked on 28 Aug 2026, 15:09. If the official advert has changed or closed, report it and we will review the listing.
Why this listing is on GovJobs
GovJobs indexes public-sector vacancies from official sources, normalises the title, employer, location, salary and deadline, and links back to the source so you can verify the advert yourself.
The source for this role is Northeast Jobs. Applications stay on the official employer or source website, not on GovJobs.
