Senior Communications Officer

Terms and Conditions: 12 months Fixed Term, Full Time, 37 hours per week

Department: Resources

Interview date: December - TBC

Make a difference with your next communications role

Join Blackburn with Darwen Council’s communications team as a senior communications officer, covering 12 months of maternity leave. Bring your creativity, curiosity and storytelling skills to work that matters.

From bringing council services to life through our Part of Your Story campaign to helping communities mark Remembrance and planning communications for the Tour de France in 2027, our work connects people, celebrates our borough and looks ahead to exciting opportunities. You could help tell those stories.

Already working in local government communications? You’ll know the variety it offers: important public information, creative campaigns and stories that put people and places in the spotlight.

New to local government? You’ll discover the breadth, scope and reach of our work — and the opportunity to make a difference to residents’ everyday lives.

Bring the skills, experience and passion, and we’ll give you the platform to put them to work.

We’re looking for a creative, experienced communicator to help us deliver clear, engaging and effective communications for residents, businesses and partners.

Senior communications officer

You’ll create and deliver communications plans and campaigns that inform, engage and inspire action using the Government's OASIS model.

You’ll turn insight into focused plans with SMART objectives, compelling content and clear measures of success.

You’ll know how to choose and use the right channels for your audience — from social media, websites and email to media relations and paid advertising.

You’ll be a natural storyteller, able to make complex information clear and create content that stands out in a busy newsfeed. You’ll bring ideas to life through creative social media content, including engaging video, photography, graphics and other digital formats that capture attention and connect with different audiences.

You’ll be confident managing competing priorities and several projects at once. Political awareness and sound judgement are essential, along with an understanding of how our communications affect different audiences.

You’ll build effective relationships with local and national media, spot opportunities to promote the council and the borough, and share our pride in the place we serve.

You’ll work across a broad and varied range of council priorities, responding flexibly to emerging issues and opportunities and helping tell the stories that matter to our residents, communities and partners.

Interested? We’d love to hear how you could bring fresh ideas, creative content and strong storytelling to our work.

You’ll join a close-knit team full of ideas and enthusiasm, with the chance to make your mark on work that matters to Blackburn with Darwen.

Contact details

For an informal discussion regarding the role, please contact Charlotte Bradshaw at

Additional information

As a small unitary authority, we are unable to offer sponsorships.

We encourage candidates to complete their application using their own words and experiences. While AI tools may be used for support, applications should accurately reflect your individual skills, knowledge, and suitability for the role.