Marketing & Communications Officer

Job Purpose

To drive forward the marketing and communications of the organisation, and assist in the design of strategy, planning and harbour marketing budgets. To work with customer service team dealing with customers.

Reports to: Office & Accounts Manager

Location: Harbour Office, Dartmouth

Hours: Part time – 3 days per week, normally 7 hours per day within Monday – Saturday. Note – working approx. 4 weekend dates during in summer.

The River Dart: Ideally, we are looking for a candidate who has a passion for the River Dart and to be or become active within the river community.

Salary Remuneration: £26,000 FTE. (based on full time 34.5 hrs per week, reduced pro-rata based on 3 days). Pension Contribution. Healthcare after 6 months.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

Marketing and Communications Development

1. Assisting in marketing development within the organisation. Analyse current target market areas, other ports and marine businesses, and other potential new business areas. Identify potential opportunities, develop business cases, and assist in the project management of the business development.
2. Understand the harbour strategy and operation – regularly spending time with the team and with stakeholders.
3. Alongside the Head of Commercial & Environment and the Harbourmaster, develop relationships with major customers, ensuring that we understand their needs and establish long-term mutually beneficial relationships.
4. Manage the marketing planning and business cases for current and new projects in the harbour – both replacement of existing assets and development of new – and set out and maintain a new marketing plan.
5. Identify opportunities for partnerships, co-funding, grants, etc

General Marketing Duties

1. Assist in designing and setting out Dart Harbour’s Marketing & Communications Strategy. To drive forward this strategy promoting the Trust Port.
2. Help execute marketing strategies to ensure Dart Harbour is at the forefront of building brand awareness and visibility; targeting our main markets.
3. Advancing promotional campaigns and assisting in all forms of communications.
4. Managing social media, posting stories, updates and responding to comments and messages
5. Communicating with all stakeholders, which include suppliers, customers and external agencies
6. Update and ensure web site is effective and using website analytics to ascertain value and effectiveness of ongoing campaigns. Drive a full understanding of user content and interaction.
7. Engage with the team to ensure marketing is performing to its maximum ability and all the team are aware of campaigns.
8. Take forward networking, presenting and writing and editing press releases.
9. Develop strong brand and design for DH, working with designer.
10. Attending industry events, conferences and trade shows as required.
11. Reporting to the Head of Commercial & Environment and supporting the board and senior management with marketing analysis, advice and guidance as required.

Office General

1. Be a part of the office and customer service team, which will include interaction with customers – in person and by phone. This will include some occasional weekend working (approximately 4 weekend dates in the summer).
2. Ensure that the organisation maintains compliance with GDPR.

Person Specification

1. Good level of experience in marketing management, communications and business development.
2. Financially literate – able to produce and understand marketing budgets, and with a good understanding of best financial practices.
3. Experience working with a wide variety of stakeholders.
4. Experience in the marine industry is desirable but not essential.
5. Experience working in a similar position within a similar size organisation (~£2M annual turnover)
6. An ability to work efficiently and accurately, and effectively prioritise workload to meet deadlines.
7. A desire to seek and accept constructive feedback and seek continuous professional development.
8. Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
9. A high level of literacy and communication skills: creative, enthusiastic and resilient.
10. Discreet and confidential.
11. Highly competent with IT, data analysis and using social media.
12. Strong interpersonal skills - calm under pressure, able to challenge constructively, develop creative solutions, manage a wide variety of situations in a meeting and ensure that the outcomes are in the best interest of the organisation.
13. Can work effectively with the wider management team to achieve organisational results.
14. Have a passion for marketing and a strong desire to learn and grow in the field.

Interviews will be held 10th & 11th June 2025 at the Dart Harbour office in Dartmouth.