Interim head of communications, responsible for leading the corporate communications team and acting as head of profession for the authority. Comms adviser to the cabinet and the executive leadership team. Member of the council's senior leadership team, the strategy and transformation management team, the climate board and the digital programme board.

Deputy to the head of comms, lead for external relations and media, including leadership of comms and engagement for the county deal devolution agreement and lead for cabinet and scrutiny communications.

From May-November 2021, during my manager's sick leave, I was acting head of communications. In that role, I was a member of the strategy and transformation management team and the council's senior leadership team and I attended and advised the corporate board. The comms team won a gold CIPR award for best Covid response in October 2021 and silver for best public sector campaign for "see it, hear it, say it" .

I led the county council's corporate and public affairs and media relations - promoting the authority's future direction, key strategies and policy decisions and its campaigns for Government support. Specific work includes: communications about the cabinet and committees; corporate services, including the council's budget and property; and adult social care, including safeguarding and care and health integration. I am also responsible for communicating key strategies, including: the six-year Together for Norfolk business plan; the local service strategy to promote multi-function centres; the Further Afield 2040 project; and the ongoing campaign for sustainable funding. I advise the leader, cabinet and chief officers on reputational issues and manage the relationship with national, regional and local journalists. I represented comms on the gold and silver command groups during the Covid 19 pandemic and oversaw the county council elements of Norfolk's comms response. I am a member of the communications management team and deputise for the head of comms at the corporate board and other key corporate meetings. I also provide media training to councillors and key staff.

Until a reorganisation of the comms unit, I managed the corporate communication unit's CIPR gold award-winning people team, which ran comms campaigns and reputation management for children's services and adult social care, including health and social care integration, plus the council's contribution to a partnership campaign against domestic abuse. I also led external comms about the council's future direction and budget strategy; provided reputation management advice to the leader, deputy leader, committee chairs and chief officers; managed traded comms services relevant to this portfolio; and provide media training to councillors and officers. I was communications lead for the local service strategy corporate transformation project. My team's In Good Company campaign against loneliness: won a 2017 CIPR gold award for best public campaign and silver award for best low budget campaign, plus a 2018 silver award for best event; been highlighted by the Jo Cox Foundation's national report on loneliness; and been showcased at the Local Government Association's 2018 conference. I also wrote corporate campaigns material for the council's Your Norfolk magazine and the council's vision document, Caring for our County.

I managed the media team and led on external reputation management, within the county council's corporate communications unit. I was deputy to the head of communications and digital and a member of the senior officer group on strategic projects. My work included providing media and crisis handling advice and support to the leader, cabinet and chief officers on the most contentious issues facing the council. I was also the lead for developing and improving links with key journalists and media channels. My specific responsibilities included leading media and campaigns work about the council's budget and transformation/future direction, plus media and campaigns work around the cabinet, adult safeguarding (including serious case reviews and domestic homicide reviews) and economic development, including broadband and strategic transport proposals, such as the bid to link the Midland Main Line to HS2. I also edited and wrote for the council's newspaper, Leicestershire Matters.

I played a key role in protecting and promoting the reputation of Leicestershire County Council. I was the lead officer for the council's top priority communications campaign, on value for money and managing the council's budget. I gave strategic media handling advice to the leader, cabinet and chief officers; handled media enquiries; promoted the work of the cabinet; led on PR for the adult social care, trading standards and economic development services; and I was comms lead for cutting edge areas such as the health and wellbeing board, troubled families, the Big Society and community budgets.

I gave lectures on local government media relations and local government reporting to undergrad and postgrad courses.

I was a volunteer trustee of the Braunstone Foundation community regeneration scheme on Leicester's Braunstone estate.

On a secondment basis, I was responsible for media relations at the East Midlands Regional Assembly and its successor body, East Midlands Councils, for two years. This work included communications about major infrastructure projects, such as the dualling of the A46 and the East Midlands Parkway railway station, plus housing, environment and local government policy and funding issues.

I was responsible for the Mercury's political coverage, including reporting on the city and county councils, national and European issues affecting the area, leading on election coverage and writing a weekly political column.

On an unpaid secondment basis from the Leicester Mercury, I supplied reputation and media handling advice to the Government's task force and the BCA and advised the newly-recruited communications manager. This helped to stabilise and improve the reputation of the New Deal scheme and support its improvement plan, ending Government intervention.

Initially recruited as a trainee reporter, I became a senior reporter and then municipal correspondent, responsible for reporting on local government in East Staffs, South Derbys and North West Leics, plus election coverage and liaison with local MPs and MEPs.

I produced court copy from Blackburn magistrates court for the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, BBC Radio Lancashire and other local press, radio and TV outlets in Lancashire.