Mo Ilyas Email & Phone Number

England, United Kingdom

Responsible for all aspects of media-related output; content creation and management of PR, social media, publications and campaign materials, plus content creation and editing for website, as well as in-house and external newsletters, dealing with external agencies including government depts and agencies. Started with Islamic Help in 2013 as communications officer with responsibility for most aspects of above duties. Appointed Press & Public Relations Manager in April 2015.

Birmingham

Practice manager at family-owned independent opticians practice, Ashtree Eyecare Centre, Birmingham. Asked to help establish practice, was responsible for all aspects of business, from customer service to dispensing, setting up and maintaining IT systems and business website. Established business systems virtually from scratch by setting up database for customer records, invoice, processing payments, etc. Designed company branding, set up website and personalised email address, designed marketing material, commissioned advertisements. Main duties were building and maintaining a customer base – went from few dozen to several hundred in less than a year, many established as repeat business, by offering quality customer service.

Personal adviser and customer services manager at Leamington Spa JobcentrePlus, Warwickshire. Multiple responsibilities included appointment as its first frontline personal adviser helping implement major organisational change.Duties included advice and guidance to help jobseekers into employment; helped vulnerable and suicidal claimants overcome challenges; dealt with 'potentially violent' claimants; crisis loans interviews; 'rapid reclaim' interviews; general welfare benefits advice.Implemented fiscal control and reduced office spend through stricter implementation of budgetary rules, and drew up protocols and guidelines in several areas that were adopted office-wide.

In charge of daily news output for The Birmingham Post. Managed team of reporters to achieve daily/short and long term editorial objectives, ensuring copy requirements and quality met as required. Responsible for sourcing/checking/rewriting copy as required, liaising with other departments, public and external agencies to achieve publishing objectives,Also represented the newspaper as and when necessary, dealt with legal issues arising from stories or otherwise, input into other departments, wrote leader columns ('voice of paper'), made sure publication deadlines and targets met, assumed overall responsibility for publication by deputising for editor and deputy editor in their absence .As well as daily news output, I was responsible for 'man management' of reporting team (which included training and updating skills, regular formal assessments, dealing with personal issues etc). Mentored junior reporters - several won regional awards during their tenure at The Post as did senior journalists - plus assessing and interviewing potential job candidates.

Birmingham

Senior news reporter, specialised in news, local politics and current affairs, interviewed senior local and national politicians including then PM John Major. Also wrote features on news-related and entertainment/human interest/travel topics. DVD films reviewer. Promoted to night news editor, responsible for handling late-breaking stories including checking/writing/supervising night reporters.

Sandwell

Progressed from news reporter on Sandwell Express & Star to chief reporter for its Birmingham office/team, running daily/long term news diary, sourcing, writing and checking relevant stories, assigning reporters' duties, ensuring copy requirements met as required, man managing reporting team. Tenure at E&S included reporting from scene on national stories ie Hungerford massacre and Lockerbie jet disaster.

Joined as trainee reporter, worked at Solihull News, Birmingham Evening Mail, Sunday Mercury and then permanent role on The Birmingham Post after qualifying as senior journalist. Broke several local and national exclusives (e.g. uncovered country's first pirate television station which was operating in Birmingham) while still trainee.

Diploma With Merit (Degree Equivalent), Communication Studies

Education record

9 O levels/equivalents, 3 A levels (English, economics, geography)