UK International Search and Rescue (ISAR) Communications and Engagement Officer – Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service

Salary: Grade 7 (£26,062 – £27,848 per annum based on 28 hours per week)

Contract: Fixed term contract for 12 months

Hours: Part time, 28 hours per week

Location: An agreed base of work. Requirement for National travel

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service is the lead authority for the UK International Search and Rescue (UK ISAR) team. We are seeking a Communications & Engagement Officer to join the UK ISAR team. This exciting role sits at the heart of a nationally recognised emergency response capability, supporting communications during operational deployments, training exercises, capacity-building activities and major incidents both in the UK and overseas.

This is a unique opportunity to showcase the extraordinary work of UK ISAR personnel while helping to maintain operational readiness and strengthen stakeholder engagement.

About the Role

As the Communications & Engagement Officer, you will lead and coordinate communications activity across multiple channels, ensuring timely, engaging and professional content is delivered to a range of audiences.

Acting as the key link between the UK ISAR team, media representatives, government partners and other stakeholders, you will help promote operational achievements, training activities and deployment activity through compelling digital content, photography, video production and social media engagement.

You’ll play a vital role before, during and after deployments, helping capture and communicate the impact of UK ISAR’s work while ensuring all communications align with organisational and FCDO requirements.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Coordinating media access to operational exercises, training events and other key activities.
• Developing engaging content for social media, websites, photography, video and digital channels.
• Supporting communications during deployments, crisis response operations and major incidents.
• Monitoring media coverage and identifying opportunities to raise the profile of UK ISAR.
• Producing deployment reports, lessons identified reports and operational communication products.
• Working closely with operational personnel, the FCDO and external partners to support communication objectives.

About You

You will have excellent stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills with the ability to work effectively under pressure and meet critical deadlines. Have experience of developing strategic communication plans and campaigns. In addition to experience of managing social media and digital communications platforms and engaging with local, national or international media

Closing date: midnight, Monday 23rd November 2026

**We reserve the right to close this advert early if we receive sufficient applications.**

Interviews: date to be confirmed