Senior Media & Public Relations Officer

Transcription

1 Senior Media & Public Relations Officer Job description and person specification Line managed by Responsible for Key relationships Head of Media & PR. No direct reports All teams across Hospice UK, especially Communications & Campaigns, Income Generation and Hospice Support and Development Teams. Also Hospice UK s member hospices. Hospice UK is the national charity for hospice care, supporting over 200 hospices in the UK. We believe that everyone matters throughout their life right up until they die, and that no one should die in avoidable pain or suffering. Our aim is to make sure that every child and adult with a life-limiting or terminal condition gets the very best care, no matter who they are, where they are or why they are ill, and we believe hospices are critical to achieving this. Collectively hospices in the UK care for around 360,000 people every year patients and their families and carers and we work closely with them to support their vital work, share best practice and to create a stronger national voice for hospice care. Our strategic priorities are to: extend the reach and enable hospice quality care to be delivered in any setting tackle inequality and widen access to hospice care work with communities to build capacity and resilience to care for those at the end of their life empower a strong, dynamic and responsive hospice sector. Job description Purpose of role Working with the Head of Media & PR, this role centres on promoting the work of Hospice UK through public relations. The candidate will work closely across all teams at Hospice UK, including fundraising and policy and advocacy, and also drive PR for key campaigns and activities such as the charity s annual awareness-raising week. Page 1 of 5

2 A key part of the role will be proactively generating creative ideas to drive media coverage and secure news and features opportunities. The role will also involve other external communications, including supporting communication with our member hospices. Key tasks and responsibilities Media and Public Relations Lead on proactive media work to promote the work of Hospice UK, including designing and implementing PR strategies for key projects and campaigns. Proactively generate creative ideas for features to help raise the profile of hospice care in national, consumer and trade media. Research and write press releases, picture stories, features, letters and other editorial materials for external publication. Develop and maintain strong contacts with journalists from national and trade media, particularly the consumer and charity press. Work with member hospices and the people they support, both sensitively and carefully, to develop stories and case studies in support of media coverage, making sure our guidelines are applied and good relations are maintained. Support and brief media spokespeople from Hospice UK for media interviews. nsure all key messages are communicated effectively to the media and other external audiences, are consistent with the charity s core values and principles and reflect our strategic objectives and priorities. Provide support for the reactive press office service, dealing promptly and efficiently with media enquiries to provide accurate and timely information. Participate in an on-call rota for which out-of-hours work may also be required occasionally. Assist with news and media coverage monitoring. Other/ Communications Produce well-written, vibrant copy for communication with our member hospices including e-bulletins, newsletters, websites and other materials. Generate creative ideas, key messages and support other materials to promote our annual awareness-raising week both for our member hospices and external audiences. Support ehospice staff by helping identify potential news stories and features Give presentations and help deliver communications-related workshops, as required. Contribute to online communications activity for Hospice UK including promoting our work via websites and social media channels. Page 2 of 5

3 Staff management and budgetary control No budgetary control or line management currently applies to this role, however the role may include occasional overseeing of the day-to-day work of temporary freelance PR consultant(s) and/or agencies or volunteers as appropriate working on specific projects. This role profile is not exhaustive and is subject to review in conjunction with the postholder and in accordance future developments in the work and priorities of Hospice UK. Person Specification = essential D= desirable xperience and knowledge Importance Criteria D Proven knowledge and experience of working with national and regional media, either in an in-house press office, PR agency and/or as a senior journalist. Strong understanding of, and experience in, the design and delivery of creative PR campaigns, including achieving strong coverage in national, regional, trade and online media. xperience of sourcing case studies and successfully placing these in the national media, employing tact, sensitivity, discretion and diplomacy for any related issues arising. Strong writing skills and solid experience of writing press releases, media statements, letters to editor and news story/ feature pitches. xperience of pitching in features to a range of media outlets and achieving positive coverage A well-developed news sense, a good understanding of what attracts media coverage and familiarity with a wide range of media outlets. xperience of providing support for media spokespeople, including writing briefings for interviews. xperience or good knowledge of working with or for the voluntary, health or social care sectors. Assessment Written exercise Skills and abilities Importance Criteria xcellent copywriting skills, with strong attention to detail and an ability to write well in different styles for a variety of audiences. xcellent personal communication skills and the ability to communicate effectively and confidently with a wide crossspectrum of stakeholders and persuade and influence Assessment Page 3 of 5

4 Highly proactive and confident in generating ideas for coverage, including: suggesting new approaches for media work and identifying and pursuing areas for Hospice UK to comment on through the media. Ability to work to tight deadlines, juggle a range of projects and prioritise tasks effectively. Ability to be self-sufficient and to manage all aspects of the role including administrative requirements. xcellent organisational skills, with a strong ability to work well both independently and as part of a team. Resilient and professional manner and a flexible attitude. A strong ability to build productive working relationships with colleagues at all levels and with key stakeholders including journalists and member hospices. Strong IT skills including proficiency in MS Word, xcel, Outlook. Familiarity with using media databases and content management systems. Passion and enthusiasm for the work of Hospice UK and commitment to values of hospice care. An approach to mirror our organisational values: supportive, professional, collaborative, creative and confident Knowledge and understanding of hospice care. xcellent working knowledge of social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter, strong experience of using these effectively to maximise the reach and influence of public and media relations activities. Page 4 of 5

5 Terms and Conditions of appointment Contract Permanent Salary Circa 33,000 Probation period Notice period Work Pattern Pension Life Assurance Simplyhealth Scheme Childcare vouchers Cycle to work scheme Season ticket loan Holiday Location The probationary period is six months One month Full time, 35 hours per week You will be auto enrolled into our pension scheme which is at 4%. Further contributions can be made to the scheme and Hospice UK will match contributions of up to 7% of your gross salary. Is provided upon start date at three times salary, subject to acceptance by our insurers A cash plan scheme, which provides payments towards everyday healthcare treatments for example dental, optical etc. up to a policy limit. All employees will be covered under level two of the scheme. We offer childcare vouchers Loaning of a cycle via a salary sacrifice scheme. An interest free loan is available 25 days per year, increasing to 30 days with service. The leave year runs from 1 January to 31 December The post holder will be based at Hospice House, Britannia Street, London, WC1X 9JG. Page 5 of 5