Proactive Media and Science Communications lead - £42,869 p.a. + benefits (which will include an on call allowance)

We are currently looking for a Proactive Media and Science Communications Lead to join our Enablement Function within the Communications and Engagement group.

This is a full-time opportunity, on a permanent basis. The role will be based in 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf London, E14 4PU. Please note that there might also be a requirement to travel to South Mimms, Herts or other locations as appropriate. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.  

Government departments and agencies are working towards implementing a minimum 60% attendance in office sites.

We are currently implementing a flexible, hybrid way of working, with a minimum of 4 days per month working on site to enable the collaboration and contact with partners and stakeholders needed to deliver MHRA business. Attendance on site is driven by business needs so depending on the nature of the role, this can flex up to 8 days a month, with the remainder of time worked either remotely or in the office. Some roles will need to be on site more regularly.

Who are we?  

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency enhance and improve the health of millions of people every day through the effective regulation of medicines and medical devices, underpinned by science and research.  

The MHRA Communications and Engagement Group is a multi-award-winning team that has a consistent track-record of achievement and providing value for money. Our focus is to support the agency to deliver its business outcomes by putting patients and the public at the centre of all our work. We are organised in the following teams: News & Media, Communications, Patient and Public Stakeholder Engagement and Customer Experience. This role is in our News and Media team.

The proactive media and science communications team leads on generating proactive media and social media strategies to communicate the agency’s scientific expertise and wider contribution to public health and science. 

What’s the role?

·     Develop and deliver effective media and social media strategies, enhancing the agency’s reputation and promoting and explaining its scientific expertise and wider contribution the agency makes to public health and science nationally and globally.

·       Initiate, produce and deliver proactive and creative content with the media and social media and develop and nurture these contacts and identify proactive and scientific news and content from across the agency, ensuring it is produced into a relevant format and style for the media and social media and their channels and audiences.

Key responsibilities: 

·       Plan, deliver and evaluate proactive and creative media / social media strategies and scientific comms that supports the business priorities and culture change set out in the agency’s corporate and business plans and act as communications account project manager for various agency groups.

·       Provide proactive media, social media and scientific communications advice to senior leaders, including the executive committee and chief executive.

·       Place stories in a strategic way to achieve coverage and exposure, aligned to agency business priorities. Produce appropriate communications such as media handling and social media strategies, press notices and media lines to take, to effectively communicate our messages in consultation with agency staff. Capable of using communications skills to develop interesting, accessible content and implement this across a range of channels.

·       Speak regularly to key journalists and social media influencers and build knowledge on their areas of expertise and interest and maintain ongoing professional relationships. Act as an agency spokesperson, providing authoritative, clear, honest and credible communications to the media and social media on agency issues, and participate in a 24-hour media on-call rota.

Who are we looking for?  

Our successful candidate will:

Communicating and Influencing - Excellent communication and interpersonal skills both written and oral, with the ability to develop good working relationships and influence journalists, social media influencers and senior managers, dealing with conflict and challenge in a calm, measured way.

Managing a Quality Service - Good planning, project and time management skills, with ability to work on own initiative and in team to problem solve and prioritise own work according to changing business needs.

Delivering at Pace - Regularly monitor your work against milestones ensuring individual needs are considered when setting tasks. Act promptly to reassess workloads and priorities when there are conflicting demands to maintain performance.

Experience of working in a busy media and communications environment in a large, complex, expert organisation with a track record of proactively delivering successful strategic media / social media campaigns to deliver business objectives and enhance reputation proactively and creatively.

A relevant qualification along with membership of CIM, CIPR or other relevant professional body desirable.

Catalyst - You are self-motivated to act to achieve a goal. You are confident using your own initiative to take forward actions.

Networker - You proactively create and maintain positive, professional and trusting working relationships with a wide range of people within and outside the organisation. You identify connections and reach out to bring people together.

If you would like to find out more about this fantastic opportunity, please read our Job Description and Person Specification! 

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