Job summary
Are you an organised communications professional with a keen eye for detail?
We are looking for a Communications Officer to join the Health Research Authority's busy communications team.
The Communications Officer plays a key role in the team, acting as the first point of contact for enquiries from staff, members of the public and our stakeholders.
You will be working closely with colleagues across the organisation to ensure our internal and external communication channels are kept up to date.
The day-to-day duties of the role include helping to manage our social media accounts, writing content for our website and intranet, responding to media enquiries and co-ordinating our various newsletters.
This is an exciting opportunity to work in a supportive team and use your wide range of communications skills to help us make it easier to do research that people can trust.
Main duties of the job
The Communications Officer plays a key role in the day-to-day running of the team by:
managing the communications team inbox, co-ordinating responses to internal and external queries and escalating important issues such as media enquiries
being an active part of the social media rota, designing and publishing posts across channels, responding to queries, monitoring media and social media coverage, and escalating any responses to posts
dealing with ad-hoc requests from colleagues for advice on communications, for example proof reading, ensuring documents follow the HRA house style and making documents accessible.
Please see attached job description for more information.
About us
Working at the HRA, we are reminded daily of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for you, not just us and the work we do. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know from experience that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger, more creative workplace that helps us to deliver the best services. We welcome applications which represent the rich diversity of our community: age, disability, gender identity and expression, ethnicity, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation and other diverse characteristics, and we have policies in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process. When applying to work here, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement -if it works for us, we will do our best to make it work for you.
Job description
Job responsibilities
This role sits within the Policy and Partnerships directorate which is made up of four teams: policy and engagement, communications, public involvement and data and AI policy. We provide support and advice across the organisation on communicating with staff and external audiences, engaging with stakeholders and involving patients and the public in our work. To find out more and to understand the full duties of the role, please refer to the job description attached. In submitting your application with us, please note the following: We currently do not accept applications via recruitment agencies. We do not hold a sponsorship licence and are unable to offer employment under any sponsorship arrangement. Where applicants fail to demonstrate how they meet any one of the essential criteria of the person specification, the application will not be shortlisted. You will be considered based only on the information in your application form. CVs will not be considered. The HRA reserves the right to close this vacancy early should it receive a sufficient number of applications.
Job description
Job responsibilities
This role sits within the Policy and Partnerships directorate which is made up of four teams: policy and engagement, communications, public involvement and data and AI policy. We provide support and advice across the organisation on communicating with staff and external audiences, engaging with stakeholders and involving patients and the public in our work. To find out more and to understand the full duties of the role, please refer to the job description attached. In submitting your application with us, please note the following: We currently do not accept applications via recruitment agencies. We do not hold a sponsorship licence and are unable to offer employment under any sponsorship arrangement. Where applicants fail to demonstrate how they meet any one of the essential criteria of the person specification, the application will not be shortlisted. You will be considered based only on the information in your application form. CVs will not be considered. The HRA reserves the right to close this vacancy early should it receive a sufficient number of applications.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- A professional qualification in communications, public relations, marketing, or a similar field (for example Degree / CAM, CIM or IPR diploma), or equivalent experience
Knowledge, skills and expertise
Essential
- Excellent writing and editorial skills with experience of writing content that is aimed at different audiences and uses the right channel to reach them
- Experience of writing press releases, media monitoring and dealing with media enquiries
- Skilled in using content management systems to edit content on intranets and websites
- Experience of managing an organisation's social media accounts, including writing tailored content, designing graphics and responding to comments
Desirable
- An understanding of accessibility standards and how to make digital content accessible
Experience
Essential
- Experience of managing multiple projects to competing deadlines
Desirable
- Experience of working in a complex organisation in a political landscape
Analytical and judgemental skills
Essential
- Ability to analyse, edit and simplify complex information into easy to understand, engaging content
Interpersonal Skills:
Essential
- Excellent team-working skills with a proactive approach to colleagues and work
- Ability to manage time effectively, balance multiple tasks and prioritise workload
Other:
Essential
- Commitment to inclusivity and valuing diversity
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- A professional qualification in communications, public relations, marketing, or a similar field (for example Degree / CAM, CIM or IPR diploma), or equivalent experience
Knowledge, skills and expertise
Essential
- Excellent writing and editorial skills with experience of writing content that is aimed at different audiences and uses the right channel to reach them
- Experience of writing press releases, media monitoring and dealing with media enquiries
- Skilled in using content management systems to edit content on intranets and websites
- Experience of managing an organisation's social media accounts, including writing tailored content, designing graphics and responding to comments
Desirable
- An understanding of accessibility standards and how to make digital content accessible
Experience
Essential
- Experience of managing multiple projects to competing deadlines
Desirable
- Experience of working in a complex organisation in a political landscape
Analytical and judgemental skills
Essential
- Ability to analyse, edit and simplify complex information into easy to understand, engaging content
Interpersonal Skills:
Essential
- Excellent team-working skills with a proactive approach to colleagues and work
- Ability to manage time effectively, balance multiple tasks and prioritise workload
Other:
Essential
- Commitment to inclusivity and valuing diversity
