About this role
Job summary
The Senior Media Officer supports the organisations engagement with mainstream media, helping to ensure the views, priorities and experiences of members are communicated effectively externally. The postholder helps to deliver press office activity that informs public debate, supports services to improve, influences national decision-making, and helps strengthen and protect the organisations reputation.
This includes by responding to media enquiries, drafting statements and press releases, pitching proactive stories and thought leadership, supporting broadcast media opportunities, and helping to build strong relationships with journalists. Working within the media team, the role offers the opportunity to contribute to the organisations influencing priorities, support campaigns, and work with colleagues across the communications department and wider organisation.
Main duties of the job
Have media relations expertise and be confident handling of proactive and reactive press office activity.Have strong copywriting skills and be adept at drafting sharp, accurate media statements, press releases and media briefings.Be able to build relationships and cultivate trusted connections with journalists and stakeholders.Be able to quickly identify risks, opportunities and emerging stories.Be confident in managing multiple deadlines, campaigns and media moments at speed and with precision.
About us
The NHS Alliance is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive environment for our staff. A place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit. We offer a range of inclusive employment policies including family friendly policies and flexible working and we have range of channels to support staff from different backgrounds including our staff networks and a staff forum.
The NHS Alliance is committed to being a flexible employer. We understand the value and benefit to our employees being able to work flexibly and our agile working principles are designed to empower our people to work with optimal flexibility and minimal constraints to support a work life balance and take care of employee health and wellbeing.
Job description Job responsibilities
Support the delivery of the organisations media relations strategy, helping to engage journalists in a timely and targeted way.This includes by delivering both proactive and reactive media activity, such as press releases, media statements, responding to media enquiries, handling broadcast requests, drafting comment pieces, and preparing lines to take.Support horizon scanning to identify emerging issues, opportunities and potential risks and contribute to plans for media engagement that can enhance the organisations profiling and advocacy work.Prepare clear and timely media advice and briefings for senior colleagues and spokespeople, escalating risks, and issues to more senior colleagues, as required. This includes preparing briefings and other materials ahead of media interviews.Support the organisation to maintain strong relationships with journalists across national and trade media, as well as press office contacts at government departments, Arms Length Bodies, think tanks, membership organisations, and patient charities.Contribute to the development of clear and consistent external facing lines by gathering, drafting and refining media materials and working with colleagues to interpret member intelligence, data insights and policy information accurately.Support media monitoring and evaluation activity, as required.Serve as communications lead for some of the organisations key work programmes, campaigns and policy topics as part of the departments account management model.Participate in the press office on-call rota so that the organisation can provide a 24/7 service to the media, members and senior colleagues.Support the development and delivery of the organisations communications agency, HealthCommsPlus. This could include providing specialist media / communications support, client account management and other commercially oriented activities, subject to business need.Assist with administrative and operational support in the department, as required. This could include supporting the director of communications with diary management, booking travel and accommodation, processing purchase orders and invoices, formalising minutes and action logs, preparing internal papers, supporting the onboarding and induction of new starters and providing logistical support at away days and other departmental events.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Experience in media relations, either as a journalist or in a busy press office. Experience in contributing to the delivery of media plans designed to meet organisational objectives. Proven ability to support the delivery of integrated communications plans and use appropriate channels to reach targeted audiences. Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to network and maintain effective relationships with a variety of audiences, including journalists, senior colleagues and external stakeholders. Experience drafting briefings, statements and lines to take, including against tight deadlines if required. Excellent written skills with the ability to produce high quality copy for the media. Good organisational and project management skills, with an ability to identify opportunities for proactive communications.
Desirable
Experience of working within healthcare communications, a membership body, and/or a communications agency. Knowledge of the health and care environment, including stakeholders and the political context. Experience in broader communications activity including stakeholder engagement.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details Employer name The NHS Alliance
Address 2nd Floor, 18 Smith Square
Westminister
London
SW1P 3HZ
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://thenhsalliance.org/ (Opens in a new tab)