Job Description

Communications Officer

Reporting to: Head of Policy & Communications

Salary Range: c. £25,000 pa (dependent on experience).

Location: Wilcox House, 140-148 Borough High Street, London SE1.

Holiday Entitlement: 25 days' paid leave plus 3 days between Christmas and New Year and statutory holidays.

Working Conditions: Full-time, 35 hours a week and permanent. The post holder will be expected to work some evenings and weekends as required. Time off in Lieu will be given in line with the charity’s policy.

About Bowel Cancer UK

Bowel Cancer UK is a growing, ambitious, national charity with around 30 staff and interns based at offices in England and Scotland and home based staff in Northern Ireland. Our mission is to save lives and improve the quality of life for all those affected by bowel cancer. We achieve this by championing early diagnosis, improving treatment and care, and enabling research.

Job Purpose:

The role of the Communications Department is to raise the profile of Bowel Cancer UK and to extend the charity’s impact and reach. The post holder will contribute to this. Under the supervision of the Head of Policy & Communications, the post holder will be responsible for:

  • Delivering the digital communications of the organisation;
  • Producing high-quality printed materials that meet the needs of the organisation;
  • Contributing to our media communications; and
  • Maintaining our brand and design identity.

Main duties and responsibilities

Digital communications

  • Manage the day-to-day operation of our social media platforms. This includes curating content, interacting with our supporters via digital channels, and evaluating impact of social media activity, and helping to develop our brand across new social media platforms as appropriate.
  • Manage the day-to-day operation of our website. This includes working with departments across the organisation to create and manage website content, ensuring brand and language consistency, liaising with our website support agency, and using website analytics to improve our digital activity.
  • Manage the day-to-day operation of our Email Marketing Software (EMS) system. This includes creating content for our EMS messages, managing the schedule of EMS communications and some writing of content for EMS messages.
  • Contribute to the development of a long-term digital strategy.
  • Contributing to planning and delivery of major project launches.

Brand and design

  • Develop and maintain a high quality image library for use across digital and print materials.
  • Manage relationships with our external design and print suppliers, ensuring production of fit-for-purpose materials from briefing stage to completion.
  • Editing images and existing materials, for example factsheets and conference programmes.
  • Manage stock levels of printed materials.
  • Contribute to production of marketing and digital assets including films, infographics and adverts.
  • Contribute to the development of the organisation’s merchandising.
  • Contribute to the development of brand guidelines and ensure adherence to guidelines in digital and print communications.

Media relations

  • Monitor online news outlets for bowel cancer stories and share internally and externally.
  • Contribute to development of organisational key messages on priority issues to ensure consistency across digital, media and policy activity.
  • Support the Press & PR Adviser to deliver the media communications activity.
  • Contribute to the development of a long-term media communications strategy.
  • Work with the Press & PR Adviser to manage supporters whose stories we use as case studies in media and digital communications.

Organisational tasks

  • Promote Bowel Cancer UK’s services, fundraising, policy and public affairs activities including events and publications through media materials, photo shoots, articles and interviews.
  • Contribute to communications reporting by evaluating Bowel Cancer UK’ssocial media and website and contribute to communications reports.
  • Play an active role across the charity as a whole, fostering good working relationships with different teams and enhancing communications with colleagues.
  • Develop and maintain an understanding of the charity's work and the needs and circumstances of people affected by bowel cancer.
  • Carry out any duties that may reasonably be required for the purposes of the role
  • Work in line with the charity's policies and procedures and act professionally as a representative of the charity.
  • Maintain confidentiality in line with organisational policy in regard to patients, staff and business-sensitive information.

The list of tasks is not exhaustive and will be reviewed from time to time in discussion with the post holder.

Person Specification

Experience

  • At least two years experience of working in a communicationsor press office environment
  • Good experience usingdigital and social media platforms in abusiness context.

Skills and Abilities

  • Excellent communication skills with the ability to summarise and present complexinformation to a wide range of audiences.
  • Ability to build excellent working relationships both internally and externally.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a good attention to detail.
  • Ability to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate projects.
  • Self-motivated with the capacity to work on own initiative and/or as part of a team
  • The ability to think strategically and manage a large and complex workload,prioritising competing demands in a fast paced environment.
  • Good project management skills with the ability to work in a participative, cross-organisationalway.
  • Experience of using Raisers Edge, Adobe InDesign and Photoshop is desirable and good experience of Microsoft Office is essential.
  • Understanding of and a commitment to the aims and objectives of Bowel Cancer UK.
  • A commitment to equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice.