The UK BioIndustry Association (BIA), the award-winning trade association for bioscience in the UK is recruiting for a Communications and Media Relations Manager. This is a key role in the organisation, representing an innovative sector seen as key to the future success of the UK in delivering new treatments for patients and economic growth.
The primary purpose of the Communications and Media Relations Manager role is to drive the BIA’s outreach with the media and execute its communications across all forms, including social media, the BIA website, input to BIA publications and in support of BIA events and conferences. This role will be pivotal to executing the BIA’s strategic objective of communicating the value and nature of this exciting sector to media and external stakeholders.
Duties and Responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities of this role include the following:
Media relations:
- Acting as a primary point of contact for media, handling incoming media enquiries and working with BIA colleagues to issue prompt and expert responses;
- Issue press releases on a proactive and reactive basis on the key issues of interest to the BIA and its members;
- Coordinating a proactive media strategy to seek opportunities for the BIA and its members to comment on key issues of importance to the BIA and promote the importance of the bioscience sector to the economy and society;
- Lead media engagement around BIA events and conferences, including coordinating media attendance, interviews and follow-up;
- Develop and organise media specific events focusing on key agenda items and showcasing the sector the BIA represents;
- Promote key BIA output such as publication launches and key events to media and external stakeholders;
- Handle and seek opportunities in wider sector publications and media to showcase the work of the BIA and its members;
- Support the Director of Public Affairs and Communications in sustaining the BIA’s reputation as a leading media voice on bioscience in the UK.
Communications:
- Support the Director of Public Affairs and Communications in developing overall communications strategy and execution;
- Lead responsibility for BIA website content and reviewing website structure and strategy;
- Help develop and execute the BIA’s social media plan;
- Support the BIA’s Communications Executive in producing, coordinating and executing the weekly BIA newsletter, the BIA blog post and social media activity;
- Take lead role on the development and publication of key BIA reports;
- Support the work of BIA Advisory Committees as advised, including the Communications Advisory Committee;
- Work productively with BIA members and the bioscience community to ensure our communications capture member activity and support the activity of stakeholders and partners;
- Work with colleagues across the BIA to ensure communications support the wider objectives of the organisation.
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
Essential:
- Experience of working across all communications disciplines including media relations, website content development and social media;
- A confident self-starter, comfortable with pitching stories to journalists direct and handling media enquiries of all natures;
- Experience of developing communications plans and strategy, able to prioritise and juggle a busy and varied agenda;
- Ability to produce pithy but accurate copy for press releases and longer BIA publications that communicate often complex and technical issues to a non-specialist audience;
- Creative thinker with track record of spotting communications opportunities and delivering against these;
- Ability to grasp complex issues quickly and how to distil these for a variety of external audiences;
- Collaborative team-player who is flexible to changing business needs and supports colleagues effectively;
- Excellent interpersonal skills with relevant client management experience in a relevant setting (e.g. within trade association or membership organisation, agency or consultancy or in-house).
Desirable:
- Academic background and/or previous work experience in life sciences and/or healthcare;
- Line management and budget control experience.