Do you know your trade secrets from your trade marks? Can you navigate your way around Pirate Bay to patents? If so, the Intellectual Property Office could use your skills because we are looking to recruit a Senior Media Relations Manager.
Based in London or Newport, your role will be to promote our work, and protect our reputation, through the engagement with the media.
This role will require acting as a confident spokesperson on behalf of the IPO for all its policy and operational areas; coordinating joint media handling and Ministerial interviews with the Department for Business; generating and managing coverage of both proactive campaigns and some difficult issues; planning all the IPO's announcements and other media activity (often directly with Ministers’ offices); and monitoring and evaluating all relevant media coverage.
The national, local, international and specialist IP media (broadcast, print and digital) all have an increasingly keen interest in the work of IPO and IP in general.
You will work as part of the specialist strategic communication team offering both proactive and reactive advice and support across a range of disciplines including traditional and social media relations, to Ministers, our chief executive, senior management and officials on a daily basis.
We're looking for a media-savvy person with exceptional written and verbal skills who can deal effectively with a broad range of customers from civil servants, to Ministers, No.10 to key stakeholders, as well as the media.
You will work as part of the specialist strategic communication team offering both proactive and reactive advice and support across a range of disciplines including traditional and social media relations, to Ministers, our chief executive, senior management and officials on a daily basis.
Essential skills and attributes:
When completing your application please ensure that your examples cover the bullet points under each of the following competency headings:
Insight:
- Be alert to relevant emerging issues and trends and develop an understanding of IP and how this contributes to Departmental and Government priorities;
- Actively encourage ideas from a diverse range of sources and stakeholders and use these to inform thinking;
- Develop measurable communication objectives to support the delivery of policy.
Ideas:
- Demonstrate flexible, creative thinking. Test and refine ideas to develop innovative solutions;
- Initiate and lead the development of both reactive and proactive, integrated media campaigns that build on insight and tracking data;
- Work constructively with policy colleagues and partners to gain expert opinions.
Implementation:
- Act as a team player and encourage collaborative working within own team and across the organisation;
- Demonstrate ability to handle high-profile and sensitive issues and translate often complex issues into more easily understandable material;
- Demonstrate how to develop and nurture excellent relationships with journalists and other contacts.
Impact:
- Develop and deliver the overall evaluation approach for communication, using relevant tools and guidance;
- Analyse media monitoring results to assess the effectiveness of media strategies and inform future proactive and reactive media campaigns.
Desirable skills and attributes:
In addition, you should be able to evidence a range of these skills:
- excellent written and oral communications skills;
- a positive, collaborative approach and focus not just on what you do, but how you do it;
- an understanding of the link between IP, innovation and the economy;
- awareness of Ministerial priorities, wider (BEIS) departmental business objectives and the broader political/Governmental context;
- confident and authoritative when acting as a spokesperson;
- give clear, competent and trusted advice;
- work under pressure for sustained periods – while also maintaining sound judgement;
- good relationship management skills and be able to maintain key links with relevant people across the IPO;
- have robust conversations with any stakeholder and to influence their communications activity;
- work with other government organisations, including No.10, to co-ordinate presentation and policy;
- keep up-to-date with industry developments in communication through Government Communications Service and other professional networks.