Job Description

You will play a key role in supporting media relations, including research communications, and to achieve widespread understanding of the College’s mission, vision, aims, and research. You will assist in building and maintaining the College’s brand, image and reputation in the media and other external communications.

You will provide support to the two teams that make up Imperial’s Press Office. These are the Media Relations team (responsible for strategic communications and media relations, thought leadership and reputation management) and the Research Communications team (responsible for communicating the research and expertise of Imperial's scientists and Imperial’s academic work), especially in health and medicine.

You will support these teams to prepare news stories and press releases, arrange and supervise filming, field media enquiries and set up interviews, draft communications materials, write and update web content and otherwise support the smooth and effective running of the Press Office. You will also help to monitor and report on communications performance and impact, and provide outstanding administrative support.

You will:

• Manage and respond to email and phone enquiries from members of the media and other Press Office stakeholders, fielding media enquiries, setting up media interviews with Imperial experts, and escalating enquiries to colleagues as appropriate.
• Manage filming requests and enquiries from the media and documentary makers
• Sub-edit and upload news stories and long-form features for the College news site
• Source high-quality photography, images and other media to accompany news stories and long form features.
• Adapt content for the Imperial news site and prepare content for Imperial’s weekly News In Brief roundup
• Support with issues handling and crisis communications planning
• Assist with other communications projects and initiatives, including those that involve coordinating activities with the wider Division and teams outside it.
• Conduct research and collate information for communications and media relations materials, including briefings, news stories and press releases.

This will involve summarizing media coverage about academic research, assisting with data analysis and reports, and coordinating services to monitor and evaluate communications activities and media coverage.

You will also provide outstanding administrative support to the press office; performing tasks such as coordinating meetings, taking minutes, maintaining databases of key contact details, coordinating general finance administration, and making travel arrangements.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Experience of working in a communication or press office or environment, gained in roles such as Communications Assistant, Communications Coordinator, Press Assistant, Press Office Coordinator, Media Relations Assistant, Junior Communications Officer. Experience of drafting or writing communications material such as news stories, press releases, web content or presentations. Experience of using a content management system to edit webpages and/or experience of editing HTML code. A sound understanding of the national and international media landscape. Excellent writing, proofing and editing skills. Excellent standards of accuracy, consistency and attention to detail. Ability to exercise initiative and plan work independently. Ability to work as part of a tightly knit team. Ability to work under pressure, to strict deadlines and budgetary controls. Ability to convey messages in a clear and compelling way, tailored according to the audience. Strong research and analytical skills, and ability to summarize findings clearly. Ability to work out of hours on occasion.