Purpose of the post

This role is a key member of the Insights, Communications and Engagement team at HDR UK, reporting to the Head of Communications and working with colleagues across the Institute and the wider UK health research sector.

As we move towards delivery of our new strategy, we are looking to develop our overall narrative and brand structure, further refine our key messages, improve our digital communications, undertake more proactive media relations; and ultimately to demonstrate our scientific impact. 

The Communications and Content Officer will be pivotal to putting these plans in place, developing and maintaining a detailed communications and content calendar, producing high quality content and making the best use of our channels.  The postholder will:

1.       Generate a wide range of compelling and engaging content to support HDR UK’s communications strategy, in line with key messages and overall objectives

2.       Manage and improve our communication channels, activate partner networks, and publish content to reach core audiences, including researchers and the public

3.       Support the Insights, Communications and Engagement team in raising HDR UK’s profile and through demonstrating our impact in uniting the UK’s health data to improve people’s lives across digital channels, media and events

This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious and dynamic health/science communications professional seeking to advance their career in a growing organisation that has been at the heart of the UK’s research response to COVID-19.

The successful candidate will share our values, have strong collaboration skills, be comfortable with working at pace and have a passion for delivering professional, high-quality communications and content.

Main responsibilities

•  Work with internal teams and external partners to identify and write compelling and engaging content that showcases our impact as the UK’s national institute for health data research

• Draft “core” written content, including news stories, blogs, opinion pieces, case studies, posts for social media channels and toolkits for partners, turning it around in a timely manner (sometimes daily) for publication and distribution

• Produce HDR UK’s regular newsletter (currently monthly – “HIVE”)

• Work with the Science Communications Manager and Research Manager to support communications around research papers and scientific discoveries relevant to HDR UK, highlighting our role and the role of data more widely

• Manage the content planner, strategically scheduling content to optimise engagement and meet organisational objectives and timelines

• Work with the Head of Communications to implement a communications briefing/requests process with colleagues and partners to ensure relevant content is prioritised in line with strategic and organisational objectives

• Lead on the production of audio-visual content, including creating assets in Indesign, Photoshop and Canva, and managing creative freelancers, including videographers and photographers.

• Support the Events Officer to promote events (internal and external) and develop written and audio-visual content from events

• Ensure all communication materials produced for Health Data Research UK adhere to the brand guidelines

• Work collaboratively with the wider Insights, Communications and Engagement team to ensure HDR UK’s communications are insight-led, user-oriented and accessible to the public and patients

• Working with Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement colleagues, ensure our content is shaped by patients and the public as needed.

• Publish engaging content on Health Data Research UK’s websites, ensuring the websites are up to date and adhere to brand guidelines

• Manage Health Data Research UK’s social media activity (Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube), in line with the wider communications strategy for engaging with target audiences

• Support the organisation’s use of Hubspot CRM, ensuring contact information is up-to-date, integrations are in place with other tools such as Mailchimp

• Work with the Senior Manager, Marketing and User Insights to report back to the Communications team and wider organisation on the effectiveness of content on a regular basis producing monthly progress and feedback reports, aligned to the Institute’s Key Performance Indicators

• Produce reports to provide data and analytics on engagement with social channels and around specific campaigns

Person specification

Experience and knowledge:

• A strong understanding of how to develop “own” content across all online channels, especially in a health / research field

• Excellent experience working with and managing a comms/content calendar (“grid”)

• A good understanding of science / health research and ability to synthesise complex, technical information into succinct, crisp copy (and able to demonstrate with a portfolio of strong written work)

• Working with and developing relationships with internal and external partners to create and disseminate content that supports HDR UK objectives

• Ability to write briefs for and manage freelancers and agencies to deliver a range of written and visual content

• Strong understanding and experience in website publishing and CMS (WordPress)

• Strong understanding of publishing content on social media channels (Twitter and LinkedIn), how to create compelling content that drives engagement and builds community

• Experience of using an organisation-wide CRM to support communications objectives; e.g. segmentation for email campaigns

• Understanding of website design, navigation and user experience desirable but not essential

• Understanding of metrics and reporting for communications activities desirable but not essential

• Experience of working with data visualisation tools desirable but not essential

Skills:

• Strong attention to detail

• Comfortable working with technical detail but also in translating technical concepts to non-technical audiences

• Strong verbal communication skills, with the ability to develop effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including the ability to liaise and negotiate effectively when needed

• Excellent planning, organisation and time-management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment with resilience and adaptability

• Solutions and delivery focused with an innovative approach