Media Officer

We are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic media officer or journalist to report on and promote the work of our world-leading medical researchers at Imperial College London.

Imperial is consistently rated amongst the world’s top ten universities and scientists in the Faculty of Medicine carry out internationally renowned research in a wide range of areas.

This is a great opportunity to tell some fantastic research stories. Working alongside the Media Manager for Medicine, you will focus particularly on research from Imperial’s National Heart and Lung Institute and the Departments of Surgery and Cancer, Brain Sciences, and Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction.

With a curiosity about science and medical research and excellent written and verbal skills, you will know how to turn complex research findings into press releases and pitches to journalists that appeal to a wide range of people. You will understand how to report on medical research responsibly and accurately.

You will have an eye for what interests the media and be able to create opportunities for engaging with the media beyond press releases, including through press briefings.

Imperial receives a high level of interest from the media and other audiences. With many demands on your time, strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise are vital.

**Duties and responsibilities**:
**Promoting Imperial’s research through the media - 50%**
- Identifying and generating news and feature stories about research from the Faculty of Medicine;
- Writing and distributing news releases to the national and international media;
- Identify and create opportunities for engaging with the media beyond press releases, including through targeted pitches and press briefings;
- Advising researchers on communications strategy and media handling
- Maintaining contact with key journalists on Imperial’s media database and identifying new journalists to add;
- Maintaining an awareness of media coverage of science, technology and medicine, and higher education issues - to identify opportunities for Imperial and to position Imperial’s researchers as key spokespeople on scientific issues in the news;
- Organising media visits to Imperial’s research facilities (including journalists, film crews and photographers);
- Contributing to media and communications strategies for priority research themes and initiatives within the Faculty, supporting the Media Manager (Medicine).
- To lead on managing our medicine media lists, working with the communications assistant, to ensure they are up to date and include the journalists and publications important to the College and our academics.

**Reporting on research - 30%**
- Producing news and feature content for the Imperial News website;
- Generating and distributing media coverage reports to senior leadership, relevant academics and communications colleagues.
- Prioritising stories and overseeing the content of the Medicine news page to ensure that it reflects College priorities and responds to external events;
- Identify and create opportunities to promote Imperial’s research on social media, working closely with the Social Media team
- Creating content suitable for use on social media channels, including multimedia where appropriate (video, audio, infographics)
- Commissioning professional photoshoots
- Developing ideas and content for the Imperial Magazine

**Liaising with external and internal partners -10%**
- Building and maintaining a close overview of the Faculty’s research and its researchers and acting as a key provider of advice and information;
- Building and maintaining relationships with equivalents at research funders and commercial, academic, government and media partners on communicating joint projects;
- Building and maintaining relationships with senior staff in the Faculty of Medicine. Providing high level media and communications support and attending meetings where relevant.
Building and maintaining strong relationships with communications staff within the Faculty of Medicine
- Overseeing or managing agreed projects that contribute to the aims of the Faculty of Medicine, the Research media team or the wider Communications Division.
- Working with Faculty communications, outreach and public engagement representatives when appropriate, to support the communication of research through their local news pages and Medicine theme page on the Imperial News site.

**Core office responsibilities - 10%**
- Monitoring Imperial’s media profile and contributing to the weekly and bi-monthly media roundups;
- Leading the daily news huddle meeting, on a rota basis, alongside other members of the Division;
- Taking part in the out of hours on-call rota, for which an additional allowance is paid;
- Other tasks as may be assigned by the Head of News and Media (Research)

**Essential requirements**:

- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
- Experience of a press and/or PR environment
- Experience worki