AMS PSR

On behalf of IBCA - Infected Blood Compensation Authority we are looking for a Press and Media Officer (Inside IR35) for a 2 month contract based in Newcastle (Hybrid, 1-3 days per in Newcastle - candidate location dependant)

In recognition of the hurt caused by the infected blood scandal and highlighted by the Infected Blood Inquiry (IBI), compensation will be paid to those infected and affected. This role is an opportunity to join a new Arms Length Body – the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) – as we build a team of Communications and Engagement professionals to put the infected and affected community at the heart of our communications and support them to get the compensation they are entitled to. 

The number one goal for this new organisation is to build and maintain trust with its users. Effective, open and transparent communications will play an important part in this. 

The Communications and Engagement team sits at the heart of the IBCA to ensure we explain the new compensation scheme with clarity, simplicity and effectiveness.  

The role:

We are building a Communications and Engagement Team unlike any other with one aim: to deliver compensation to the infected blood community. As a Team we collaborate, we lead and we work at pace. With a big job to do you’ll be striving for innovation and excellence as we build the team together.

You will be a driven and creative communications professional with solid experience in either consumer and print public relations or press office. You will have an expert understanding of what it takes to build and deliver intelligent, strategic communications. 

The roles will sit in the media and digital team in the Communications and Engagement Team, delivering dynamic and intelligent media communications and products. 

As IBCA is a community-first organisation, you will be passionate about user centric design. Every piece of targeted content you create will be relevant, appropriate and clear for our audience.    

Job holders in this grade will carry out a range of activities across communications. This will give you the opportunity to work flexibly across the team to support communication and IBCA community priorities. The job holder will be expected to sometimes work out of hours including weekends and evenings

As a Press and Media Officer your main responsibilities will be: 

• Create and deliver a targeted long-term media strategy, in collaboration with the wider Communications and Engagement Team and external agencies
• Lead on crafting and landing media stories that highlight information and news about IBCA as well as showing the organisations progress 
• Expertly manage live media questions 
• Lead and coach your team to deliver the highest quality communications products
• Create media content, including press notices, social media content, reactive responses to media queries and communications plans
• Land stories in a range of media outlets including print, online, radio and broadcast
• Work with internal and external stakeholders to best tell IBCA’s story, and the story of the infected blood community, in regional and national media
• Lead the use of intelligent evaluation to optimise our approach to media including sentiment and evaluation reporting to represent our users voices, influence decision making and inform future work
• Provide media advice, counsel and constructive challenge to senior managers and others as required on how communications can help support IBCA objectives
• Identify and manage emerging issues and trends which might impact or benefit IBCA's work
• Build and maintain strong relationships across the organisation and externally with appropriate stakeholders so we can create and deliver accurate, appropriate and timely key messages
• Contribute to strategic plans, evaluation documents, reports and other IBCA communications materials and briefings. 

Essential: 

• Experience of delivering clear, accurate and effective media products and strategies 
• Excellent written skills with the ability to produce clear and easy to understand content from complex policy information
• Experience of writing and landing a range of media products for a range of media outlets including print, online, radio and broadcast
• Experience of monitoring and evaluation and using metrics to inform your communications approach 
• Experience of working collaboratively across teams and leading colleagues at all levels and external stakeholders
• Experience developing and implementing strategic communications and engagement plans
• Proven ability to work in a fast-paced, demanding and unpredictable environment, being able to prioritise your own work, often under pressure
• Proven ability to identify communications trends and opportunities to build and strengthen our IBCA’s media footprint
• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills and the confidence to challenge decisions if necessary.

Desirable:

• Experience of managing colleagues
• Experience of working in a press office 
• Journalism experience

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident 

As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme IBCA guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group.

This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

Armed Forces Commitment 

IBCA guarantees to interview veterans or spouses / partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates / military spouses or partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following “this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different.