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PR and Media Executive

Job description

Job title: PR and Media Executive

Job purpose: The PR and Media Executive supports and leads on a variety of public facing and media focused projects to deliver strategic communications objectives.

Working across the organisation, this position plays a key role in helping deliver our public facing and media engagement work to raise the profile of the AOP, eye health and the vital work of our optometrist members. You will be responsible for securing and delivering media coverage, gathering important patient case studies, promoting commercial and education activities and providing broader support for the communications team and wider organisation.

Reports to: PR and Media Manager

Directorate: Communications

The communications team is responsible for all external communications for the organisation, including marketing, PR, Optometry Today, website and social media.

PR and Media

Support the AOP PR and Media Manager to maintain the AOP’s position as a credible, authoritative and opinion-leading voice in the sector and the media, in the following ways:

  • Support and lead on the delivery of the AOP’s public and policy eye health campaigns 
  • Lead or support on the delivery of AOP public facing materials including leaflets, videos, blogs, digital and print adverts – ensuring they are produced to a high quality, on time, and in line with AOP brand and style guidelines
  • Lead on the promotion of the organisation’s commercial activity such as events, conferences and publications 
  • Develop an approach and carry out regular case study recruitment that supports the AOP’s public facing activities – gathering human-interest stories of members and their patients
  • Create press materials including press releases, spokesperson briefs and reactive quotes
  • Working with the PR and Media Manager, provide press office support including liaising with journalists to respond to media enquiries, pitching stories and building media lists  
  • Use our media monitoring service to ensure coverage is tracked, recorded and evaluated 
  • Support the PR and Media Manager to deliver the Voice of Optometry surveys – designed to gather newsworthy statistics for media campaigns
  • Feed into the annual PR campaign calendar including relevant news and events hooks
  • Provide daily optical news updates to members via the AOP’s ‘Eyes in the News’ service 
  • Horizon scan media opportunities and relevant topics for responsive media activity  

Social media

Work with the Digital Marketing and Communications Executive and PR and Media Manager to:

  • Lead on policy and campaign social media content across the AOP’s social media channels to drive the opinion leadership agenda
  • Plan in and create original and re-purposed content to support PR objectives in accordance with the campaign calendar, social media strategy and wider communications schedule
  • Use social media as a tool for amplifying our PR and media campaigns – producing creative visual assets, seeding out stories and pitching to journalists and influencers
  • Flag social media queries and issues and respond as appropriate

General responsibilities

  • Devise a rota with the Digital Marketing and Communications Executive to coordinate responses to all emails in the communications inboxes, ensuring prompt and appropriate responses to all enquiries according to AOP customer service policy
  • Ensure all communications procedures are adhered to, including style and brand guidelines, briefing, sign-off and data protection policies and processes
  • Contribute to team meetings and organisational priorities, strategic goals and performance targets
  • Work flexibly, either independently or supporting the PR and Media Manager on campaigns as required. Be prepared to work outside standard office hours (with time off in lieu) to support activities and events

Person specification

Experience

  • At least two years’ experience in a similar PR or communications role
  • Experience in a not-for-profit, healthcare, government or membership organisation
  • Experience working on PR campaigns for different audiences and across a range of channels
  • Experience of providing press office/PR/media support and managing enquiries from journalists
  • Experience of supporting on or delivering PR for commercial and education activities such as events, conferences and publications
  • Experience of working in a fast paced, reactive environment with competing priorities
  • Experience working with freelance or agency designers on creative digital and print projects

Skills and competencies

  • Strong communication skills, both in person and in writing with an ability to adapt writing style for various target audiences, formats and channels   
  • Excellent personal time management, planning and organisational skills
  • Experience using media monitoring platform Vuelio, or similar to compile regular news/coverage round-ups and evaluate media coverage  
  • Experience of using the Vuelio media database, or similar, to compile media lists    
  • Experience using Adobe Photoshop or Canva creative digital package to create high quality, original branded content 
  • Experience of collaborative working with proven ability to work effectively with a range of internal and external stakeholders 
  • Experience of using Hootsuite to manage a range of social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram 
  • Flexible and adaptable with the ability to prioritise own workload and work to multiple deadlines

Education/training

  • University educated or equivalent
  • PR or communications degree or diploma, or equivalent experience preferred

To apply

If you are interested in applying for this position, please send your CV and covering letter stating your salary expectation to [email protected].

Closing date

  • Wednesday 15 March 2023, 5pm