Communications Officer
Job description
Overview of the role
As Communications Officer, you will be responsible for delivering Beacon’s day-to-day communications, including running our social media channels, delivering promotional campaigns, and maintaining our online presence. You will aid the organisation in raising awareness of rare diseases, increasing engagement in Beacon’s work and strengthening our position within the community.
The Communications Officer will work closely with the entire Beacon team. You will collaborate routinely with the Projects and Science Teams to ensure accurate, engaging and timely dissemination of information about their activities. You will also work closely with the CEO and COO in the development and delivery of a new communications strategy for 2023 and beyond. As a new hire, you will benefit from working alongside our new Digital Resources Manager (currently our Marketing and Engagement Manager), learning directly from their experience previously overseeing Beacon’s communications.
The successful candidate will have a passion for storytelling and a strong command of the English language. You will demonstrate drive and curiosity and have excellent skills in organisation and time-management, and a penchant for balancing and prioritising multiple tasks.
About Beacon
Beacon (formerly known as Findacure) is a UK-based charity that is building a united rare disease community with patient groups at its heart.
Our vision: a world in which no one faces their rare journey alone.
Rare diseases affect around 3.5 million of the UK population. Sadly, this population struggles to receive a diagnosis, treatment or meet others with the same condition. Patient groups are a lifeline for those living with a rare disease. They provide emotional support and advice for day-to-day living, as well as drive wide-scale changes in policy, treatment and care.
Our charity upskills rare disease patient groups through trainings, guided programmes, community projects and research initiatives. We help these groups maximise their impact and deliver change for the world’s often neglected rare disease patients.
We pride ourselves on delivering high-quality, professional projects that make everyone feel welcome and heard; providing opportunities to connect and collaborate with others across the rare disease space.
By working in partnership with patient organisations and other stakeholders, we are breaking the isolation felt by those living with a rare condition, uniting all rare diseases into a single unified force.
Beacon has a small, tight-knit team with a friendly atmosphere and strong commitment to our beneficiaries. We aim to give all employees opportunities to pursue their interests, develop their skills and shape their career paths.
Key details
SALARY
£21,000 – £24,000 (depending on experience)
HOURS
Full-time, 37.5 hours per week
START DATE
May or June 2023
RESPONSIBLE TO
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
TERM
One year fixed-term with the potential to move to a permanent role
LOCATION
Beacon Office, Cambridge, CB1 2BL; hybrid working options available though regular work (minmum 2-3 days per week) in the office is required
Main duties and responsibilities
SOCIAL MEDIA
- Delivering Beacon’s day-to-day social media communications on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram, including planning, writing and scheduling content.
- Responding to incoming queries through Beacon’s social media channels.
- Working with the wider Beacon team to plan social media campaigns for events and projects, delivering these campaigns and ensuring team targets are reached.
- Tracking, monitoring and reporting social media impact.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
- Preparing, writing, and delivering Beacon’s weekly Community Mailing List and Monthly Newsletter.
- Coordinating guest-written blogs from the patient and patient group community.
- Preparing promotional packages for events and projects and disseminating to the wider rare disease community.
- Working with the wider team to identify and record (written, verbal and visual) case studies and testimonials to use in a variety of Beacon communications.
WEBSITE
- Periodically updating website content to ensure relevancy and accuracy (wordpress and Divi training will be provided).
- Delivering Beacon’s weekly blog, including writing blogs and coordinating staff and external collaborators in writing blogs.
- Updating Beacon’s news feed on a regular basis.
- Overseeing and updating the Rarely Heard Podcast website.
- Working with the Digital Resources Manager to increase, track and monitor website traffic through Google Analytics and Google AdWords.
MEDIA DESIGN AND PRODUTION
- Creating graphics for social media, newsletters and website promotions (Photoshop Elements and Canva training will be provided).
- Producing promotional video content (Premier Elements and Canva training will be provided).
- Designing print materials, such as leaflets and booklets, for distribution at events.
EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS
- Identifying and coordinating opportunities for Beacon to participate in external media (e.g. press and publications), including writing articles and coordinating staff in writing articles.
In line with the nature of small team working, additional responsibilities and duties may be added on an ad-hoc or long-term basis according to the needs of the organisation and interest of the successful applicant.
Personal specifications
This is a junior-level role suitable for an individual with experience of using social media channels.
ESSENTIAL
- Experience using social media for promotional purposes, either in a professional or community-driven context.
- Knowledge and understanding of Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.
- Excellent command of written and spoken English, with the ability to write for a range of audiences through varied media.
- An eye for design and strong attention to detail.
- A confident communicator with the ability to build strong working relationships.
- Exceptional organisational skills, with experience of managing and prioritising multiple tasks.
- Drive, determination, and self-motivation. Takes pride in work with a positive outlook.
- Excellent interpersonal and team working skills and confidence working independently.
- Computer literate and confident using all MS Office software.
- Understanding of, and commitment to, the objectives of Beacon.
- Ability to deliver occasional out of hours work to accommodate Beacon events or travel in the UK and internationally.
DESIRABLE
- Experience delivering and scheduling social media content in a professional setting.
- Graphic design experience.
- Experience using Photoshop and/or Premier Elements.
- Experience working or volunteering with charities.
- An understanding of rare diseases and/or the UK healthcare system.
Benefits
25 days holiday, plus 8 bank holidays and additional leave for office Christmas closure
5% pension contribution
Flexible working practices, including hybrid working and flexitime
Time off in lieu to support appropriate work/life balance
Access to free mental health support, counselling and 24/7 telephone GP for you and your family
Shopping savings at major retailers and supermarkets
Discounted gym memberships
Dedicated training budget to support personal and professional training opportunities
Valuable experience working in the charity and healthcare sector
Frequent opportunities to meet and interact with beneficiaries, supporters and collaborators
Opportunities to expand your professional network through attending events and conferences
A close knit and friendly small team environment, giving you a meaningful voice in the direction of the charity
Application process
Please email an up-to-date CV and cover letter to Mary Rose Roberts (Chief Operating Officer) and Rick Thompson (CEO) at recruitment@rarebeacon.org by 9 am on the 19th April, outlining your relevant skills and experience. We welcome any applicants with a design portfolio to submit this along with their application, though this is not a requirement of the recruitment process.
As we are recruiting for numerous roles simultaneously, please ensure your name and the role you are applying for is noted clearly in the email subject line (e.g. James Bond – Application for Communications Officer).
Shortlisted candidates will initially be contacted for a phone interview, with the final round of interviews likely taking place between the 17th April and 5th May. Please note, our first round of phone interviews will be scheduled as and when applications come in.
If you have any questions, or would like to have an informal discussion about the role, please contact us at the email listed above.
You must have a right to work in the UK and we are unable to sponsor UK VISA applications under any circumstances.