About the job

Job summary

We are currently looking for a News & Media Specialist to join our Enablement Function within the Communications and Engagement group. 

 

This is a full-time opportunity, on a permanent basis. The role will be based in 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf London, E14 4PU. Please note that there might also be a requirement to travel to South Mimms, Hertfordshire or other locations as appropriate. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.   

Government departments and agencies are working towards implementing a minimum 60% attendance in office sites. 

We are currently implementing a flexible, hybrid way of working, with a minimum of 4 days per month working on site to enable the collaboration and contact with partners and stakeholders needed to deliver MHRA business. Attendance on site is driven by business needs so depending on the nature of the role, this can flex up to 8 days a month, with the remainder of time worked either remotely or in the office. Some roles will need to be on site more regularly. Remote working is potentially available for some specific roles. Please discuss this with the recruiting manager before accepting an appointment.   

 

 

Who are we?  

 

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency enhance and improve the health of millions of people every day through the effective regulation of medicines and medical devices, underpinned by science and research.   

The MHRA Communications and Engagement Group is a multi-award-winning team that has a consistent track-record of achievement and providing value for money. Our focus is to support the agency to deliver its business outcomes by putting patients and the public at the centre of all our work. We are organised in the following teams: News & Media, Communications, Patient and Public Stakeholder Engagement and Customer Experience. This role is in our News and Media team.   

The news and issues management team handle the agency’s profile and reputation on high profile, sensitive and day-to-day news and issues affecting the organisation, responding to media enquiries as well as promoting, explaining and justifying its scientific expertise and wider contribution to public health and science nationally and globally.  

Job description

What’s the role? 

 

The successful candidate will be responsible for implementing and delivering effective news and issues management strategies at pace, developing and nurturing media and social media contacts, responding quickly and accurately to breaking or negative news stories to limit potentially damaging coverage and drive the agency’s reputation, evaluating outcomes and results. 

 

Key responsibilities:  

• Implement, deliver and evaluate news and issues management strategies that supports the business priorities and culture change set out in the agency’s corporate and business plan.   
• Anticipate and monitor key news and media issues in a timely manner and provide news and issues management communications advice to all agency staff as well as write, edit and publish content to style for our websites, using a content management system.  
• Produce high-quality handling plans that includes reactive lines to take, press notices, potential risks, core scripts, briefings and Q&As and considers the use of shareable social media content, ensuring work aligns and integrates with strategic communications priorities and narratives. 
• Develop, build and nurture professional relationships with journalists and social media influencers based on honesty, authority and credibility and stay up to date on media / social media trends. Act as an agency spokesperson, appropriately briefing media on issues, arranging media broadcast interviews as required, and participate in a 24-hour media on-call rota. 

Person specification

Who are we looking for?  

 

Our successful candidate will:  

 

  

• Good knowledge and experience of working in a busy press office / media environment in a large, complex, expert organisation, including, ability to plan and react to fast-breaking news stories  
• Experience of evaluating traditional media content to assess performance and inform business decisions  
• Communicating and Influencing - Good written, editorial and oral communications skills with a strong, proven understanding of what makes a good news story and interesting, accessible content. 
• Working Together - Ability to develop good working relationships and influence journalists and senior managers, dealing with conflict and challenge in a calm, measured way  
• Managing a Quality Service - Good planning, project and time management skills, with ability to work on own initiative and in team to problem solve and prioritise own work according to changing business needs.  

 

If you would like to find out more about this fantastic opportunity, please read our Job Description and Person Specification!  

 

Please note: The job description may not open in some internet browsers. Please use Chrome or Microsoft Edge. If you have any issue viewing the job description, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk  

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £34,841, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency contributes £9,407 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

The selection process:  

 

We use the Civil Service Success Profiles to assess our candidates, find out more here.  

• Online application form, including questions based on the Behaviour, Experience and Technical Success Profiles. Please ensure all application questions are completed in full; your application may not be considered if any responses are left blank. Our applications are CV blind, and our Hiring Managers will not be able to access your CV when reviewing your application. 
• Test, further information will be supplied when you reach this stage.  
• Interview, which can include questions based on the Behaviour, Experience, Technical and Strengths Success Profiles.  

 

Applicants are assessed on whether they meet any mandatory requirements as well as the necessary skills and experience for the role. Applications are scored based on the competency-based answers provided- ensure you have read these thoroughly and allow sufficient time. You can view the competencies for this role in the job description.  

 

Applicants must ensure that anything submitted is factually accurate and truthful. Plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own. 

 

 

If you require any disability related adjustments at any point during the process, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk as soon as possible.  

   

Closing date: 24 March 2024 

Shortlisting date: W/C 25 March 2024 

Interview date: 04 April 2024 

 

Candidates will be contacted within a week of the sift and the interviews completed to inform them of the outcome. 

 

If you need assistance applying for this role or have any other questions, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk  

 

Candidates will be subject to UK immigration requirements as well as Civil Service nationality rules. Further information on whether you are able to apply is available here.  

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check as well as animal rights and pro-life activism checks. People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks. 

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.  

Any move to the MHRA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility here. 

 

Successful candidates may be subject to annual Occupational Health reviews dependent on role requirements. If you have any queries, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk. 

 

In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment on the basis of merit by a fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should firstly contact Mira Mepa, Head of Recruitment and Operations, Mira.Mepa@mhra.gov.uk.   

 

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk  

 

info@csc.gov.uk  

Civil Service Commission  

Room G/8  

1 Horse Guards Road  

London  

SW1A 2HQ  

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.