Communications Assistant

The European Respiratory Society (ERS) is looking for a Communications Assistant to join our small and busy team. The team is based in Sheffield but works with colleagues across Europe on a daily basis to support the communication needs of the Society. This is a full-time position with a temporary 12-month contract. It offers hybrid working between office and home.

About ERS

ERS is an international membership organisation that brings together physicians, healthcare professionals, scientists and other experts working in respiratory medicine. We are one of the leading medical organisations in the respiratory field, with a growing membership representing over 160 countries. Our mission is to promote lung health in order to alleviate suffering from disease and drive standards for respiratory medicine globally. Science, education and advocacy are at the core of everything we do; we promote scientific research, provide access to high-quality educational resources and play a key role in raising awareness of lung disease to politicians.

Specifics of the role

The Communications Assistant will support the wider team to produce and deliver comms plans and associated tactics using a variety of channels, including newsletters, websites, social media and mailings – targeting both our membership and the wider professional respiratory community. 

Responsibilities:

• Daily checking of social media accounts (responding to and engaging with posts)
• Social media scheduling across all platforms
• Copywriting (for social media posts, newsletter items etc.)
• Image sourcing/editing for use on communications channels
• Scheduling of website content using a customised content management system (WordPress)
• Creating mailings/newsletters in design
• Proofreading and content checking
• Basic communication planning
• Supporting the Communications Director and Communications Coordinators as requested
• Some (limited) European travel may be required

Qualifications/experience

• Experience in a related role (preferred)
• Undergraduate degree in English, communications, journalism, PR or related (essential)
• Experience of working with social media such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram (essential)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills (essential)
• Experience of image editing/design suites (essential)
• Highly organised with exceptional attention to detail (essential)
• Ability to prioritise – handle multiple assignments, manage/meet tight deadlines, and quickly adapt to meet unexpected and urgent requests (essential)
• Confident with technology and computer-based systems (essential)
• Experience with MailChimp, Canva and content management systems (CMS) (preferred)
• Experience of a medical/scientific/not for profit organisation (preferred)