Vacancies at TimeBank

 About TimeBank

TimeBank is a national charity that tackles social issues by finding ways for people to give their time that inspire them and match their lives. With offices at London Bridge, TimeBank employs some 40 staff and runs diverse projects in the fields of health, social inclusion, young people and the environment.

Purpose of the role

This position is a new post in a dynamic communications team made up of seven people. You will manage, plan and deliver a range of media relations activities across the organisation. This role is crucial to leading TimeBank’s media relations including promotion of our projects, delivering volunteer recruitment campaigns on behalf of other charities and communicating the role of volunteering more generally.

Role description

This is an exciting opportunity to work with a leading charity – and be part of an enthusiastic communications team. You will have a proven track record in proactive as well as reactive media and the influencing skills to deliver creative media plans. You will enjoy working as part of a team. You will be comfortable with managing both in-house resources and balancing the use of agencies, freelancers and volunteers as appropriate.

Main responsibilities include:

1. Generating regular, high quality media coverage of TimeBank through proactive and reactive media work
2. Providing a swift and effective response to press and media enquiries, including an out of hours on call rota
3. Training, coaching and supporting colleagues and volunteers involved in media work
4. Building and maintaining excellent working knowledge of the media and developing an effective network of key journalists
5. Writing creative and strategies for campaigning media work, with clear objectives that can be evaluated
6. Seeking and researching stories from TimeBank’s projects
7. Working with celebrities and their agents to build relationships with TimeBank
8. Taking responsibility for monitoring and evaluating the coverage generated
9. Bringing new ideas on how to promote TimeBank through the media
10. Provide advice to colleagues at all levels on TimeBank’s positioning in the media.

Person specification

Knowledge and experience

Essential

• Expert knowledge of UK national, regional and local media gained through extensive experience of working with or in the media
• Proven media relations experience, including media planning
• Experience of online and digital media

Desirable

• Experience of high profile media campaigns
• Postgraduate training in communications/public relations

Skills and Competence

Essential

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Proven ability to develop effective media strategies and secure media publicity
• Able to support colleagues (both in the communications team and TimeBank as a whole) in developing media plans and securing media publicity
• Ability to be creative - thinking of new ways to use the media to promote TimeBank
• Able to build and manage successful relationships throughout the organisation and inspire high levels of confidence in your professional judgment
• Able to manage a varied workload and to work to tight deadlines
• Experience of working independently and as part of a team
• Excellent IT and administration skills, in particular a knowledge of Microsoft Office programmes

Desirable

• Writing and editing material for the web, including podcasts, video and social media
• Working as part of an integrated communications team
• PR within the not-for-profit sector
• Working with volunteers

Personal:

• Ability to undertake some out of hours work
• Commitment to Equal Opportunities
• Ability to undertake some travel within the UK.

All experience may be paid or voluntary, full or part-time, in the UK or overseas.

Closing Date: 5pm, Friday 21 November 2008
Interviews:  Tuesday 25 November 2008

All forms required for application along with the full job specification can be downloaded from the links below:

Job Description
Application Form
Guidance Notes for Application Form
Monitoring Form
Guidance Notes for Monitoring Form

Alternatively please email vacancy@timebank.org.uk or call 020 7785 6362 to be posted details.

Completed applications should be sent to: Fay Percy, Administrator, TimeBank,
2nd Floor, Downstream Building, 1 London Bridge, London, SE1 9BG
or to vacancy@timebank.org.uk