Marketing and Communications Officer

International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations

Hours
21 hours per week

About the Organisation

IAPO’s almost 300 members are patients’ organisations working at the local, national, regional, and international levels to represent and support patients, their families, and carers. We define a patient as any person with a chronic disease, illness, syndrome, impairment, or disability. These patients’ organisations work in many disease areas, from cancer, heart disease, and diabetes to endometriosis, narcolepsy, and depression. Many are founded and governed by the patients themselves and are diverse in terms of their capacity, budget, and influence.

The alliance was formed by patients’ organisations themselves in 1999 to facilitate collaboration and to promote a patient-centred healthcare agenda around the world, as the need for patients to be represented at the global level became increasingly multinational. Since its inception, IAPO has become recognized as a crucial alliance for the patient sector globally.

Our membership is increasingly developing, and we are able to provide a range of resources and information to a wider community of patients’ organisations in all regions of the world, enabling them to be well-informed and effective advocates at every level where healthcare decisions are made.

About the role

Marketing and Communications Officer will play a crucial role in enhancing and promoting IAPO's mission and initiatives through effective marketing and communication strategies. The Officer will be responsible for developing and delivering advocacy campaigns and engagement activities, creating compelling content, managing social media channels, and amplifying IAPO's online presence and visibility within the global health community. The role requires creativity, strong communication skills, and a passion for non-profit work. The post holder will report to IAPO's Chief Executive Officer and work closely with all staff members.

The post holder must be prepared to work collaboratively in a relatively small team. They should be prepared to contribute to the friendly, positive, and mutually supportive atmosphere that has been developed at IAPO. The post holder is expected to model IAPO’s values and to take an empowering approach to their work with IAPO’s members, within the staff team, and with other stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provide advice and deliver IAPO's marketing and communications strategy, monitoring its impact and conducting market research and competitive analysis as needed.
• Develop IAPO’s key messaging to target audiences via advocacy campaigns, press releases, email announcements, newsletters, social media channels, and website articles, including sourcing written content from the IAPO team for internal and external communications.
• Develop and keep track of the communications calendar and workplans, ensuring IAPO’s initiatives and relevant healthcare topics are communicated effectively to IAPO members and the wider IAPO network.
• Manage and amplify IAPO’s presence on social media platforms, creating and scheduling the posts' graphics and captions, increasing organic engagement, while also monitoring performance metrics to enhance visibility and engagement.
• Manage IAPO’s newsletter, creating new content and promoting the work of IAPO, our members, and partners.
• Devise advocacy campaigns that engage, inform, and motivate, ensuring their alignment with IAPO’s vision and mission.
• Create cohesive and visually appealing graphics and other multimedia content to support campaigns and communication materials.
• Monitor and report on the campaign's effectiveness, making data-driven recommendations for improvement.
• Write, proofread copy, and manage content delivery of IAPO's main website and related microsites, as well as the day-to-day updating of the websites, including news and events.
• Develop and promote media coverage ( press releases, op-eds, news articles) of priority issues and/or major achievements and events, undertake appropriate follow-up actions, analyse and report on the impact of coverage. 
• Produce or support the production of different communication materials (internal and external), including toolkits, speeches/talking points, presentations, booklets, brochures, one-pagers, backgrounders, annual reports, and information briefings.
• Ensure adherence to IAPO editorial and branding style guide, maintaining high-quality standards of all communication materials, including through supporting agencies.
• Manage and grow contact lists (e.g., newsletter subscribers) and social media followers.
• Manage and populate the IAPO photo library, researching new images and indexing existing images.
• Manage reporting of marketing and communication outcomes, contributing to board reporting, and strategising for future performance improvement.
• Liaise with external stakeholders as needed, providing support to the IAPO team to deliver other projects and events accordingly.

Skills, Competencies & Experience

Essential:

• Capacity to work in a developing organisation without close supervision
• Good team worker with a positive, enthusiastic, and cheerful attitude
• Ability to be resourceful and innovative, with a practical problem-solving approach
• Ability to work effectively with colleagues and external stakeholders at all levels
• Sound IT skills (Microsoft Office and SharePoint, Mailchimp, Campaign Monitor, and Hootsuite/Buffer)
• Proficiency in organising and handling information, including confidential information, appropriately
• Proficiency in writing for various platforms, including social media, newsletters, press releases,
• leaflets, and websites in accordance with IAPO's editorial and branding style guide
• Social media expertise with proven experience in designing engaging visuals, strategising and planning posts and campaigns, awareness of organic and paid social media engagement, gathering metric insights, producing impact reports and using those to grow social media audiences
• Design experience with Canva
• Proven experience in a related role such as a communications officer or other relevant position, for at least 3 years

Desirable:

• Experience in using multiple sources of information and analysing social and scientific research to write and review communication materials
• Experience with the production and editing of photo and video content (Adobe Creative Suite)
• Experience with SEO
• Some knowledge of key global health topics and enthusiasm to research and understand the global health landscape in depth
• Knowledge of/fluency in one or more languages other than English 

Personal Skills:

• Demonstrable ability to handle challenging situations calmly, and thrive on challenging intellectual demands
• Excellent interpersonal skills, friendly, tactful, and diplomatic; a good listener and able to work with a diverse range of people
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, good command of written and spoken English, with the ability to provide comprehensive information with clarity and attention to detail
• Organisational and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and work effectively under deadlines

Required Qualifications

• Qualifications in journalism, public relations, communications, or a related discipline

Compensation & Benefits

• 28 days of Annual leave and UK public holidays
• The probationary period is six months and an additional two months.
• Training and personal development opportunities.
• Contribution to pension 5%

Conditions of employment

• You must have the right to work in the UK

Working locations

• Home-Based

How to apply

• To apply for this post, complete the application form

Interviews

• We expect interviews to be held via Zoom starting on 14th July 2025

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