Science & Social Media Manager (9 month fixed term engagement)

We are a global leader in life sciences tools, partnering with customers to find solutions that diagnose, treat, feed and protect our growing population. Working collaboratively with our partners across the scientific community, our products and services help to solve some of the most complex challenges facing society and our planet. Together we respond to global pandemics, pioneer innovative precision medicine, and improve the safety of our food, medicines and environment.   

Job description 

The Science & Social Media Manager will play a key role supporting the Group Corporate Communications Team in developing and implementing a high impact science communications and content, ensuring that LGC's science stories and corporate reputation are well represented both internally and externally. 

The role will involve business partnering with LGC’s [Diagnostics & Genomics] Innovation Hub leader and  global science community, providing trusted communications counsel and proactive support to senior science leaders. The successful candidate will identify, create and share LGC’s many brilliant science stories, creating high impact and engaging campaigns for use across internal and external communications channels.  

This role will also involve protecting and strengthening the Group’s corporate reputation, running LGC’s Group press office function, including out of hours cover, and proactive media monitoring. With hands on issues management and media relations experience, this candidate will have good editorial judgement and be able to proactively identify stories and escalate potential issues in a timely manner. 

Key responsibilities

• Help develop and implement LGC’s science communications and content strategy, aligned with the Group's purpose – Science for a Safer World. 
• Work closely with LGC’s senior science leaders and wider science community to identify, develop and share brilliant science stories on internal and external channels, as well as assisting with key events (E.g., Science Conference). 
• Manage content creation, calendar planning, and lead content production to ensure consistency and quality across all internal and external channels, including media monitoring and enquiries, as well as out-of-hours requests. 
• Support communication efforts for scientists attending or presenting at key internal and industry events and conferences, including development of presentations, news releases, media engagements, social media content and reporting. 
• Work with the Group Corporate Communications Team to ensure communications around M&A activity is managed effectively. 
• Serve as a key point of contact for issues management and crisis communications as needed across the Group, implementing rapid-response strategies to protect the Group's reputation and maintain business continuity. 
• Use data and analytics to benchmark and evaluate the impact of communication strategies and provide insights for continuous improvement across all available communications channels.
• Identify brilliant science stories and create engaging communications campaigns, ensuring high-quality, on brand content is impactful on intranet, Group website and social media platforms. 
• Identifying and engaging with key science, industry, and financial media to share LGC’s brilliant science and career stories. 
• Providing proactive communications support for senior science colleagues for thought leadership and key presentations (e.g. colleague town halls). 
• Ensuring LGC’s communications policies and processes are being followed, with proactive social and other media monitoring in place. 

The candidate will have a proven track record in science or medical writing, they will be confident developing and implementing communications/media plans and developing content for internal and external audiences, including thought leadership, science communications and issues preparedness and management. This candidate will also be capable of developing and advising on news releases around significant business announcements.

• Strong experience in content planning, and creation of science/healthcare communications or science/medical journalism/writing. 
• Has worked as a journalist or writer, either in house and or/agency/specialist media, working with complex technical companies or clients (e.g., pharma/life sciences). 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including ability to both write and review copy for corporate and external publications and convey complex information to ensure it is both accessible and engaging for colleagues and external audiences. 
• Confident developing and implementing communication plans, digital content strategy, social/media content and campaigns. 
• Some issues management/crisis communications experience, including liaison with media and other external stakeholders. 
• Degree in communications, public relations, journalism, life science, marketing, or a related field. 
• Some experience supporting and advising senior leaders, including confidence offering media relations/messaging advice. 
• Some experience with video content, design and editing tools is advantageous. 
• Proficient in PowerPoint, content development and management systems, with experience developing and editing websites and social media channels. 
• Budget management. 
• Management of suppliers. 
• Proactive in managing content calendars and ensuring timely delivery of content.

Personal attributes:

• Positive and respectful team player who always behaves with integrity
• Comfortable being able to pivot according to business priorities and able to embrace new and different ways of working. 
• Cares about doing a great job and exceeding expectations with the quality of work done. 
• Proactive with a strong sense of ownership and personal responsibility. 
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including ability to influence and network across complex matrix organisations. 
• Able to articulate ideas with conviction and counsel senior leaders with gravitas and confidence. 
• Excellent writing and communications skills, able to simplify complex information, with strong attention to detail. 

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

The typical pay range for this role is:

Minimum: $80,000 

Maximum: $135,000

This range represents the low and high end of the anticipated salary range for the Maryland-based position. The actual base salary will depend on several factors such as: experience, skills, and location.