Media And Communications Manager

Royal College of Emergency Medicine; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) is seeking an experienced Media & Communications Manager to oversee media, external and member communications and engagement activities at a pivotal moment for the profession and health system.

You will lead the media strategy, advise senior leaders, manage reputational risk, and collaborate with partner organisations to raise RCEM’s national voice in health policy.

Qualifications

• Senior-level experience in media relations, strategic communications, or press office leadership.
• Ability to spot stories in data and advise senior leaders on high-profile issues.
• Excellent editorial judgment and strong relationship-building skills.
• Experience with member communications and engagement is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead the College’s press office function and media engagement.
• Brief senior spokespeople ahead of major media appearances.
• Collaborate with partner organisations to build influence in health policy.
• Shape cross-organisational campaigns across digital, policy, research and membership.
• Provide editorial oversight on tone, messaging and channels.
• Monitor political and health environment for risks and opportunities.
• Provide leadership and development for the Communications team.
• Track performance with analytics and evaluation frameworks.
• Stay updated on industry best practice and trends.

Skills

Media relations

Strategic communications

Press office leadership

Story spotting

Editorial judgment

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) is seeking an experienced, strategic, and influential Media & Communications Manager to oversee our media, external and member communications and engagement activities, at a pivotal moment for the profession and the wider health system. This senior role sits at the heart of the Policy & Communications directorate and is responsible for strengthening the College’s voice, managing reputational risk, and driving high-profile communications activity that supports our mission and members.

About the Role

As the Media & Communications Manager, you will lead the delivery of the College’s media strategy, working closely with the Head of Communications to shape its direction, and act as a trusted advisor to directors, College Officers, senior leaders, and subject matter experts.

• Provide authoritative guidance on media handling, issues management, and proactive communications, ensuring that the College’s external positioning is coherent, evidence-based, and aligned with organisational priorities.
• Support the delivery of the College’s Communications Portfolio, ensuring alignment across media, external and member communications, while maintaining high standards of quality and consistency.
• Act as a senior approval point for significant media and high-profile external outputs, while overseeing member communications and engagement activity, ensuring a joined-up approach.

What You'll Do

This is a hands-on role dynamic and far-reaching role, combining strategic input with day-to-day delivery of high-profile media activity.

• Lead the College’s press office function, overseeing all media engagement, including handling press enquiries, issuing statements and press releases, co-ordinating the on-call rota, preparing lines to take, and managing relationships with national, regional, and specialist journalists.
• Work closely with the Policy and Public Affairs teams to brief the President, Chief Executive, and senior spokespeople ahead of major media appearances, ensuring confident, informed representation.
• Collaborate with partner organisations, Royal Colleges, and external bodies to build influence across the health and policy landscape.
• Shape and deliver cross-organisational campaigns, ensuring integration across digital, policy, research, and membership engagement.
• Lead on editorial oversight, safeguarding tone of voice, narrative consistency, and core messaging across channels.
• Monitor the wider political and health environment, identifying risks, opportunities, and proactive communication moments that strengthen RCEM’s visibility and impact.
• Provide visible leadership within the Communications team, managing and developing a Communications Officer and Member Engagement Officer, setting clear objectives, and fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure performance of our media and member communications work is tracked through analytics and evaluation frameworks, offering data-driven insights to senior management.
• Keep abreast of industry best practice, communications trends, and sector developments.

What You'll Bring

• Senior-level experience in media relations, strategic communications, or press office leadership – ideally within a healthcare, membership, or policy-focused organisation (although not essential).
• The ability to spot stories in data, alongside a strong track record of advising senior leaders, managing sensitive or high-profile media issues, and delivering impactful communications across multiple channels.
• Excellent editorial judgment, relationship-building skills, and the ability to thrive in a fast-moving environment.
• Experience of member communications and engagement activity would also be advantageous.

This is a unique opportunity for a confident, strategic communicator to shape national conversations, influence public understanding, and ensure the voice of emergency medicine – and RCEM’s members - is heard when it matters most. If you are motivated by meaningful work, strategic impact, and high-profile communications leadership, we would be delighted to hear from you.

About RCEM

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine was established to advance education and research in Emergency Medicine. The College is responsible for setting standards of training and administering examinations in Emergency Medicine for the award of Fellowship and Membership of the College as well as recommending trainees for CCT in Emergency Medicine. The College works to ensure high-quality care by setting and monitoring standards of care and providing expert guidance and advice on policy to relevant bodies on matters relating to Emergency Medicine.

Life at RCEM

At The Royal College of Emergency Medicine, you're part of an ecosystem of support dedicated to caring for people in crisis. You'll join a diverse team of high-performing, passionate individuals dedicated to a mission that matters - each with the courage to try new things, take the initiative, and hold themselves accountable. You'll craft a career with real purpose, supported either by one of our structured career paths or by bespoke training investment that reflects your unique passions and ambitions.

You'll find an organisation centred on culture and driven by the ethos of respect, integrity, collaboration and innovation that sits at the heart of our college values. Here, we're continually striving to do things better, together. And you’ll benefit from systems designed to support you to be at your best, with investment in cutting-edge technology, learning, and empowering working practices. Whether we’re engaging directly with our members or developing our crucial support functions, we’re each an equally vital part of RCEM’s success. It’s a breath of fresh air, in service to a socially-critical mission. RCEM. Where a meaningful career is a rewarding career.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

At RCEM diversity, equality and inclusion is an integral part of our culture so it is important to us that this is reflected in everything that we do. We welcome applications from all individuals irrespective of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion or belief, disability, marital status or parental responsibilities to ensure we actively embrace an inclusive and representative culture that encourages, supports and celebrates our differences.