The Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) is a national charity whose mission is to strive for best care at end of life for all the people of Ireland. It was set up in 1986 to fund and develop specific hospice services. Since then our work has expanded to address the needs of people dying in hospitals, at home and in other care settings. We also promote discussion of a broad range of issues related to dying, death and bereavement in order to identify what matters most to Irish people at the end of life and how best to address their concerns.

Our vision is that no one should face death or bereavement without the care and support they need. Our mission is to strive for the best care at end of life for all.

Traditionally we have enjoyed, through the efforts of a strong communications and advocacy function, strong representation in the media, health sector and political arena. In 2015, we are developing a new strategic plan.  Within this plan, we envisage that we will further develop the communications, policy and advocacy and public affairs work of the IHF.  This development will be led by a programme manager for communications and public affairs.

Role and Responsibilities:

The successful candidate will be responsible for creating awareness of IHF’s mission and work through strong communications, public engagement activities and dissemination of information to the general public, media and health organisations.  Reporting to the CEO, (s)he will be supported by a team of 4 to 5 staff in the areas of communications, information management, political advocacy, public engagement, policy research as well as the IHF’s policy sub-committee.

The core responsibilities for this role are as follows:

Development and delivery of communication strategies and communication  plans for fundraising and for the promotion and advocacy for our programmes;
Oversight of the communications and advocacy functions;
Support and development of the public engagement function (which includes engagement with the general public, the health and palliative care sector and the political establishment);
Oversight of the policy and information generation and information management function (with assistance from other areas of the IHF).

Strong communications experience, programme and strategic management are core requirements for this role.

The successful candidate will be required to work closely with colleagues within the organization as well as the IHF Board, subcommittees, partners and other key stakeholders to ensure that challenging communications and advocacy targets are met, the IHF’s work is marketed effectively to reach target audiences and new opportunities for partnerships and support are created.

Personal Experience, Skills & Qualifications:

The successful candidate will have:

A minimum of five years of communications and advocacy/public engagement  experience at a national level in a similar role or with similar issues;
Bachelor or higher level degree in a related field or significant relevant work experience in a similar role;
Strong communications expertise including:
Experience in developing and implementing public communications programmes;
Experience in public relations and promotion of fundraising projects;
Experience in  communicating with the media, health and social sectors, at a senior level;
Ability to communicate complex information clearly, both in oral and written form, to a range of audiences;
Ideally the post holder will have good media contacts and some experience of public relations.
Information analysis and policy appraisal with a demonstrated ability to analyse public policy proposals and research summaries;
Strong organizational and interpersonal skills including:
Programme and project management experience in coalition-building and working in a team environment;
Extensive experience in staff management; and
A working knowledge of approaches towards public engagement.

This is a full time role and will be based at the IHF’s offices on Nassau Street, Dublin 2. Salary details are available on application.

Please forward your CV with a brief covering letter to Mary Cleary, The Irish Hospice Foundation, 4th Floor, Morrison Chambers, 32 Nassau Street, Dublin 2 or email info@hospicefoundation.ie by Friday 4th September 2015.