Content and commissioning editor

Royal College of Physicians, United Kingdom

Updated: 20 days ago
Location: London, ENGLAND
Job Type: FullTime
Deadline: 07 Apr 2024

Location: Regent’s Park, London or The Spine, Liverpool
Salary: Grade 5: £37,390 pa in London / £34,390 pa in Liverpool
Contract type: Permanent
Working hours: Full time (35 hours a week), standard working hours between 9–5, Monday to Friday

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is a rewarding and friendly place to work with an incredible history, dating back to our foundation in 1518. We are a professional membership body for physicians – doctors who work in hospitals – with 40,000 members in the UK and around the world working to improve patient care and reduce illness. Our activities focus on educating, improving and influencing for better health and care.

Purpose of the role

Commentary, the RCP’s bimonthly membership magazine, is a forum for lively debate and exploration of the key issues of interest to hospital doctors. The content and commissioning editor is responsible for the publication of Commentary, including commissioning and writing content, illustration and photography and managing all editorial and production processes. The postholder will also work on a range of other editorial projects as required. This role is an excellent fit for an editor who combines solid editorial and project management skills with a flair for innovation, a good eye for design and digital expertise. The postholder will need the confidence to network with stakeholders at all levels both internally and externally, an interest in commissioning a range of content that meets the needs of a diverse and discerning membership, and the skills to amplify the magazine’s reach using all the RCP’s comms channels.

This is a hybrid working role in the Corporate Communications and Publishing (CC&P) team, with a minimum of 6 days per month in either the London or Liverpool office. You’ll liaise with senior leaders and teams across the RCP to promote their work via the magazine, as well as commissioning insightful features from and interviews with influential stakeholders and leaders in the healthcare sector. There will be occasional travel within the UK to attend conferences and other RCP events, or to take part in team events.

Your responsibilities will include:

  • supporting the editor-in-chief to develop and implement a commissioning strategy that meets the needs of members and fellows, promotes the human side of the RCP and includes authentic and engaging features, while furthering the RCP’s strategic and communication objectives
  • generating content, eg by undertaking and writing interviews for the magazine
  • commissioning content (written copy, photography, artwork and illustration) to reflect the work of the RCP and broader areas of professional interest to RCP members and fellows. This requires extensive networking with internal and external contributors and research on trends and developments in the health sector. Negotiating terms and contracts as required for external providers, and benchmarking against industry standards to guarantee value for money for the RCP
  • amplifying and maximising the impact of Commentary content and raising the profile of the magazine across all RCP communication channels
  • carrying out evidence-based competition analysis and market research activity, including surveys, focus groups and voxpops, to ensure that the publication continues to meet the needs of its audience and reflects trends in wider medical publishing, recommending strategic changes and improvements as appropriate
  • keeping up to date with online publishing trends to determine the best format for Commentary in the future.

    • About you:

  • Educated to degree level or equivalent experience.
  • Proficient in MS Office
  • Accurate copy editing and proofreading according to house style
  • , rewriting and structuring copy according to purpose and style of publication
  • Ability to recognise and develop a good story of interest to RCP audiences
  • commissioning engaging content from a variety of contributors
  • using a systematic approach to publications planning and organisation
  • managing the work of internal and external suppliers, authors and contributors
  • using social media in a professional setting
  • An understanding of the membership magazine market

    • For more information about the role, please view the job description .

    Our benefits

    Working at the RCP comes with lots of benefits designed to ensure that you feel valued and supported in your role. We offer a minimum of 29 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) and our annual leave purchase scheme allows you to buy up to 5 additional days holiday a year. In line with our values, we provide a broad range of learning and development opportunities, an annual wellbeing programme and a peer award scheme. We offer a group personal pension plan with 7% employer contribution, life assurance, interest-free season ticket loan and an annual pay award. We also provide a range of health-related benefits and discounts for our staff, including an employee assistance programme, occupational health assessments, enhanced sick pay, a cycle to work scheme and discounts on cinema tickets and a range of high street brands.

    Closing date: 7 April 2024

    Interview date: 15–16 April 2024

    The RCP positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, transgender status, religion or belief, marital status or pregnancy and maternity.

    The RCP is all about our people – our members, staff, volunteers and leaders. We educate, influence and collaborate to improve health and healthcare for everyone and know we can only do this by being inclusive, encouraging and celebrating diverse perspectives. Welcoming into our community people who represent the 21st-century medical workforce and the diverse population of patients we serve is a priority for us.


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