We’re looking for an outstanding Media Relations Officer to support our media activity.

The Media Relations Officer will:

• Support the Head of Media Relations in producing outputs and responses as part of our proactive and reactive media strategies
• Coordinate with colleagues in the organisation and across RG members to generate proactive news stories that promote our advocacy positions, and reactive lines to protect against reputational threats
• Coordinate media activities relating to campaigns that promote RG positions and Strategic Programmes, and help deliver our longer-term communications objectives
• Liaise with our Digital Comms & Design Manager to ensure social media engagement is joined up with our wider media strategies and positions
• Maintain and strengthen relationships with media colleagues at RG members and other stakeholders to inform and optimise our media strategies / responses
• Cultivate trusted relationships with a network of journalists, broadcasters, and other professionals in traditional and digital media, engaging with outlets / platforms that have national, regional and international reach
• Participate fully in an integrated External Relations team including an out-of-hours on-call rota

Applicants should demonstrate:

• Experience in a busy press office environment, and in coordinating with colleagues on media issues and/or other communications functions and working with a range of external stakeholders
• Experience and confidence in engaging with journalists, broadcasters, and other media professionals
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including producing outputs for different audiences
• Ability to communicate complex policy work in a way which is media-friendly
• Competent and imaginative in using new and emerging forms of communication with experience of writing website copy and working with social media
• Excellent political nous, judgement and awareness of complex policy positions

Please download our Candidate Pack: https://russellgroup-ac-uk.pinpointhq.com/.

Our offices are in Westminster, but we offer flexibility for staff to work from home up to two days a week, subject to priorities. Benefits include:

- Membership of USS pension scheme
- 25 days of Annual Leave at start, rising to 30 days
- Additional Easter and Christmas closure days
- Private healthcare insurance
- Employee Assistance Programme