Royal Voluntary Service has an opportunity available for a Media & Comms Officer to join our team.You will join us on a full-time, permanent basis and in return, you will receive a competitive salary of £25,609 - £27,316 per annum - pay award pending, 1 October 2024, £26,505 - £28,272. Homebased with occasional travel to meetings and events.
About the Media & Comms Officer role:
- You'll be the first point of contact for the charity's media team. Enthusiastically pitching and selling in our media stores and updating wider charity colleagues on our work, as well as efficiently responding to incoming requests
- Building a library of powerful client, volunteer and referrer case study stories (digital and written), including capturing content at sites and services, and speaking to volunteers and the people we support
- Developing and nurturing relationships not only with journalists to ensure we are a ‘go to' for comment, but also with celebrity supporters and ambassadors
- Using your creativity and news sense to develop compelling story and campaign ideas, on both a national and local level. Including drafting relevant press releases and media materials that you will be able to pitch confidently to journalists
- Packaging up compelling pitches for healthcare trade media to showcase the impact our Volunteer Responders service has on the NHS and vulnerable people in the community
- Playing a key role in planning, delivering and amplifying high-impact campaigns, not only for Royal Voluntary Service, but also for our trust and corporate funders to ensure they get the most out of their relationship with us
- Planning, attending and overseeing exciting events and projects away from your desk, including healthcare settings, VIP service visits, photography or filming shoots, and awards ceremonies
- Protecting the reputation of the charity by supporting with sensitive reactive media enquiries and managing risks submitted by operational colleagues
- Evaluating and reporting the performance of campaigns by leading on coverage monitoring and admin
- You'll be one of the team keeping an eye on coverage at the weekend to ensure there are no issues, and to respond accordingly if there is an issue. There may also be occasional requirements to work out of hours on a campaign e.g. for events
Hours: 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday
Benefits
- 26 days' holiday (pro rata) plus paid statutory Bank Holidays (pro rata)
- Ten weeks' company sick pay following successful completion of probation
- A great pension scheme
- 2 x Salary Death in Service Benefit, subject to qualification
- Enhanced Family Leave schemes
- An employee benefits package that gives access to an exclusive rewards website to get discounts and cashback online
- A 24-hour doctor line, financial support with dental/optical and other therapies
- A free and confidential employee assistance programme with up to six face-to-face sessions counselling included
- Extensive online and on the job training to ensure you will succeed in your role
- Opportunities to discuss flexible working
- Opportunities to develop new skills and progress your career
- The chance to make a positive, lasting impact that changes lives, communities and society
What you'll bring as our Media & Communications Officer:
Knowledge
- Degree level education
- Clear understanding, knowledge and interest in the media landscape and different media platforms including national, regional and digital media
- Understanding of the role of PR as a communications tool
Skills
- Strong writing skills, with the ability to adapt your writing style for different formats and audiences. E.g. newsworthy press releases, catchy headlines, inspirational case studies, factual blogs
- Computer skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office programmes including: PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Outlook
- Managing effective, mutually beneficial relationships with media, internal and external stakeholders and colleagues at all levels
- Strong communication skills across all levels, internal and external, including the ability to communicate well with vulnerable service users
- Creative thinking and problem solving
- Attention to detail
Experience
- 2-3 years' experience within fast-paced PR agency or press office environments
- Effectively juggling multiple projects and deadlines at the same time and to a high standard
- Crisis management experience is preferred
- Working proactively to your own initiative
- Events planning and management is helpful
Please refer to the role profile available to view on this vacancy for full details of this opportunity.
If you feel have the skills and experience to become our Media & Communications Officer please click ‘apply' today, we'd love to hear from you!
The closing date for this role is 30 August 2024. However, we reserve the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received.
At Royal Voluntary Service our goal is to welcome everyone and build inclusive and diverse teams. We celebrate difference and encourage everyone to join us and be themselves at work. To find out more about our commitment to EDI, visit our website.
Join Royal Voluntary Service and together we can change lives, change communities and change society.