Please note this is a hybrid role based on the successful candidate working at least two days a week in our London office. Remote contracts would not be considered for this role.
Comic Relief reserves the right to close the role early if a large number of applications are received.
Purpose of job:
As a PR Officer, you will play an important role in planning and delivering creative national and regional PR strategies for Comic Relief’s high-profile fundraising campaigns and partnerships, while taking a leading role in the efficient running of Comic Relief’s busy Press Office.
You will work across a broad and exciting range of projects and strategic campaigns throughout the year that combine the worlds of entertainment, pop culture, sport, and charity, and that feed into cross-organisation communications strategies. This will include Red Nose Day, Sport Relief and winter fundraising campaigns, bespoke events and activations, as well as working with some of Comic Relief’s high-profile partners, well-known brands, and fantastic funded partners. These wide ranging, creative and exciting campaigns will drive income, awareness, brand consideration, and showcase the positive impact of donations.
You will need to have a good understanding of the UK media landscape; feel confident in approaching journalists with new ideas; have experience of gaining media coverage at both a national and regional level; and experience of monitoring PR coverage and campaigns.
Running Comic Relief’s busy Press Office is a responsibility shared by every member of the PR team. You will be required to take a leading role in the efficient running of the Press Office and its processes, which can include handling media enquiries in a timely and accurate manner, evaluating PR campaigns, as well as contributing and editing internal comms updates.
We are looking for an enthusiastic, highly organised communicator, brimming with creative ideas and initiative, who is used to working as part of a small but busy team, and who is passionate about inspiring support for our mission to create a just world, free from poverty.
Key responsibilities:
* Assist the planning and delivery of ambitious, creative, effectively planned and executed national and regional PR strategies that are rooted in audience insight, and reflect Comic Relief’s strategic objectives to drive income and raise awareness of the positive impact donations have in the UK and around the world
* Help to develop new ideas, content, and stories to secure media coverage for national and regional digital platforms, print and broadcast media
* Set up media interviews, write briefing materials and attend interviews when required (this may require travel around the UK on occasion)
* Own projects from planning through to evaluation with support of your line manager
* Establish, develop and maintain strong and collaborative relationships with key internal and external stakeholders. This could include internal colleagues, cross organisational working groups, partners, journalists, producers, talent publicists and colleagues from organisations that receive funding from Comic Relief
* Work closely with external partners and organisations where appropriate to help maximise their involvement with Comic Relief – this might be PR agencies or partner PR/Media teams
* Draft and edit high quality, compelling written materials and ensure sign off on all materials, including press releases, interview briefing documents, lines against enquiry and spokespeople quotes
* Work with Comic Relief’s Stories team and funded partners to gain media coverage of the impact of donations and raise awareness of the issues we support. This may involve setting up and managing visits with journalists, influencers, and celebrity supporters
* Take a leading role in the day-to-day running of an efficient Press Office alongside the wider team. This includes responding to media enquiries, ensuring a smooth process from start to finish by working with teams across the organisation to draft responses; uploading press releases to the website; drafting internal updates; using our media database platform to create targeted media lists; using CRM systems to support relationship management
* Implement and lead all Press Office processes including the morning press update for internal stakeholders; monitoring our general media enquiries inbox and phone; using our media monitoring platforms to monitor, save and evaluate coverage; compiling coverage reports
* Be flexible and support the PR team with ad hoc tasks as directed, such as delivering PR events; attending shoots to gather media assets; researching and pitching stories to media
Person specification:
Essential criteria:
* Demonstrable experience as a PR / Media Officer or similar in house or an Account Executive or similar in a PR agency
* Proven experience of working on national and regional PR campaigns
* An ability to develop and deliver fresh creative ideas that generate media coverage
* Excellent writer with attention to detail
* Good media relations and confidence approaching journalists with ideas
* Good organisational skills with experience of managing and prioritising multiple projects to strict deadlines even when faced with challenges
* Excellent communication skills
* A commitment to Comic Relief and its core values and a strong team player
Desirable criteria:
* Understanding of PR evaluation methods and media monitoring tools/platforms
* Good understanding of the changing PR landscape across national and regional UK media
* Experience of working with talent/influencers
* Good negotiator with strong influencing skills
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Comic Relief we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.
Why work at Comic Relief
There are lots of good reasons to join us at Comic Relief. You can read more about our employee benefits, such as our commitment to flexible and hybrid working. We ask staff to come to the office twice a week, normally on agreed team days, so that we can do all those things that are difficult to do online. Our office is based in Whitechapel, London, There are lots of opportunities to develop your skills and experience at Comic Relief, including opportunities to become a Mental Health First Aider or to participate in our Employee Network Groups that focus on making Comic Relief a more inclusive place to work
Disability Confident employer
As part of the Disability Confident scheme, we take positive action by providing first-round interviews to candidates who have a registered disability, provided they meet the minimum criteria for the role, as demonstrated on their CV or application scores. We ask that candidates that wish to be considered for this scheme email to discuss further. Please do not email CV's/cover letters.