Senior PR and Press Officer

As a Senior PR and Press Officer, you will raise the voice and impact of the CIPD in media and wider communications activities in pursuit of its core purpose of championing better work and working lives.

• Circa £40,000 + benefits
• Permanent
• Full time (35 hours per week)
• Wimbledon (hybrid and flexible working)

About us

We’ve been championing better work and working lives for over 100 years. We help organisations thrive by focusing on their people, supporting our economies and societies. We’re the professional body for HR, L&D, OD and all people professionals – experts in people, work and change. With over 160,000 members globally – and a growing community using our research, insights and learning – we give trusted advice and offer independent thought leadership. And we are a leading voice in the call for good work that creates value for everyone. 

We offer an inclusive and stimulating culture and a wide range of professional development opportunities, as well as excellent benefits such as 28 days’ holiday with an option to buy and sell days, personal development allowance, access to an award winning pension scheme and a commitment to wellbeing including a cashback health scheme. 

What you’ll be doing:

• Managing incoming media enquiries, ensuring journalists receive a prompt and efficient response and briefing spokespeople to help turn incoming enquiries into opportunities to proactively communicate key messages

• Maximising media coverage to support the CIPD’s strategic priorities and our research, policy and campaign agenda. This will involve regularly translating policy matters and research findings into accessible news stories that will resonate with different stakeholder audiences

• Being part of a wider team, which creates and delivers integrated communications campaigns. You will have responsibility for managing the media element of certain campaigns

• Building and maintaining relationships with trade media, national and broadcast journalists as part of our busy and respected press office. You will also work closely with the editorial team that manage our CIPD magazines: People Management and Work

• Ensuring that the CIPD’s online media centre is an up-to-date resource for the media and members, and that press releases are distributed in a timely way

• Proactively placing and writing articles for a variety of media and ensuring all articles from CIPD spokespeople are consistent with the CIPD’s key messages.

What you’ll need to be successful:

• Extensive experience in media relations
• Experience of developing and nurturing relationships with key national and broadcast media
• Expected to input on qualitative an quantitative media reporting
• An excellent writer and communicator, able to create compelling copy for a range of audiences and channels
• Experience working in a fast-paced environment, juggling competing deadlines and shifting priorities at short notice
• Experience providing consultancy to the rest of the organisation, including the senior management team
• A team player, able to build relationships with teams across the business and external stakeholders
• Experience representing the organisation when working with media and other stakeholders
• Experience of reputation management, and a good understanding of using social media channels to further our key messages and ensure that traditional and social media activities are aligned.