Media and Campaigns Officer

The Media and Campaigns Officer is the first point of contact into the communications team for all media enquiries during the press office's core office hours of Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Job responsibilities

The post holder will contribute to the successful overall performance of the London Ambulance Service as the first port of call for media enquiries as part of the press desk function
The post holder will be able to be persuasive and motivational and have effective negotiating skills in balancing competing complex media bids and sensitive corporate reputational media enquiries. These highly complex media enquiries will require the post holder to inform and explain difficult reputational and sensitive corporate issues and incidents
Receiving calls from patients, family members and other members of the public will require the post holder to demonstrate high levels of empathy
As well as reactive media handling the Media and Campaigns Officer will play a key role in proactive media work and campaigns aligned with the Services corporate objectives, including pitching stories directly to journalists
The post holder will participate in the out-of-hours on-call rota for media calls outside normal working hours. This will require them to work independently - making judgement calls on difficult and sometimes highly complex and sensitive issues themselves - and be confident in briefing colleagues as appropriate. This will include developing and issuing communications output for large incidents overnight and on weekends
While on call they may need to speak to ambulance crews at the scene of large incidents and absorb complex information. They will be confident in sharing relevant information to journalists, without breaching consent and confidentiality policies
The post holder may also be sent to the scene of a major incident to provide communications support
The post holder will help identify opportunities and develop ideas for stories and social media content to promote the work of the Service and its staff through traditional and digital channels. This might include joining ambulance crews on ride outs and call handlers in the control rooms to source material to support the Services communications goals
The post holder will need to take a corporate view and work flexibly to support the whole of the communications team and to deliver its objectives. They will confidently challenge and rebut inaccurate media articles, manage tight deadlines as part of a busy press office, manage their own workload accordingly and work independently.

Person Specification

Qualifications, accreditations, education

Essential:

Educated to degree level or equivalent level of theoretical knowledge, preferably in communications field.

Desirable:

Membership of an appropriate professional body such as the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

Experience

Essential:

Proven experience of working in a busy press office
Proven experience of supporting implementing and evaluating public relations campaigns to support corporate/local initiatives
Confidence liaising with a wide range of media - national, local and trade - sometimes on complex, sensitive corporate operational and political issues, whilst maintaining confidentiality.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential:

Demonstrate self-motivation when working unsupervised and managing own workload and, as a team player, motivate others and encourage them to deliver a quality service
Demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of the media
Experience building and maintaining good working relationships with a range of media contacts
Strong written and communications skills and experience writing press releases.

Desirable:

Experience writing news releases for local, regional, national, international and trade
Experience in developing relationships with key contacts and journalists.

Personal abilities

Essential:

Apply keyboard skills including use of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, as well as email and internet experience
Positive attitude towards learning and development, demonstrated by a record of continuing professional development
Able to work to tight deadlines as part of a busy press office and manage their own workload accordingly and work independently.

Next Step:

For more information and application instructions, please CLICK HERE.

Closing date: 4th March 2026.