Media Relations Manager

Salary: £38,885 - £40,285

Contract term: Permanent

Closing date: 9 am on Tuesday 30th May

About the role

Part of a nimble communications team, the Media Relations Manager is our in-house newshound, developing and executing plans and projects that keep purposeful business in the public eye. You will have an externally focused mindset, spotting opportunities for us to deliver our message and finding creative ways to bring our campaigns to life in the media and through our own channels. You will be an experienced communicator with a big picture mindset, able to translate our communications strategy into the day to day work of running our press office.

Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver media relations strategies to support organisational goals and campaigns, engaging relevant outlets and partners to deliver our message to stretch audiences
• Build, maintain and leverage relationships with core journalists in our sector, ensuring they are kept up to date with the latest news and campaigns.
• Identify newsworthy opportunities for B Lab UK and work with the Communications Coordinator to plan and disseminate a regular flow of releases and commentary on behalf of the B Corp Movement and Better Business Act
• Employ a range of tactics, including print, digital and broadcast media and prepare spokespeople for interviews
• Identify strategic partners and events to extend the reach of our campaigns, working with the Head of Communications to deliver a joined up approach.
• Empower and encourage the B Corp Community to deploy aligned messaging on emergent topics and coordinate collective responses
• Act as a critical element of our crisis communications process, developing a bank of challenging questions, horizon scanning issues and aiding colleagues on the content of responses to issues
• Take a media relations coaching role within our communications, campaigns and marketing function, helping to upskill and raise the standard of media relations and creative excellence.
• Collaborate with counterparts across the B Lab Global Network, supporting and leveraging the work of peers in communications teams across the world
• Give counsel to members of the B Lab UK team when delivering speaker or media engagements on behalf of the organisation, ensuring messages land and colleagues feel prepared

Skills and experience

Essential:

• You have experience as a PR or media relations specialist/manager or similar role (approximately Account Manager or above)
• You have excellent written and oral communications skills
• You have a strong news sense, and have prior experience of delivering media relations campaigns or developing news stories
• You are great at relationship building and managing stakeholders – and are confident interacting with a range of businesses and individuals
• Confident in setting and monitoring targets for communications campaigns, aligned to organisational goals
• You take a coaching attitude and are comfortable holding indirect reporting lines, and enabling others to deliver well

Desirable experience but not essential for the position

• Existing relationships with national and vertical business – food and drink or consumer media is a huge plus
• You have experience working within the social and environmental impact sector

What we give you

• Purpose driven work supporting B Lab UK’s mission of redefining the role of business as a force for good
• Hybrid and flexible working, we have a high trust environment and are advocates for right place working
• Flexible working hours (based around core working hours)
• Opportunity to work 4 days a week
• We have an open, inclusive and collaborative working environment
• An excellent range of benefits including a generous holiday allowance, private medical and dental cover, generous pension scheme, annual wellbeing allowance, carers leave, volunteering days among other benefits
• The office is closed over Christmas with no need to use your holiday entitlement
• We invest in professional development and have an open working environment giving you exposure to learn and develop in your career