The Role
About the Team
The press office in Southwark Council is a busy and dynamic environment, based at London Bridge, with fast-paced and high-profile local, regional and national news stories emerging every week, covering a wide range of subjects, from major regeneration projects, to rough sleeping and from addressing the climate change to promoting small businesses or public health matters.
The Role:
As a media officer, you will sit within the external affairs team, which bridges the gap between politics and policies, to provide a pivotal role in promoting and protecting the reputation of the council and its services through the delivery of effective proactive and reactive media relations.
As part of the council’s campaign work, you will be expected to find creative solutions to attracting attention to our flagship policies and initiatives alongside effectively and clearly communicating the council’s position in response to a range of enquiries. You will help raise awareness and provide information about vital services and set the record straight where it’s required across a targeted range of digital and traditional media, broadcast, print and online, reaching residents, peers and other interested groups.
The role involves researching, simplifying and summarising compelling stories about a range of council services and initiatives to generate positive coverage, and writing engaging copy for a range of digital and print council communications.
You will offer advice and briefings to politicians and senior officers on the most effective ways of generating positive media coverage about the council and be a credible spokesperson for both the external affairs team, and the council as a whole.
About You:
We’re looking for someone who knows how hard it can be, but who revels in the rewards of making a difference to people’s lives.
We’d like a high calibre, capable and cool-headed individual who can think and respond rapidly but meticulously to an unpredictable situation, or use their creativity to make dry policy papers exciting.
You won’t be shy at selling in a story, and you get a kick out of seeing or hearing good media coverage
If you can negotiate with people, inside and outside the organisation, feel you can get national interest for a local issue and ensure that we stay ahead of the curve in digital media, we want to hear from you. In return, we offer a great salary and benefits, a lovely team to join, and you won’t be bored.
Additional Details
Southwark Council has a flexible working policy at managers’ discretion, the role is 36 hours a week, Monday to Friday with a rota for covering out-of-hours over some weekends and evenings in line with the council’s emergency plan and 24-hour media service.
Benefits:
https://www.jobsatsouthwark.co.uk/why-us/
Recruitment Timetable
Closing Date: 29 March 2020
Interviews: Week Commencing, 20 April 2020
Attachments