Press & Communications Officer

We are seeking a Press and Communications Officer to generate and maximise positive media coverage of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, in order to further the aims and objectives of the campaign.

Press & Communications Officer Responsibilities:

To date the campaign has been entirely run by volunteers, but as it has grown and developed there has been an increasing need for staff support to ensure that we are as effective as possible and have the best possible chance of achieving our campaign objectives. The Press and Communications Officer will provide wide-ranging support to the campaign in ensuring effective media coverage and achieving maximum engagement with social media channels. This will include media liaison and monitoring for opportunities, interview booking as well as prepping and training spokespeople, sharing content on our social channels, as well as a proactive and innovative approach to getting our campaign in the news.

This role will work with two other paid roles, the Campaign Manager and Campaign Coordinator and be line-managed by the Campaign Manager. Support will also be provided by a large pool of volunteers with a range of responsibilities and expertise. We are really excited for the potential these new roles bring to take our campaign to the next level and amplify the voices of bereaved families to secure positive change.

Press & Communications Officer Requirements:

• An understanding of the role news coverage plays in winning campaigns
• Experience of providing media services to an organisation dealing with contested matters of public interest
• Ability to advise, support and lead staff in carrying out media activities
• Ability to formulate and implement media strategy solely and within teams
• Ability to craft compelling messages that influence news coverage
• Demonstrable and detailed knowledge of the workings and needs of media in the UK
• Ability to advocate for and represent the campaign in meetings and publicly, if required
• Ability to solve problems relating to the work of a press office
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience of communicating clearly in face to face meetings and in difficult circumstances
• Experience of developing strong and enduring relationships with journalists
• Ability to manage the social media accounts of an organisation

About Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK:

Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice is a newly formed not-for-profit organisation working to provide a voice for families bereaved by Covid-19. We have more than 2,000 members who are all personally bereaved and at the heart of everything we do. We’re campaigning for a statutory public inquiry into the Government’s handling of the pandemic so that families can get answers and lessons can be learnt to prevent further loss of life. Alongside our campaign to secure an inquiry, we are also campaigning for improved bereavement support for families and to ensure that those bereaved are protected from hardship.

As a group of volunteers we've already produced agenda-setting front page news stories, garnered support from hundreds of thousands of people, given oral testimony to influential parliamentary committees, held high-level political meetings and been discussed by the Prime Minister in Parliament. Now we’re recruiting paid staff to take the campaign to the next level.

Location: Anywhere in UK - Home Based

Job type: Full Time, Fixed Term Contract (12 months, possibility for extension subject to funding)

Salary: £28,000 per annum

Benefits: 3% employer pension contribution, 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays and additional closure days in December

You may have experience of the following: Communications Officer, Media Manager, PR, Public Relations, Public Relations Officer, Project Management, Charity, Third Sector, Charities, NFP, Not for Profit, Press Officer, etc.

Ref: 96317