Press officer jobs

Position

MSF UK is looking for a Press Officer to focus on it's proactive, strategic media coverage. We're looking for someone who is collaborative, innovative and has plenty of connections in the industry - be that regional, national or international media, trade or political press, podcasts or documentaries.

Hours: Full-Time (37.5 hours per week) Mon - Fri

Duration: Permanent

Location: London – hybrid, 2 days per week London Office (including Wednesdays)

Salary: £41,902.62 - £51,214.32 per annum | Salary is offered in line with our pay framework and typically starts at the entry point of the band. Salary increases are considered annually and are subject to our appraisal and performance review process.

Job Purpose:

• The main purpose of this role is to proactively seek coverage of MSF / create news about MSF.
• This role is about creating opportunities for impactful coverage and setting up good relationships externally. 
• To raise awareness of the work and priorities of MSF with core target audiences via coverage in UK and international radio, podcasts, TV, print, online and documentaries. 
• Maintain relationships with international colleagues e.g. the International Office (IO), Communication Advisors, other press officers in key hubs globally as well as field communications teams. 
• While the majority of your time will be spent gaining proactive coverage, there’s also an expectation that you will help with incoming enquiries or offer to assist the News team if it’s busy - under instruction from the Head of Media or Senior Press Officers. 
• You will be part of an on-call / out of hours rota, including evenings and weekends, for which you will accumulate TOIL. 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• Demonstrable experience in press office work, TV production or international journalism, 
• including substantial understanding of, and contacts in, UK media. 
• Experience in pitching stories and features to print, radio, TV, podcast and online. 
• Good knowledge of world affairs and a demonstrable understanding of and commitment to humanitarian issues. 
• Ability to work to tight deadlines, handle content of a sensitive nature, and be a team player.
• Project management skills. 
• Industry contacts preferred.
• Experience of international development/humanitarian relief preferable. 
• Experience in the practical use of personal IT equipment and Microsoft Office 365 suite.The ability to effectively collaborate and communicate within a hybrid working environment utilising Teams, SharePoint, One Drive and Yammer. 

Position

MSF UK is looking for an experienced communications professional to join our team as a Senior Press Officer. You’ll play a leading role in managing high-profile reactive media enquiries so we’re looking for someone with sound news judgement, people management skills and the ability to maintain resilience. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who can think strategically, make confident decisions under pressure, and build strong relationships with journalists.

Hours: Full-Time (37.5 hours per week) Mon - Fri

Duration: Permanent

Location: London – hybrid, 2 days per week London Office (including Wednesdays)

Salary: £54,452.47 – £66,553.01 per annum | Salary is offered in line with our pay framework and typically starts at the entry point of the band. Salary increases are considered annually and are subject to our appraisal and performance review process.

Job Purpose:

To raise awareness of the work and priorities of MSF with core target audiences via coverage in UK and international radio, podcasts, TV, print, online and documentaries.

Maintain relationships with international colleagues e.g. the IO, Communication Advisors, other press officers in key hubs globally as well as field communications teams.

Together with the other Senior Press Officer, deputise for Head of Media on rotation.

Secure both proactive and reactive media coverage – reacting in a swift manner to incoming news requests and seeking out new opportunities for coverage. The majority of the time you will be handling reactive news enquiries, and identifying opportunities in the news cycle to pitch proactively. During emergencies, the focus would be on reactive.

Support more junior members of the team – including line management of a press officer.

You will be part of an on-call / out of hours rota, including evenings and weekends, for which you will accumulate TOIL.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• Demonstrable experience in senior press office work, TV production or international journalism, including substantial understanding of, and contacts in, UK media.
• Experience in pitching stories and features to print, radio, TV, podcast and online
• Good knowledge of world affairs and a demonstrable understanding of and commitment to humanitarian issues.
• Ability to cope with stress, competing priorities and short deadlines, retain good humour and make sound ethical and personal judgements in order to deal with ambiguities and conflict.
• Project management skills.
• Industry contacts - essential.
• Line management skills - desirable.
• Experience in the practical use of personal IT equipment and Microsoft Office 365 suite. The ability to effectively collaborate and communicate within a hybrid working environment utilising Teams, SharePoint, One Drive and Yammer.

Job Title: Senior Press Officer

Salary: £33,268 - £36,000 dependent on experience

Contract Type: Permanent, full-time (35 hours).

Location: We fully support flexible working, from our superb offices in Holborn and from home. We do require staff to spend 20% of their time in the office. This is subject to role requirements.

About us

Do you want to change healthcare for the better?

Join the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) and you will be part of a professional membership organisation and registered charity that is committed to advancing surgical care.

We provide world-class education, assessment and development to 30,000 surgeons and dental surgeons at all stages of their career. Our vision is to see excellent surgical care for everyone. We do this by setting professional standards, facilitating research and championing the best outcomes for patients.

Our heritage home in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, Holborn

Nestled in the heart of bustling London, our beautiful heritage building in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, Holborn, offers an easily accessible location steeped in history. Now transformed into a centre of excellence for surgery, it provides a welcoming place for all our members to train, meet or network, wherever they live and work.

About the role

We are looking for an outstanding Senior Press Officer to work in our fast-paced press office, helping run it to the highest standard. RCS England is one of the most high-profile health commentators in the UK. You will regularly see us advocating for patients and the surgical workforce in the national press. Candidates should have experience of successfully pitching stories to national media and know what makes a good health story. You will have a fluent writing style and be confident working with senior stakeholders to brief them before interviews.

Responsibilities

• Handle incoming enquiries and provide accurate, timely and appropriate responses, briefing journalists in line with RCS England key messages and priorities.
• Participate in an out-of-hours rota for media enquiries. Time off in lieu is offered for significant out-of-office hours worked.
• Research, write and distribute press releases, features, letters and other editorial material.
• Draft articles, quotes and opinion pieces on behalf of RCS England spokespeople.
• Provide press office support to the Faculty of Dental Surgery and its Dean, as required.
• Brief the President, Council Members and senior managers on issues arising in the media.
• Act as the press lead for key projects such as RCS England guidance or campaigns. Devising and implementing communications plans, sharing project updates with the wider communications team, and maintaining a good understanding of surgical and wider health issues.
• Horizon scan for media opportunities and develop your own ideas for health coverage based on data, insights or RCS England priorities.
• Brief, support and prepare RCS England spokespeople for media interviews.
• Establish and maintain professional and trusted relationships with national and trade journalists.
• Represent the RCS England at internal and external meetings, and maintain professional relationships with press and communications leads at stakeholder organisations.
• Monitor daily media coverage relevant to surgery and the RCS England. This includes pulling together the team’s daily press cuts to be shared with Council members, Trustees, and key RCS England staff by 10am (subject to urgent media enquiries).
• Maintain and update the media sections of the RCS England website, working with the web team to develop rich digital content. Actively participate in developing our social media profile using Twitter, Facebook, and commissioning and editing relevant blogs.
• Produce evaluation reports of media coverage and communications activity.
• Undertake such duties appropriate to the grade, as required by your line manager.

About you

• Degree educated or proven extensive experience that can demonstrate the essential criteria below.
• At least two years’ experience of working in a press office.
• Experience of writing and editing for a variety of media including print and the internet.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint packages.
• Demonstrable experience of placing stories in the media.
• Rigour in researching and reviewing content: able to identify key points, summarise findings and report data and conclusions accurately.
• Excellent writing skills: able to write fluent, compelling copy free from grammatical or other errors.
• Excellent telephone manner: diplomatic and persuasive verbal communication skills.
• Able to prioritise effectively and deliver work to deadlines.
• Demonstrable understanding of journalists’ needs and priorities.
• Ability to understand policy documents and formulate a media response.
• Collaborative and inclusive approach to build relationships with colleagues across the organisation, to encourage timely information sharing with the press office.
• Diplomacy and persuasiveness, to foster the trust of senior spokespeople you are briefing and advising.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and integrity, to protect the College’s reputation for providing accurate and reliable information to the media.
• Strong prioritisation skills and a flexible approach to respond to changing priorities and needs and manage reactive queries.
• Enthusiasm and creativity to seek out interesting stories and pitch them.

What’s in it for you?

• 27 days paid holiday + bank holidays and up to 4 college closure days over the festive period & other leave entitlements (carers leave, fertility treatment leave, etc.)
• Hybrid and flexible working. We require staff to spend a minimum of 20% of their time in the office, subject to role requirements.
• Enhanced contributory pension scheme
• Equal access to enhanced parenthood leave
• A range of staff and peer networks
• Employee health and wellbeing committed (Healthcare cash plan, menopause friendly, disability confident employer, mental health first aiders, EAP etc.)
• Retail discount platform
• Sabbatical and volunteering opportunities
• Variety of learning and development opportunities

Interested Candidates:

If you wish to apply or if you have any questions about this position please email your CV together with a

cover letter to [email protected].

Any personal data collected from you, or that you provide to us, will be processed by us in accordance with our recruitment processes. If unsuccessful in your application, your information will be held by us on our database for a period of 6 months before deletion. If you would like your information removed sooner, please contact [email protected]

Closing date: Thursday 27 August 2026

The Royal College of Surgeons of England is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We are open to all talent and we actively ensure that all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regards to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

The Royal College of Surgeons of England is committed to protecting your privacy. We are registered as a data controller with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). All College employees are responsible for records held,

created and used as part of their work for the College including patient/client, corporate and administrative records. Records are managed according to the requirements of the

Data Protection Act 2018 and ensure confidentiality. The College ensures that staff are trained to handle the information you submit to us with care and discretion, seeking advice where necessary.