Senior Press Officer (10mth maternity cover)

Location: London (Euston). We’re an office-based organisation and staff are expected to be in the office five days a week.

Start date: Monday 7 December 2026

Application deadline: 9:00am Monday 26 October 2026

Interviews: In-person at our London office, Monday 2nd November 2026

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Would you like to play an important role in improving science coverage in the news?

The Science Media Centre is a small, high-impact charity that works to get expert scientific voices into the media on the biggest and most controversial stories of the day so that news is accurate and evidence-based.  We are looking for a Senior Press Officer with a passion for science and the media to help us make, break and react to some of the biggest science stories in the national news.  Working on everything from genome editing and vaccination to climate change and AI, the SMC is an independent press office for science specialising in the science, health and environment stories that hit the headlines.

Our press team are immersed in the most controversial, politicised and messy science stories in the news.  This is not a role for the faint-hearted; but if you’re passionate about accurate media coverage of the science stories that define our times, and you can work with a calm head when things are busy and demanding, this is the job for you.

What we are looking for

We are looking for a Senior Press Officer - you could be currently at or ready to step up to a senior press officer role. You will be versatile and can turn your hand to any story (you could be working on a breaking story like an infectious disease outbreak or a natural disaster) but you will be excited to lead our work on mental health and neuroscience (with topics including ADHD and autism, antidepressants, and dementia and Alzheimer’s). 

You will be someone who is passionate about science in the news being accurate and evidence-based, and who is genuinely excited by the SMC’s work.  You will have experience of working in a busy press office including on science, health, environment or engineering topics, and you will be familiar with the media landscape and specialist science journalists in the UK.  You will be able to work fast and reliably on multiple subjects and collaborate effectively with your colleagues.  You will be someone with a science background who can demonstrate good judgement, good media awareness, and a strong understanding of the difference between evidence and ideology.  You will be excited to work as part of a small but high-impact, office-based team in a fast-moving environment.

We are happy to consider applications from candidates wishing to undertake a secondment from their current employer.  If you wish to apply in this capacity, please indicate it on your cover letter.

What we can offer you

• 25 days annual leave pro rata + bank holidays
• Generous pension, healthcare, and family-friendly provisions
• Free gym and discounted lunch options

Selection process

• Application (CV and cover letter)
• Interview consisting of a 40min task and 40min panel interview
• References

How to apply: please send your CV and cover letter to the email the address found on our website, detailing why you want this particular role and how you fit the role requirements as outlined in the attached role profile.  Your covering letter should not be more than one side of A4.

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Freya Robb, Senior Press Officer, whose contact details can be found on our website.

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Applicants must have a pre-existing right to work full time in the UK as we are unfortunately unable to sponsor visas.

We know that some demographics are less likely to apply for roles if they don’t feel they meet every requirement. We encourage all applicants who have a strong interest in our work and believe they have the right skills to succeed to apply for the role.

Your details will be held in line with our privacy notice as outlined on our website.