Press and external affairs officer jobs

DUTIES AND KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic communications 

• Lead the development, implementation, and management of MAP’s strategic communications and support public engagement initiatives. 

• Oversee the organisation’s language and messaging frameworks, including the maintenance of the language guide and key messaging documents to ensure clarity, consistency, and alignment with MAP’s mission and communications objectives. 

• Develop, implement and manage integrated, cross channel communications plans and strategies.

• Bring a prospector’s mindset, spotting openings, anticipating debate moments and positioning MAP ahead of the curve rather than reacting to events. 

• Support the organisation in contributing to crisis communications planning and responding to mitigate reputational risks. 

Media management  

• Lead on the development and delivery of high-impact content to raise MAP’s profile and influence, and to drive public and supporter engagement. 

• Actively seek out and develop opportunities for MAP to shape public, political and sector debates, including through opinion pieces, broadcast opportunities, podcasts, industry and specialist media, conferences and high-level events. 

• Manage MAP’s Senior Media and Communications Officer, fostering professional growth, confidence and judgement. Conduct regular one to ones, appraisals, and support their work.

• Manage the production, review and sign off of all media materials including press releases, op-eds, letters to the editor, media updates, and other external communications content where necessary. Ensure efficient delegation where required. 

• Lead media engagement, including briefing spokespeople and coordinating MAP’s responses to media inquiries, ensuring delegation where required.

• Provide high-quality briefing, messaging development, and media preparation for senior staff engaging externally. 

• Maintain and build strong, trusted relationships with journalists and editors across UK and international media. 

• Alert MAP’s staff to imminent news and current affairs stories, and recommend communications actions or restraint as appropriate. 

Advocacy and campaigns communications 

• Develop strategic communications plans for MAP’s advocacy and campaigning initiatives (such as, party conferences, parliamentary and UN engagement), identifying media opportunities, and ensuring key messaging is aligned with advocacy objectives and reaches targeted audiences. 

• Work closely with MAP’s Advocacy and Campaigns Team to amplify campaign impact through coordinated media and supporter-facing communications. 

• Strengthen MAP’s role in advocacy coalitions by leading collaborative media and communications outputs with partners. 

• Help ensure that communities MAP supports have a voice in campaigns, that their perspectives shape messaging and that communications do not expose staff, partners or communities to undue risk. 

• Advise on the strategic communication opportunities to profile and disseminate policy and research outputs. 

General responsibilities  

• Support the mission, ethos and values of MAP. 

• Support advocacy and research functions as required. 

• Manage external suppliers providing design, printing and other support as required. 

• Represent MAP at external meetings including with media, partners and supporters, and deliver talks when required. 

• Carry out fact-checking, proof-reading/copy editing and other administrative tasks as needed. 

• Carry out other associated duties as may arise in line with the broad remit of the position. 

• Support and promote diversity and equality of opportunity in the workplace. 

• Work collaboratively with others in all aspects of our work. 

PERSON SPECIFICATION 

Experience and knowledge 

• Substantial, relevant and recent experience of communications at a national and/or international level within humanitarian, healthcare or human rights organisations. 

• Strong track record of developing and implementing communications strategies to achieve advocacy and fundraising objectives. 

• Experience in overseeing organisational language and messaging frameworks in politically sensitive contexts. 

• Strong experience in media relations, including briefing spokespeople, drafting press releases, reactive and proactive media handling, and securing media coverage. 

• Understanding of digital communications and campaign tools (e.g., petitions, email campaigns) and audience engagement strategies. 

• Experience working with fundraising/marketing teams, consultants and agencies. 

• Strong understanding of political risk, reputational management and crisis communications. 

• Knowledge and understanding of the political context and of development and humanitarian issues in Palestine and Lebanon and the wider Middle East is desirable. 

Skills and abilities  

• Strong communicator (written and oral) and persuasive storyteller. 

• In depth understanding of how media can be a tool for influence and to achieve change. 

• Confident interpersonal, influencing and relationship management skills, and an ability to pitch stories persuasively to media and other targets. 

• Creativity and a willingness to innovate.

• Fluent written and spoken English. 

• Ability to prioritise and ability to deal with competing demands in a fast-paced working environment.

• Ability to work collaboratively and independently, with sound judgement and discretion. 

• Keen attention to detail, copy/proof editing and quality control on all outputs. 

• Working knowledge of Arabic is an advantage. 

Personal attributes and other requirements  

• Commitment to human rights, international justice, and promoting Palestinian participation in communications and campaigns.

• Able to travel extensively within London and the UK and willingness to travel to Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territory occasionally as required.

• Able to work occasionally on evenings and weekends, with time off in lieu. 

• Commitment to advancing anti-racism, anti-discrimination and equal opportunities. 

Citizens UK 

Citizens UK is the UK’s biggest, most diverse and most effective people-powered alliance. We bring communities and local organisations together to work on issues that matter; from campaigning for zebra crossings on dangerous roads, to reforming the immigration system, to the Living Wage campaign. We have a track record of winning change through hundreds of local and national campaigns. We know everyday people have the ability to shape the world around them. We believe that through developing local leaders, we can drive nationwide change and create community-led solutions to big and small problems.

Living Wage Foundation 

The Living Wage movement began in 2001, after Citizens UK brought together communities in East London to discuss poverty and low pay. The campaign grew in momentum and soon required a mechanism to recognise employers who wanted to join the movement, which saw the establishment of the Living Wage Foundation in 2011.

Still part of Citizens UK today, the Living Wage Foundation continues to work with community organisations to make sure the voices of both workers and businesses are part of the Living Wage movement. We now work with over 16,000 employers, benefitting half a million people and winning over £3bn of better wages for people who need it most.

Citizens UK works with a broad base of institutions across the political spectrum. At the Living Wage Foundation, we take the same deliberately broad-based approach and accredit all organisations who pay the real Living Wage to their directly and indirectly employed staff and are committed to tackling in work poverty.  As a team we work across a range of industries and sectors to achieve this mission. We seek pragmatic coalitions to progress specific campaigns, and partnership around a particular issue such as Living Wage, does not imply an endorsement of broader purpose and policies.

Purpose 

The Living Wage Foundation has an exciting opportunity to join our dynamic team as a Communications Officer. We are looking for an exceptionally motivated and organised individual who enjoys working in a fast-paced, high-profile communications environment.

The role will support the objectives of the Living Wage Foundation and Citizens UK by communicating our work to a wide range of audiences, including senior business leaders and politicians, through a mix of communications methods: social media, newsletters, media outlets, website and internal communications channels. The role will be predominantly focused on work and wages activity through the Living Wage Foundation, but there will be opportunities to support cross-Citizens UK communications activity including for example: campaigns on housing, refugees and more. 

This post will be joining a Communications team that spans media, digital communications, research and events, with colleagues based across the UK with monthly in-person team meetings. 

The post holder will support the delivery of our media and press office activity, including monitoring media coverage, supporting with journalist enquiries, and helping to develop proactive press campaigns to build awareness of the Living Wage Foundation’s work. They will also support the creation of written and visual content across our channels and help monitor and manage our social media presence on a day-to-day basis. The role will work closely to support the Communications team’s work and help communicate the work of the wider-team and our employer network. 

The role is also responsible for key communications with our network of over 16,000 accredited Living Wage Employers, including our monthly newsletters, blogs, videos and case studies to celebrate our network of accredited employers   

The position would suit an applicant with strong written and communication skills, with some experience of working within a communications team and a passion for press work, social media and content creation.  

We don’t expect you to have experience of all areas of this job. Training will be provided to help you develop into this role. 

Main Responsibilities 

Working as a Communications Officer for the Living Wage Foundation, reporting to the Media Manager, your main responsibilities will include: 

Media 

• Contribute to media strategies and plans that help to win public, business and political support for the Living Wage Foundation and its work 

• Write compelling press releases, blogs and opinion editorials to promote the Living Wage Foundation’s work 

• Support story gathering and storytelling development with workers, employers and others affected by low pay and insecure work, ensuring lived experience and employer voices are reflected effectively across media work and wider communications platforms 

• Build effective relationships with the media, colleagues and other stakeholders to find new ways to raise our profile 

• Monitor and evaluate media campaigns and reports

• Maintain and regularly update communications resources, including press contact lists, internal databases and other media materials 

• Participate in the out of hours duty press (being on hand to very occasionally answer emails and phone calls in the evenings or weekends) 

Social and digital media 

• Oversee our digital communications channels to raise awareness of the Living Wage and our wider accreditation schemes, champion responsible employers and grow our movement. 

• Help the team keep up to date with social media trends and opportunities.

• Create, manage and schedule posts for our social media channels including, LinkedIn, Instagram, Bluesky, Facebook and YouTube, tailoring the content to different channels and audiences. 

• Monitor our social media channels, replying to enquiries from the public and our networks of supporters and employers and flagging any potential issues to the wider team 

Content creation 

• Working with the communication team, design and implement engaging digital engagement campaigns for Living Wage Employers and supporters, and to support Living Wage Foundation campaigns.

• Design communications collateral to increase engagement on social media, including creation and editing of short-form videos for our online channels and creation of social media graphics. 

• Improve our digital offering for our network of accredited Living Wage, Living Hours and Living Pension Employers, by creating resources and improving our communications support. 

• Liaise with the Living Wage and Citizens UK team to keep up-to-date with news to share with key stakeholders 

• Collate and summarise content to schedule newsletters and updates for our varied audiences. 

• Support in adoption of updated brand across our communications content and materials, supporting others to use brand and tone of voice guidelines. 

• Sourcing and creating original content for both the Living Wage Foundation and external websites, including creating blog posts, news, guidance and general pages. 

• Auditing and reviewing existing website content to ensure it is effective and up-to-date. Support on improvements and developments where necessary. 

Network communications 

• Drafting email communications to support the experience of our network of accredited employers, including regular newsletters as well as automated email content for new accreditations.

• Work closely with the Operations and Insight team to put in place the communications infrastructure to help our network of employers engage with us online, e.g. utilising our online dashboard for accredited members and creating new resources.

General 

• Administrate and facilitate communications team meetings. 

• Communications support for key events and campaign moments including the annual Champion Awards and Living Wage Week 

• Monitor communications outputs, analyse performance data and evaluate impact to support learning and improvement across our communications work 

Person Specification

(D) Desirable, (E) Essential 

Experience 

• Experience working within a Communications team or function (E)

• Experience using graphic design software (e.g., Canva, Adobe Creative Suite).  (D)

• Experience filming and editing video content (D) 

• Experience using website content management systems (CMS) such as Drupal, WordPress or similar (D)

• Experience of using social media scheduling tools (D)

• Experience of supporting press office or media relations work (D)

 Key skills and knowledge 

• Excellent knowledge of a wide range of social media channels and good awareness of current social media trends and developments (E)

• Strong written and verbal communication skills including the ability to produce clear original content for different audiences and use digital tools (including AI) appropriately and responsibly (E)

• Excellent attention to detail (E)

• Ability to create high-quality and engaging content for social media (whether for a personal or business account) and a good understanding of what makes compelling content (E)

• Strong analytical skills and ability to evaluate the success of a campaign(E)

• Ability to build strong relationships with colleagues and external stakeholders(E)

• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders (E)

• Ability to plan and prioritise workload effectively, manage competing demands, and flag capacity issues early to support effective team planning(E)

• Good IT skills, including experience using Microsoft Office(E)

• Creative thinker and problem solver (E)

• Excellent planning, organisation, and prioritisation skills (E)

• Creative with an eye for design and ability to come up with new ideas for content(E)

 Personal qualities & values 

• Interest in media and the news landscape (E)

• An interest and enthusiasm for communications and marketing, and the mission of the Living Wage Foundation (E)

• Highly self-motivated with ability to work well independently as well as part of a team (E)

About the application process 

We work within diverse communities bringing people together. In line with our Inclusion value, we would love to see applications from LGBTQIA+ people, people from racialised communities, people living with disabilities and people of faith, all to better represent the communities we work in. We want our employees to have the working conditions that allows them to fully participate, be able to be their best authentic selves and thrive doing so, and we have employee networks to support staff. Even if you don’t quite meet all the required criteria still consider applying, as we invest in our employees and support them to develop the skills and knowledge required to deliver their role.

For questions and reasonable adjustments regarding your application including information in a different format, or our recruitment process, please email us

Got any more questions?     If you would like further information on the role, the organisation, or our commitment to addressing under-representation and the development and progression of all colleagues, we would be happy to answer any questions.   

We will be holding a webinar on Tuesday 10 March 2026 at 12pm which anyone can attend to find out more about the role. In the past, candidates have found this a helpful space for understanding whether the role is right for them. Attendance at this session is optional and will not be taken into account at any stage of the recruitment process. To sign up, please use this link.

If you’d like to know more but cannot attend the webinar, please email us.

This is an exceptional opportunity at one of the world's most prestigious universities at a time of extraordinary ambition and philanthropic momentum. 

Associate Director of Development – Principal Gifts
Employer: University of Oxford
Salary: £65,336 - £82,255 with scope to go beyond for a leading professional with outstanding experience and track record
Location: Oxford (Hybrid)

Here at the University of Oxford, we are recruiting three Associate Directors of Development – Principal Gifts to join our incredible team. These are new positions, part of an expansion of our friendly, collaborative and successful Principal Gifts team.

As Associate Director of Development – Principal Gifts, you will operate at the highest levels of the University to secure transformational gifts at the eight-figure-plus level, advancing Oxford’s mission and global impact.  Your work will help ensure that Oxford continues to attract the brightest minds, pursue world-leading research, and address the most urgent challenges facing humanity.

You will work closely with the Vice-Chancellor, Chief Development and Alumni Engagement Officer, Director of Development – Principal Gifts, and other senior leaders to align principal gift opportunities with institutional priorities and articulate a compelling case for support to some of the world’s most significant philanthropists.

Your impact will be enduring – enabling breakthrough discoveries, expanding opportunity for students, and strengthening Oxford’s position as a global leader in education and research.  The Associate Director of Development role offers the chance not only to secure transformational gifts, but also to shape the future of Oxford’s philanthropic culture and leave a legacy at an institution that has been changing the world for over nine centuries.

This is a chance to join a dedicated, professional and ambitious team at a time when Oxford’s fundraising is at unprecedented levels. With strong support from the Vice-Chancellor, a proven track record of principal gift success, and an unparalleled global reputation, you will have every opportunity to make your mark, both at Oxford and in your career.

You will be passionate about what we do here, not phased by complexity and ambiguity, and comfortable orchestrating a myriad of stakeholders.  We hope to hear from you!

The University of Oxford is partnering with Erin Hall-Westfall and Joanna Logan of Constellate Global Talent on this search.

Closing date: midnight on Monday, 6 April 2026.

Interested?

Please familiarise yourself with the attached Candidate Pack.
To apply, please submit a CV and covering letter.

Diversity and Inclusivity

The University of Oxford is committed to equal opportunity, and to being a place where everyone belongs and is supported to succeed. We recognise how the diversity of our community enriches our ability to deliver on our academic mission.

We welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds, including those under-represented within higher education. No applicant or members of staff shall be unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

No agencies please