The British Academy – the UK’s national body for the humanities and social sciences - is seeking a Media and PR Manager to join our Communications and Marketing Directorate, providing key support towards enhancing the Academy’s public profile and media relations’ strategy.

ROLE PURPOSE / OVERVIEW

The Media and PR Manager is a key player within our friendly and supportive Media and Public Affairs team. You will work proactively and strategically to raise the Academy’s profile among our target audiences via national, regional and sector-specific media and to position the Academy as a clear national voice and beacon for our disciplines.

This role works closely and collaboratively with colleagues in the Communications and Marketing department, including the marketing, digital and events teams, as well as with other departments, such as Research Funding and Policy, to manage a regular cycle of stories. You will shape and deliver compelling and effective media and PR plans and activity for key Academy projects, outputs and campaigns which showcase the Academy’s strategic priorities and articulate the value of our disciplines.

You will work across a diverse range of projects, from policy programmes and reports, to our public events programme, prizes and the exciting selection of innovative research we fund (up to £50 million a year, across our disciplines and at a range of UK-based institutions). You will also work on the communications campaign around the relaunch of the Academy’s building at Carlton House Terrace in July 2024 following a major redesign. In all you do, you will seek to develop positive and effective relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, including Fellows of the British Academy, our funded researchers and key journalists and media.

The Media and PR Manager is the first line of contact for incoming media enquiries, as well as responsible for overseeing day to day press team functions and processes, including media monitoring and reporting and evaluation of PR work. You will line manage a Media and Public Affairs Assistant, with a dotted line to the Public Affairs Manager.

You are a skilled communicator with significant experience of press office and/or communications work in a relevant industry, such as education, thinktanks, or the cultural sector. You bring with you a strong network of journalistic contacts and demonstrable track record of securing national, regional and/or sector-specific coverage. You have sound judgement and excellent organisational skills, as well as some experience of people management.

OFFICE LOCATION - 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, St James Park, London, SW1Y 5AH

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Deliver a year-round programme of media coverage for the Academy’s events, policy and research work

• Manage the life cycle of a news story, whether proactively identifying ideas or generating stories to boost the Academy’s profile, or working with internal colleagues to produce and deliver effective communications plans for planned Academy outputs

• Confidently navigate approval processes and share outcomes with senior internal and external stakeholders

• Produce clear, concise and newsworthy press releases, pitches and other written press materials and develop ideas for stories, features and broadcasts that showcase the Academy’s work and the importance of the SHAPE disciplines

• Proactively drive and deliver a year-round programme of research impact stories, supporting researchers the Academy funds to amplify their work through the media, the Academy’s owned channels and influential stakeholders and achieve maximum impact with their work

• Help plan and deliver in-person, online and/or hybrid events to engage journalists and media with the Academy’s work and newly redesigned building (set to re-open in 2024 following a major transformation programme to the lower floors)

Manage day to day press office functions, stakeholder relationships and line management of a Media and Public Affairs Assistant

• Line manage a Media and Public Affairs Assistant (with a dotted management line to the Public Affairs Manager) – with a keen eye for detail, continual improvement/refinement of team processes and a focus on their development

• Manage press office processes and functions and relationships with third-party suppliers, ensuring that activity is tracked and recorded, that sign off processes are met and that the Academy is getting value for money across all externally sourced services

• Build and maintain excellent relationships with key stakeholders, including other teams within the Academy, the senior management team, senior Fellows and key external partners and stakeholders

• Act as the first line of enquiry for the media, making sound and independent judgements about how to best represent the Academy’s positions and maintain the organisation’s reputation at all times, including occasional out of hours work (on rotation with the wider team)

• Systematically and proactively manage risk by identifying issues, convening colleagues and developing handling or mitigation strategies and lines-to-take, keeping the Risk Register up to date and escalating issues to senior colleagues where appropriate

• Advise digital, events and other teams on communications approach, key messages, and issues/risk management

Be the lead for media relations within the Academy

• Build and maintain excellent media relations, identifying a core network of journalists interested in the Academy’s work, its disciplines and the work of its fellows and funded researchers and pitching news stories, expert spokespeople and feature ideas and supplying them with a flow of relevant news material

• Coach and support key media spokespeople from the British Academy’s senior staff, Fellowship and research community, supplying them with key messages, talking points and briefings ahead of interviews, speeches or high-profile appearances

• Deliver media training to Academy spokespeople and researchers, both in-house or through third-party suppliers

• Represent the Academy’s PR and media relations function in interactions with other teams, both within the communications directorate and the wider Academy, as well as external stakeholders

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

Internal

• Communications & Public Affairs team

• Digital & Marketing team

• Events team

• Director of Communications & Marketing 

• Archivist, Librarian and Curator

• Policy, International and Research Funding teams

• Chief Executive

• President

• Development team

• Fellows of the British Academy, including Vice-Presidents

External

• Journalists and media across national, regional, sector and consumer PR

• Academy-funded researchers

• Higher Education and Research institutions and bodies

• Philanthropic funders

• Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

• Partner organisations

• External agencies, trainers and consultants

• National Academies

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

An effective communicator who treats all colleagues fairly and equally, with openness, empathy and respect:

• Confident and effective communication, with a flair for relationship-building

• Excellent interpersonal skills and can handle complex or difficult situations calmly, with sensitivity, discretion and respect

• Able to build strong networks and media relationships

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Demonstrates and develops appropriate knowledge and skills.

• Ability to deliver impactful press and media work, in a fast-paced research/educational/cultural/charity environment or similar

• Can produce and edit high-quality written communications materials, including press releases, lines to take, speeches, FAQs, internal and corporate communications

• Sound judgement on what makes a good story

• Knowledge and understanding of UK political landscape

• Can effectively coach spokespeople and experts, including academics, for media

• Knowledge and understanding of the UK’s Higher Education and Research environment (desirable)

• Good knowledge and understanding of social media and online content management (desirable)

PROACTIVITY AND PLANNING

Manages time and resources effectively in order to achieve own and organisational objectives

• Strong planning, organising and negotiating skills and is able to prioritise and manage own and team workloads in a fast-paced environment

• Creative and proactive in ideas for media and PR generation

• Ability to identify target audiences and tailor communications in ways that engage, inform and motivate 

• Ability to work on own initiative, proactively seeking out stories from teams and projects across the organisation, and generating proactive ideas for PR coverage

• Successfully able to identify, planning and place stories in the national media on a regular basis

PROBLEM SOLVING AND DECISION MAKING

Ensures good decisions are made through a rational and methodical approach

• Can make sound and independent judgements about how to best represent the Academy’s positions and uphold its reputation externally

• Adept at navigating a mix of internal and external stakeholders to steer through and sign-off effective communications materials and messages

• The ability to turn complex information into concise and compelling communications materials, both verbally and in writing, including press releases, key messages, pitches, soundbites and FAQs

• A consensus-builder and problem-solver with good negotiation skills, can find resolutions and compromises and persuasively communicate these to stakeholders

LEADERSHIP

Gives a clear sense of direction while inspiring others with vision and actions 

• Is an engaging, accessible and efficient communicator, with the ability to engage effectively to different audiences

• An effective, supportive and confident line manager

• Demonstrates effective people management tactics and can motivate and develop direct reports

• Can lead by example on media and PR work

• Brings a positive, motivational and can-do attitude to the wider team environment

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• Right to work in the UK

• Demonstrates strong commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.

• The role will require occasional out of hours work, such as attending events or participating in the out of hours duty press officer rota. Time off in lieu will be arranged with your line manager.

BRITISH ACADEMY WORKPLACE VALUES

The Academy’s workplace values and supporting text are set out below. We share these core values with each other. They guide how we work together and with others. We demonstrate them through our behaviours.

COLLABORATION- We consistently work together to a common purpose, supporting each other, communicating openly and sharing knowledge. We are flexible and adaptable, receiving feedback constructively

CREATIVITY - We bring imagination and curiosity to our work, valuing learning, diverse thinking, and innovation. We are open-minded, receptive, and responsive, taking account of alternative perspectives

EMPATHY-We are understanding, sensitive, compassionate, and considerate, mindful of our own wellbeing alongside that of others

EXCELLENCE - We always do our best, without striving to be perfect, applying our expertise and experience to develop and grow

INTEGRITY - We are open and honest with each other, accepting personal responsibility and demonstrating loyalty. We are reliable and dependable, having belief that we will be transparent and clear

RESILIENCE - We are confident, bold, and tenacious, knowing when to listen as well as when to speak up. We respond positively to challenges and overcome problems

RESPECT - We are inclusive in our regard for each other, showing courtesy and appreciation. We treat people fairly and equally, welcoming everyone’s contribution and difference

APPLICATION PROCESS

We have a two-step approach to hiring, beginning with submitting an application through the Applied platform. This will be followed by a panel interview, which will incorporate a task component.

Please note that you may be asked to reference any literature that you may refer to, as applications that are highly plagiarised and not your own work. e.g. ChatGPT, will be declined.

Interviews for this role are currently scheduled for 7 December but this may change.