Please note this is a hybrid role based on the successful candidate working at least two days a week in our London office. Remote contracts would not be considered for this role. 

​​Comic Relief reserves the right to close the role early if a large number of applications are received.

PURPOSE OF JOB: 

The Public Relations Manager will plan and deliver strategic PR campaigns for Comic Relief’s high-profile fundraising campaigns, including Red Nose Day and Sport Relief, celebrity-led challenges, partnerships, events and funded work. These wide ranging, creative and exciting initiatives will drive awareness, brand consideration, income and showcase the positive impact of donations.  

You will collaborate with the PR Lead and colleagues to develop ambitious, far-reaching PR plans that align with, and feed into, cross-organisation communications strategies. You will generate regular media coverage throughout the year, seek out new opportunities and be inspired by pop culture to publicise the work of Comic Relief and proactively mitigate reputational risk.  

You will already have strong relationships across a wide spectrum of the UK media landscape and be able to build relationships quickly. You will have outstanding people skills and be able to influence effectively both internally – working with senior staff across the Talent, Fundraising, Funding, Stories, Partnerships, Legal and Production teams – and externally with partners, such as the BBC, and media stakeholders.   

Running Comic Relief’s busy Press Office is a responsibility shared by all team members. You will be required to take a leading role in managing media enquiries in a timely and accurate manner, media monitoring and associated escalation, opportunity spotting, evaluating PR campaigns, reputational risk, and join the on-call rota for out-of-hours and weekend support.  

This role will involve line management responsibilities and occasional UK wide travel to meet stakeholders and manage media opportunities. 

This role offers an exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of Comic Relief's efforts to engage the public and inspire support for our mission to create a just world, free from poverty.  

Key Responsibilities 

• Develop and deliver creative, national and regional PR strategies that are rooted in audience insight, ambitious, effectively planned and executed, and reflect Comic Relief’s strategic objectives, to drive income and raise awareness of the positive impact donations have in the UK and around the world.  

• Brief in and support the creation of multimedia assets for print, broadcast and digital media. 

• Collaborate with colleagues across marketing, social and digital to develop cross-organisation communication strategies and initiatives with shared objectives, messaging and targets.  

• Be proactive in seeking out new opportunities to publicise the work that Comic Relief funds. Work with the Stories team and funded partners to gain media coverage of the impact of donations and raise awareness of the issues we support. This may involve planning and facilitating celebrity and media visits across the UK for filming and content gathering opportunities.  

• Establish, develop and maintain excellent relationships with key internal and external stakeholders. This could include partners, such as BBC, PR agencies, media and cross organisational working groups.  

• Monitor and evaluate the success of PR plans, identifying learnings and opportunities to help improve approaches and ROI of projects.  

• Draft copy and ensure editorial excellence for a range of press and communications materials, proofing and ensuring high quality of output. This includes press releases, spokespeople quotes, interview briefs and op-eds.  

• Deputise for the PR Lead where appropriate, attending meetings and providing advice and support to colleagues and partners as required.  

• Ensure the smooth and effective running of the Press Office – join the on-call rota for after hours and weekend cover and take an active role in managing in-bound media enquiries alongside the wider PR team.  

• Monitor the press and external landscape to identify appropriate opportunities and potential threats to the promotion of the work of Comic Relief. Work with the PR Lead and senior stakeholders to manage and mitigate potential reputational risk, working proactively to enhance Comic Relief’s profile, reputation and brand. If issues arise, draft lines against enquiry and press statements, working with colleagues across the organisation to gather relevant information and ensure appropriate sign off. 

• Line manage a Senior PR Officer and contract staff who join the team during busy campaign periods. Lead the recruitment and induction process.  

• Keep abreast of sector and trade (PR / Communications) marketplace to identify opportunities to enhance Comic Relief’s profile, reputation and brand.  

• Play an active role in the Fundraising & PR Team, championing best practice, working collaboratively to support on a wide range of projects at peak periods and enabling inclusivity and diversity in order to drive high performance and an action-oriented culture.  

People Management  

• Line management responsibilities which will fluctuate throughout the year and increase during busy campaign periods.  

• Lead recruitment and induction of new starters. 

• Provide balanced, constructive feedback, undertake effective performance management to embed accountability and proactively support the professional development and growth of staff.  

• Proactively undertake performance management, prioritising activities and setting clear and realistic objectives for individuals based on capacity, expertise, and aspirations.  

• Maintain regular two-way communication and dialogue with staff, ensuring information is cascaded and escalated as needed.  

Person Specification

Essential Criteria  

• Proven experience of planning, leading and evaluating national and regional PR strategies and campaigns. 

• Strong, collaborative, relationship building and stakeholder management skills. 

• Some crisis communications and reputational risk experience. 

• An ability to develop and deliver fresh creative ideas that generate media coverage. 

• Excellent writer and negotiator with strong influencing skills.  

• Line management experience, including continuous professional development and performance management. 

• Wide experience managing and prioritising multiple projects to strict deadlines even when faced with challenges. 

• A commitment to Comic Relief and its core values and a strong team player.  

Desirable Criteria  

• In depth knowledge of the charity and fundraising sector and of relevant consumer facing PR campaigns. 

• Experience operating cross functionally with a variety of stakeholders, in particular senior stakeholders for example at board and executive level. 

• Experience of using media monitoring and social listening tools to evaluate and inform PR campaigns.  

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Comic Relief we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles. 

Why work at Comic Relief 

There are lots of good reasons to join us at Comic Relief. You can read more about our employee benefits, such as our commitment to flexible and hybrid working. We ask staff to come to the office twice a week, normally on agreed team days, so that we can do all those things that are difficult to do online. Our office is based in Whitechapel, London, There are lots of opportunities to develop your skills and experience at Comic Relief, including opportunities to become a Mental Health First Aider or to participate in our Employee Network Groups that focus on making Comic Relief a more inclusive place to work 

Disability Confident employer 

As part of the Disability Confident scheme, we take positive action by providing first-round interviews to candidates who have a registered disability, provided they meet the minimum criteria for the role, as demonstrated on their CV or application scores. We ask that candidates that wish to be considered for this scheme email Recruitment@comicrelief.com to discuss further. Please do not email CV's/cover letters.