​​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.

PURPOSE OF JOB: 

The Assistant PR Officer will support the PR team in the planning and delivery of creative, national, and regional PR strategies to promote fundraising activities for Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day 2024 campaign.  

Red Nose Day is our biggest moment of the year when people across the country come together to raise money and make a difference. You will work across a broad range of exciting projects that combine the worlds of entertainment and charity.  

You will support with drafting materials such as press releases, briefing documents, and spokesperson quotes, set up and facilitate media interviews, and pitch new ideas to journalists to secure a range of coverage for Red Nose Day.    

You will also support with the efficient running of Comic Relief’s busy Press Office. This may include creating targeted media lists, drafting internal comms updates, responding to journalist enquiries, and creating coverage reports.  

We are looking for an enthusiastic individual keen to progress their PR experience in a fast-paced environment and help make this year’s Red Nose Day a huge success.   

Key responsibilities:  

• Assist Senior PR Officer and PR Officer in the planning and delivery of creative national and regional media strategies that promote fundraising activities for Red Nose Day 2024 and raise awareness of the positive impact donations have in the UK and around the world 

• Write engaging copy for media materials and ensure documents are thoroughly proofread - this may include quotes for Comic Relief and celebrity spokespeople, briefing documents, and internal comms updates  

• Draft and issue press releases and collate media coverage  

• Set and facilitate interviews with Comic Relief supporters  

• Build and maintain target media lists  

• Pitch new ideas to journalists  

• Help to manage and respond to media enquiries – draft responses and respond to journalists in a timely and accurate manner  

• Contribute to the day-to-day running of the Press Office and implement all team processes. This includes contributing to the morning press update, monitoring coverage, saving coverage, creating coverage reports and uploading press releases to the website  

• Work collaboratively with teams across the organisation to develop plans and media materials  

• Assist the wider PR Team with creative PR planning by contributing new ideas in creative sessions  

• Support the PR Team across a range of projects which may include fundraising challenges, partner activity, Red Noses, fundraiser and school stories  

Essential criteria: 

• A minimum of six months experience of working in PR/Media roles – this could include a full-time role or internship 

• You are likely to be a Junior Account Executive or an Assistant Media Officer in a PR agency or in-house  

• Demonstratable experience of generating media coverage  

• An understanding of the UK media landscape and working with journalists  

• Strong organisational skills 

• Excellent communication skills and attention to detail  

• Confidence to approach journalists with story ideas 

• A commitment to Comic Relief and its core values 

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.

We ask that candidates that wish to be considered for this scheme email j.scott@comicrelief.com to discuss further. Please do not email CV's/cover letters.