Job Title: PR and Media Relations Officer

Location: London, EC4A (currently hybrid working between home and office; occasional travel as part of the role)

Reporting to: Senior PR and Media Relations Officer

Salary: £29,000- £32,750 (depending on experience)

Contract: Full time, permanent (open to flexible working and job-share options)

Overall Purpose of the Role

Big Society Capital has an important role to play in raising awareness and advancing understanding of social impact investment in the UK and helping to build the movement.

We are looking for an enthusiastic PR and Media Relations Officer with a passion for a good story and strong writing skills who wants to help make the world a better place, as well as helping us to build our reputation and promote social impact investment.

As part of the communications team, you will support the Senior PR and Media Relations Officer on our work with national, trade and financial sector journalists (written, broadcast and online) to raise awareness of Big Society Capital and of the social impact investment movement, targeting our key audiences which range across asset owners (e.g. pension funds), asset managers, fund managers and the social sector. Working with colleagues across our organisation and external partners, you will help shape effective communications plans, using traditional and digital channels.

To be successful in the role, you will need to be able to translate quite complex thinking into straightforward messaging and hooks to engage our audiences. You should be capable of striking the right balance of strategic thinking and rigorous execution and keeping an ear-to-the-ground for opportunities to raise our profile and improve understanding of what we do and why we do it. We are a collaborative, agile team so we need someone with a can-do attitude, willing to roll their sleeves up and unafraid to ask for help when needed.

As PR and Media Relations Officer you will be responsible for:

PR & Media Relations

-          Preparation and distribution of press releases, Regulatory News Service (RNS) announcements for the Schroder BSC Social Impact Trust, pitching for coverage, maintenance and extension of media contacts and building relationships, creating media briefings, monitoring media coverage, preparing media summaries and dealing with ad-hoc media enquiries

-          Actively seeking out and maximising proactive media opportunities to raise awareness of Big Society Capital and the Schroder BSC Social Impact Trust

-          Developing and selling in media stories to key outlets

-          Writing and editing engaging content for a range of channels, including opinion pieces, blogs, press releases, social media and corporate communications

-          Support on the development and writing of high-quality case studies illustrating social impact and maintaining the library of these

-          Supporting on creating video content for our website and social media channels

Brand/Reputation Building

-          Spotting speaking opportunities and attendance at relevant conferences and events to help raise the profile and understanding of Big Society Capital and social impact investment

-          Supporting on the delivery of Big Society Capital led stakeholder events (in-person and virtual)

-          Social Media: Collaborating with the Social Media and Design Officer to support external communications efforts and drive engagement through social media channels

-          Monitoring, Measurement and Evaluation: Monitoring coverage and preparing data for evaluation to guide future activity

-          Compliance: Following compliance procedures relevant to the communications team and ensuring compliance with regulations

Person profile

Essential Experience

·         Strong and relevant external communications experience

•         Understanding of UK media landscape including national print, broadcast and digital media

•         Good knowledge of social media and other emerging digital platforms

Desirable Experience

·         Experience of working in, or keen interest in financial services

·         Understanding of financial sector press

·         Experience in using media monitoring for evaluation

Skills, abilities and attributes

·         We are looking for a self-motivated individual, capable of working both autonomously and collaboratively as part of a close-knit team

·         You should be passionate about the role that social impact investment can play in helping improve lives across the UK, excited about raising our profile across our target audiences and improving public understanding of what we do and why we do it.

·         Confident at writing for a range of communications including press releases, case studies and social media copy.

·         Creative storyteller with passion for winning your audience over

·         Strong relationship building skills

·         Conscientious with strong attention to detail

·         We need someone who can work under pressure, with strong problem-solving skills and a focus on solutions

·         Should have an appetite for continual development of own digital skills and expertise and be a champion for sharing this learning internally