Senior Press Officer

Please note this is an OD vacancy and only impacted colleagues who are at risk or placed in a pool will be considered for this role. If you are at risk or in a pool, you will be asked to confirm this in the application process. 

Applications from candidates who are not at risk or in a pool will be declined at this stage. The role may be re-advertised in future as a standard vacancy open to all internal candidates. 

Role title:Senior PR Officer

Function:   Group Communications

Number of reports: N/A

Work level: WL6b 

Please note this is an OD vacancy and only impacted colleagues who are at risk or placed in a pool will be considered for this role. If you are at risk or in a pool, you will be asked to confirm this in the application process. 

Applications from candidates who are not at risk or in a pool will be declined at this stage. The role may be re-advertised in future as a standard vacancy open to all internal candidates. 

Role title:Senior PR Officer

Function:   Group Communications

Number of reports: N/A

Work level: WL6b 

Role Summary

Manage and deliver PR activity to protect, promote and enhance the Co-op’s reputation

Key responsibilities

• Work as part of a busy press office team to manage incoming media enquiries (including work on a rota system out of hours)
• Provide strategic PR advice to the business across own areas of accountability across a range of levels of the business
• Deliver engaging proactive PR launches, announcements, and campaigns, including drafting media materials, selling in and engaging with media, arranging product samples and drops, working on campaigns with multidisciplinary PR elements and working as part of cross functional teams to enable delivery
• Deliver against the annual PR plan, which incorporates the elements of protecting, promoting and enhancing the Co-op, and aligns strategically with the business unit and wider group strategy and vision
• Reputational oversight and management of key specific areas including planned and unplanned reputational and crisis management
• An ability to work with key agency partners 

Freedom to Make Decisions

• Plans own workload, at times with help from line manager.  Makes recommendations on timings and delivery of proactive activity and media responses

Key Relationships and Influence

• Influence and build relationships across a range of levels internally
• Externally build relationships with key journalists, editors, influencers and relevant organisations and PR contact 
• Act as a role model to inspire a strong organisational culture that aligns with Co-op purpose and value

Planning Horizon

• Plan and organise workload, budget and task in order to ensure delivery against business plans as part of overall set annual plan

Knowledge, Skills, Experience 

• Experience in a PR role, including an equivalent professional qualification to degree level, as well as evidence of continuous professional development
• Experience of working in a busy press office function, and managing a range of media enquiries to protect, promote and enhance the brand. 
• Experience in working on multi-disciplinary campaigns, with working knowledge of how the earned, owned and paid for media ecosystem operates
• Be a trusted advisor to relevant stakeholders, and have the confidence to advise them, constructively challenge where necessary, and input into strategic thinking from a PR perspective
• Strong experience in dealing with significant high profile national media crisis and issues and handling difficult journalists and reputational issues.
• Must be able to effectively juggle competing demands under pressure 
• Must be an excellent communicator both in writing, speaking and presenting
• Experience in working with PR agencies and partners 
• Experience of working to agreed PR budgets