Senior PR and Communications Officer

Post Title Senior PR and Communications Officer

SBU/Department: Marketing and Communications

FTE: 1FTE

Duration of Contract: Permanent

Salary: UH7 £37,099 to £40,521pa with potential to progress to £44,263 pa by annual increments on achieving designated skills and experience.

Annual Leave: 30 days plus standard public holidays and an additional 4 days including the closure of our office between Christmas and New Year

Location: Bishops Square, Hatfield, University of Hertfordshire

An exciting and rewarding role within the University of Hertfordshire’s PR and Comms team, we are looking for a new Senior PR and Communications Officer who is highly experienced in everything media relations and corporate comms – from having a great sense for a strong news story and a cool head for issues management; to being able to turn around accurate copy quickly and having excellent proofing and editing skills. The University’s PR and Comms team is the focus of all press, media and publications activity for the institution and is directly responsible for enhancing the reputation of the University with external stakeholders.

Main duties and responsibilities

Deputy to the PR and Comms manager, they will work closely with them to develop and deliver the University’s PR and Comms strategy, in line with the department’s integrated marketing and communications campaigns and the University’s overarching strategic plan. Collectively responsible for enhancing the University’s reputation – particularly with external audiences that include prospective students, parents and key stakeholders – the post-holder will be a confident self-starter, able to work well on their own initiative as well as having a collegiate approach to team-working.

They’ll also be creative: someone who thrives on finding, developing and delivering stories, copy, content and effective media campaigns in new and exciting ways that grow the University’s brand, enhance its reputation and showcase its positive impact on the world.

On the media relations side, they will be expected to work with a group of the University’s schools and develop good internal relationships to help proactively generate stories on the University’s high-quality education, enterprise, world-leading research and vibrant and inclusive campus community. They’ll use a range of communication tactics to then deliver and promote these stories to the right media outlets to generate positive, targeted coverage, alongside collaborating with our social media team to develop online content.

The post-holder will be expected to maintain a good knowledge of current affairs, and in particular be on top of developments in the higher education sector to be able to effectively communicate the University’s position on these.

They will also be required to support departmental reports, internal corporate publications and content and – as agreed with the PR and Comms Manager – take the lead on specific projects. They will also be responsible for managing casual and freelance staff, as well as be required to support more junior members of the team where needed.

Skills and experience required

The successful candidate will be a confident communications practitioner who has substantial proven experience in media relations, comms or a similar field. As well as having strong written and communications skills, they will be able to source, interpret, write and edit different types of content for different platforms and audiences. You will be able to translate complex information into clear, concise and engaging copy and content and work calmly and systematically in a busy environment and to meet agreed deadlines. Practical IT skills, including a good working knowledge of MS office and other common computing applications is essential. You will have the ability to deliver projects successfully to deadline and on budget and be creative with outstanding attention to detail.

You will bring to this role strong interpersonal skills including a strong track record establishing effective relationships with colleagues, stakeholders and clients. Being a team player and enjoying working in a busy and engaging environment is essential. You will be highly organised and be able to prioritise effectively whilst also being a creative thinker who is not afraid to suggest big, bold ideas.

Qualifications required

Educated with a minimum of a degree in PR or Journalism or Communications or Marketing or similar level of experience.

Please view the job description and person specification for a full list of the duties and essential criteria.Please attach a personal statement showing clearly how your skills and experience match the Person Specification.

Contact Details/Informal Enquiries: Vicky Trendall, PR and Comms Manager, [email protected]

Closing Date: 23 November 2023

Interview Date: TBC

Reference Number: 055695

Date advert placed: 09 November 2023

Our vision is to transform lives: UH is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and building a diverse community. We welcome applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of their protected characteristics, and recognise there are different ways applicants may achieve the criteria in this document. We offer a range of employee benefits including generous annual leave, flexible location opportunities within the UK, discounted Sports Village memberships and free Active Staff sessions, personal and professional development and family-friendly policies. #GoHerts