Corporate Communications Manager

Fixed term - Fixed Term - 12 Months

Full Time - 35 Hours Per Week

We are looking for an experienced media relations professional to work within the Corporate Communications team, which leads on protecting and enhancing the reputation of the University of Edinburgh. The post-holder will work both proactively and reactively to produce corporate communications content for external audiences, with a particular focus on promoting our strong corporate identity and brand as a world-leading educational institution. We are open to considering requests for hybrid working (on a non-contractual basis) that combines a mix of remote and regular on-campus working. We would also consider requests for secondments from existing posts. 

The Opportunity:

The post-holder will work in a small team responsible for enhancing and building on the University’s reputation with external audiences.  The role requires balancing responses to media enquiries on key issues affecting University business, alongside the proactive promotion of University activities. The team works closely with the Research Communications and Internal Communications teams and supports their work if required. 

The role requires strong organisational skills for devising, implementing and evaluating strategic media and communications activities across all platforms to promote the University’s corporate activity across a range of professional services, events and partnership projects. 

A key function of the role is to respond to media enquiries from international, national, regional and local press in line with deadlines. Drafting media statements and advising senior management on how to respond on issues of reputational importance is an integral part of this role. In addition, it requires use of social media, writing for the web and working with the University’s audio-visual team, and external contractors, to create multimedia packages for online and other platforms. 

The Higher Education sector, nationally and globally, is currently facing high levels of scrutiny on a number of topics, so the post-holder needs to be adept at switching between different issues. The post-holder will be comfortable working in a large and highly devolved environment, with many competing demands for their attention, and be able to demonstrate the appropriate levels of operational skills and experience that allow them to manage these challenging priorities. Both the proactive and reactive aspects of the role will require the post-holder to, on occasion, manage media or communications activity on site. Such activity could include, but is not limited to: managing photocalls; overseeing film crews; attending interviews; and managing press at key University events. 

The nature of the job requires a flexible attitude to some out of hours work. The post-holder will be expected to attend some evening events and at times to respond to out of office enquiries and emergencies.

Your skills and attributes for success: 

• Educated to degree level or with equivalent relevant professional experience
• Experience of a press/ public relations environment
• Keen news sense and knowledge of how the media operates
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Proven track record of advising colleagues at the most senior level

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