About the job

Summary

We welcome applications from all communities and we don’t discriminate against any identity. We’re interested to hear from you, regardless of your background.

Do you enjoy working in a fast-paced environment?

Are you someone that has journalistic and broadcasting experience or experience of working in a lively press office?

If so then we have an exciting opportunity for a driven individual to join us, and we can’t wait to hear from you!

Job description

If successful, you will be part of a lively team that manages our media activity across the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA). Advising business area's on media handling and responding to enquires from the media. You will maintain and develop external relations, promoting our key priorities and messages protecting our reputation through both conventional and social media channels.

You will handle incoming media enquires effectively and with a professional manner. Developing your skills whilst using our internal systems, understanding what can and cannot be given to journalists. Being sensitive to circumstances, whilst maintaining openness and transparency.

This role will be based in Southampton HQ. There will be a business requirement for post holder to be based in the office for a set number of days per week. At present we are operating a hybrid working approach due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation. Details of this arrangement will be discussed further with your line manager.

There is an out of hours duty press rota which you will be required to join and for which an allowance would be paid. This causes the minimum salary to increase to £37,234.00. In addition, this role can involve short notice deployments and sometimes very long hours during incidents.

Due to the nature of the role, a full valid driving licence is required.

Responsibilities

Your responsibilities include but are not limited to:

•Maintaining and developing good media relations with journalists across the UK from a broad range of publications, broadcasters and trade press, local, regional and national.

•Developing and delivering key lines to take and disseminating them to media contacts as required. These might be for background information for documentaries or feature articles.

•Identifying proactive opportunities and creating press releases, articles and features as required in conjunction with the Head of Comms, Senior Press Officer, the rest of the team and marketing colleagues.

•Advising MCA colleagues on media handling - briefing for interviews, providing 1-2-1 practice where necessary, shadowing them at media events to advise.

•Advising MCA colleagues on media handling for policy documents including submissions to ministers.

•Participating in on-call duty rota and ready to be deployed as necessary for major incidents. This can be at short notice where a press officer is required on scene to support MCA staff and volunteers. Running press releases, briefings organising interviews and footage shots on scene.

For further information, please see the attached role profile.

About You

To become successful in the role you will need to be someone who has had previous experience in broadcasting or other journalism in a busy newsroom.

Or you will need to have previous experience as a press officer, with excellent organisational skills, and ability to manage various conflicting priorities in a busy environment, including social media technology and channels.

You will need to have excellent verbal and written English skills and the ability to use these skills to communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.

Licences

A full, valid driving licence is required for this role.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance.