Job Description

The British Academy - the UK's national body for the humanities and social sciences - is seeking a Media & PR Officer to join the Communications and Marketing department to increase exposure and generate media coverage about the British Academy's public events, policy programmes, funded research and subject advocacy.The roleThe Media & PR Officer will be responsible for collaborating with colleagues from across the Academy to generate engaging and concise news stories and pitch them to national, regional, broadcast and higher education sector media. On a weekly basis, you'll be planning, writing and editing stories about our public events programme, higher education or public policy work, Fellowship, and social sciences and humanities research findings.The role holder will lead on media stories from start to finish, from spotting newsworthy stories to writing integrated comms plans, to delivery of media coverage and social media content. Your main objective will be to build the Academy's profile and increase public awareness of the humanities and social sciences. Working closely with the Media & PR Manager, and the wider Media and Public Affairs team, you will identify opportunities, respond quickly to incoming reactive queries from journalists, academics and press offices, using your judgement to respond clearly on a variety of topics. You will also be responsible for sourcing and coaching media spokespeople when needed.As someone who loves to write and edit, you should consume a variety of news daily, think creatively, and proactively take the initiative to suggest story angles to the team and look at improvements to ways of working.You will be joining at an exciting time, with a new President starting in July 2025, and a new themed programme of public events seasons held at our home in the heart of St James's, London, transformed last year after a xc2xa310 million redevelopment. You will be part of a friendly and supportive team. You will also have the chance to work with some of the top intellectual minds from across the humanities and social sciences.About the AcademyThe British Academy is the UK's national body for the humanities and social sciences, established by Royal Charter in 1902. We mobilise these disciplines to understand the world and shape a brighter future. Today's complex challenges can only be resolved by deepening our insight into people, culture, and societies. With a Fellowship of around 1,700 leading national and international academics, the Academy invests in researchers and projects across the UK and overseas, engages the public with fresh thinking and debates, and brings together scholars, government, business, and civil society to influence policy.The Academy currently has five directorates: Communications & Marketing, Development, Policy, Research, and Resources, plus a small Governance & Fellowship Team. We have increased staffing in the last 12 months and expect to continue to grow this year.Working at the AcademyOur senior management team has worked with staff to foster a culture of collaboration, respect, and empathy in which all contributions are recognised as we work towards our common goals. Our people strategy and working practices focus on building strengths and sharing insights, with learning and development, wellbeing, and equality, diversity and inclusion at the centre of how we operate as an organisation. Investing in our staff and encouraging a healthy work/life balance is central to our success as we move forward and continue to grow. Find out more about the British Academy, including our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement, by visiting .Terms and conditionsThe British Academy is based at 10-11, Carlton House Terrace, St James Park, London, SW1 - a Grade 1 listed building. We offer a competitive benefits package, including a 35-hour working week, 34 days' annual leave plus Bank Holidays, a subsidised canteen and an excellent occupational pension.

Hold the Front Page