Job Description

Are you a Media and PR professional who wants to use your skills to help support young people and their families to deal with the impact of cancer, both during and beyond treatment?
Charity People is partnering with Young Lives vs. Cancer to recruit an interim part time Media and PR Officer to join their team.
Joining the Media Team at a key time as the organisation embarks on the first stage of its North Star vision which will see them working with partner organisations to close gaps in the current provision of care for young people and their families by 2035.
Contract: Nine month interim role, four days (28 hours) per week
Salary: 34,616 FTE (outside London); 36,512 FTE (London)
Location: Home based with some travel to London or Bristol - ideally around one to two days per month
Closing date for applications: midnight on Sunday 19th January
Interviews will be held remotely week commencing: 27th January
This is an important role where you will lead on communicating a portfolio of key areas of Young Lives vs Cancer's policy work, fundraising activities and services, to a wide range of audiences, identifying reactive opportunities and through targeted media campaigns.
Core responsibilities within the role will include:

• Manage media partnerships such as national media fundraising appeals or campaigns
• Establish quality effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders including Media and News outlets, journalists and charity partners
• Participate in the reactive news desk rota, responding to urgent media enquiries and providing advice to staff and senior managers
• Take advantage of opportunities to provide and publish reactive comment, opinion and content in a timely manner to involve Young Lives vs Cancer in news stories and debates that align with the charity's priorities
• Brief national, regional and local media (print, broadcast and online) on Young Lives vs Cancer and its activities. Support the Head of Media and PR to implement reputation management plans
• Brief staff spokespeople (including senior staff and specialist social workers) ahead of media interviews to ensure they are prepared and ready to speak on message
• Use data and research to engage media and news outlets
• Produce messaging, position statements, prepare for media interviews and deal with complex reactive press enquiries
• Contribute to the development and delivery of the charity's strategic media plan - lead a strategic development priority area, working across the team and organisation
• Develop and implement creative, effective media plans for campaigns and projects, in-line with the charity's overall strategic objectives
• Gather and develop stories and take a proactive role in identifying opportunities in online and offline media to place news and feature stories on Young Lives vs Cancer activities, campaigns, and services
• Initiate and maintain good working relationships with a network of editors, journalists and broadcasters, especially within the health, education and social care media, and ensure they are briefed appropriately on Young Lives vs Cancer activities and issues
• Write press releases, features, articles, opinion pieces and statements; ensuring these reflect Young Lives vs Cancer's values and key messages.
• Work closely with the Brand and Marketing Communications team to understand local business priorities and effectively coordinate and plan activity.

The Media and PR Officer will have previous experience of working in a Media and PR role. The successful candidate will have a thorough understanding of media monitoring and evaluation; the ability to engage positively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders; excellent storytelling ability; and the ability to translate complex information in clear, understandable messages.
You'll be a creative and innovative thinker and you'll demonstrate Young Lives Vs Cancer's values: you are brave; you are confident; you have integrity; and together, across all levels and with our external partners, we are one team.
How to apply
The application process is CV and Supporting Questions. If you would like to apply for this role or for an informal confidential, please apply via the link below with a copy of your CV or email Alice Wood at Charity People: Alice@charitypeople.co.uk for the pack and full details on the application process.
Due to the festive break, we'll be starting to contact potential candidates from the 6th January 2025.
We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability, and potential. Please inform Alice if you require any assistance or adjustment to help ensure the application process works for you.
At Charity People, we match charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates, irrespective of age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we know greater diversity will lead to even greater results for the charities we work with.

Skills Required