Media and Communications Officer (Social Sciences)

Reference
1102676

Branch
University of Warwick

Start date
10/11/2025

Duration
Other - See Job

Hours and days
Standard university hours, except for participating in an on-call rota if required as detailed above.

Dress code
Smart Casual

Rate of pay
£18.76

Holiday rate
£2.26

Role
Responsible for a wide range of communications activities for the University to promote our world-leading research, through the delivery of high-quality content in digital, broadcast and print media. This role requires a skilled communications officer with experience of pitching stories to the media.

Duties and responsibilities

• To plan and deliver highly effective external proactive communications, including through research and education, with target audiences globally through digital, broadcast, and print media. 
• You will proactively develop and implement creative media relations plans in line with institutional priorities, including establishing objectives, messaging, understanding of audience, understanding of context, use of appropriate channels, and mechanisms to evaluate outcomes. You also will undertake horizon-scanning to identify content creation and news distribution opportunities.
• This will entail producing media relations content to maximise audience engagement. Content will include, but not be limited to: press releases, media packs, broadcast opportunities, feature writing, and digital assets. You will produce this yourself or in collaboration with the wider team and/or external agencies.
• Work with academic departments and the leadership team to understand their priorities and coordinate media relations content in alignment with the University’s communications strategy.
• Provide support to departments to enable them to tell their stories in creative and engaging ways. Advise academics and professionals on media relations good practice, broadcast skills, brand guidelines, and institutional narrative to ensure consistency of messaging.
• Lead on or contribute to specific communications projects and campaigns to support key strategic objectives, motivating and developing cross-functional teams to deliver results. 
• Actively supporting institutional preparedness for effective crisis communications via an out of hours rota. 
• Evaluating performance, tracking progress against KPIs and delivering communication analytics reports to key stakeholders internally where required.
• Development and maintenance of relationships with journalists and news outlets relevant and valuable to the University and allocated portfolio departments. 
• Working in a cross-functional team across MCI, proactively contributing to and shaping marketing and communications projects and campaigns to support strategic objectives using an assigned budget and motivating and developing teams to deliver results.

Operational

• The post holder will take direction from the management team but will be expected to manage their own work and priorities and act independently to clear parameters, updating and calling for advice/support when needed. 

Communication  

• The post holder will need to persuade journalists to engage with the University’s stories and academic expertise. 
• Internally, the post holder will need to be able to influence colleagues and staff on media relations approaches and to help individuals to prepare for effective media engagement. 

Other information

• The post holder will need to be available to support early morning filming and interviews as well as weekend filming and interviews on an occasional basis. This responsibility is shared across the team.
• Post holder will be expected to be part of an on-call rota for weekend/evenings cover.

Skills and experience

• Degree level or equivalent experience.
• Considerable experience of working in a media team in the public or private sector, PR agency, or in a senior journalistic role.
• Experience of planning and delivering effective communications.
• Ability to prioritise and manage multiple tasks with varying deadlines while achieving a high level of accuracy. 
• Experience of media training spokespeople and preparing them for interviews.
• Experience of using analytics platforms to produce reports on media coverage.
• Experience of following the news agenda to create story opportunities.
• Understanding of crisis communications and issues management best practice.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to engage effectively with a broad array of audiences, adjusting style, channel and content as appropriate.
• Strong network of media contacts and/or awareness and relationship management skills to develop media contacts in line with University needs.
• Available to be part of an on-call rota for weekend and evening cover.

Desirable 

• Certificate level qualification in Marketing, Journalism or Public Relations (CIPR, CIM) (or equivalent).
• Experience of working within a higher education or comparable context

Location
Hybrid from Warwick campus/home

Additional information
Applications close at midnight on 04th November 2025