Senior Press Officer

London, UK - £40,000

Ref: HF3095TW

Our client is a leading private equity business.

Role:

To assist the Media Relations Director in driving, implementing and developing the group and business line public relations activities.

This Senior Press Officer will have specific responsibility for providing pr advice and support to a recently formed Infrastructure team as well as working with colleagues and pr agencies in the German speaking markets, Sweden, Finland and Denmark.

Role responsibilities

• Develop and execute media strategy for Infrastructure and German, Swedish, Finnish and Danish teams.
• Act as a point of contact and advisor within the company for internal or external issues regarding PR
• Provide strategic advice on media strategy for deals and issues management for portfolio failures and other corporate issues
• Able to drive projects and ensure that adequate resource is given to key priorities during busy periods
• Take well thought out decisions on any activity which ensures that the companies corporate reputation is best represented or protected.
• Develop effective working relationships with key contacts across the business
• Develop and maintain demonstrable and proven media relations knowledge and skills.
• Project manage pr approach for key corporate and product campaigns.

Qualifications:

Degree level education (Honours degree ‘2.ii’ or above)

Journalism or pr qualification is desirable but not essential to this role.

Experience:

• Solid experience, as a press officer or equivalent in either an in-house role at another FTSE 100 company, retail banking or investment banking pr team, financial or professional services company or in a business to business pr agency. This role will focus on the infrastructure industry, so candidates from Transport, Travel, Utilities (electricity, oil + gas), Road, Rail, Ports, Telcos, energy, Construction, Engineering will also be considered.
• Demonstrable knowledge of financial structures, particularly how deals are constructed as well as evidence of related pr activity is essential to the success of this role
• Preference will be given to candidates with experience and knowledge of Infrastructure related industries such as regulated utilities; transport; healthcare; education; communications; defence and public private partnership initiatives across Europe
• Proven contacts and knowledge of financial; business and infrastructure related journalists on national, newswire; specialist trade press and online media is essential to the success of this role. Contacts and knowledge of key financial international and European media highly desirable
• Demonstrable experience of pr campaigns or issues from inception to media coverage results
• Hands on experience of driving and managing simultaneous pr campaigns, working with other pr professionals including agencies and clients across geographies
• Experience of requirements gathering and writing product specification documents

Skills:

• Proven written skills in writing features material, press releases, commentaries and other material pertaining to pr role. Demonstrating an awareness of target audiences and ability to change tone and structure of a document accordingly
• Strong clear and articulate oral communication and interpersonal skills delivered in a professional manner. Has the ability to build effective relationships at all levels and help build a strong reputation for the team within the business
• Fluency in at least one European language in addition to English is highly desirable
• Extensive knowledge about various pr tools and how best to utilise them to promote and implement best practice and ethical pr within the business
• Strong and demonstrable media contacts relationship management skills
• Effective skills in project planning, requirements gathering, product specification, implementation and review processes
• Flexible team player who is able to support a team as well as lead a team as necessary e.g. a project team

To apply for this role or other opportunities with VMA Group, please visit our website at www.vmagroup.co.uk or email your CV in complete confidence quoting reference number HF3095TW to hfriend@vmagroup.co.uk.

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