An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Press Officer to be based in our Headquarters in Durrington, Worthing.
As Press Officer, you will be part of a dynamic Strategy & Communications team who have responsibility for Southern Water’s relationship with all forms of news media; print, broadcast and digital. The team’s objective is to protect and enhance Southern Water’s reputation by identifying, developing and delivering strong media strategies that effectively communicate the delivery of the business plan promises and strategic priorities.
You will develop and deliver Southern Water’s social media strategy as well as identifying new channels of communication and be responsible for analysing press coverage to drive media plans and strategies. The strategy and communication team provide media office services 24-hours a day, 365 days a year and so you will be required to join an on-call rota for out-of-hours enquiries/incidents and be open to flexible working patterns.
The key skills and qualifications required for the post of Press Officer are:
- NCTJ (National Council for the Training of Journalists) qualified or similar degree standard qualification;
- A full understanding of the UK media landscape and the principles that sit behind developing and delivering communications plans to protect and enhance brand and reputation;
- A proven ability to design and deliver pro-active and reactive communications strategies;
- Significant experience of dealing with all forms of media and a track record of delivering successful communications strategies;
- First class written and verbal communications skills with an ability to communicate in a non-technical way;
- Excellent ability to influence and persuade without conflict;
- Excellent relationship building skills with an ability to build a strong network of contacts.