Responsibilities

• Own techUK's press office, responding to often technical and time-sensitive media enquiries across the technology policy landscape.
• Set and deliver techUK's proactive communications, identifying news opportunities that raise techUK's profile and support the wider technology sector.
• Run techUK's spokespeople operation: developing briefings, delivering media training sessions, sitting in on interviews and accompanying colleagues to in-person interviews where appropriate.
• Lead issues and crisis communications, preparing forward-thinking crisis comms strategies, statements and briefing.
• Build relationships with national, broadcast and trade journalists, and write press releases, briefings, and statements.
• Support the media elements of our report launches, events outreach and other proactive communications.
• Support internal communications, keeping colleagues informed of business updates and core messaging, and deliver regular internal updates including a bi-weekly newsletter, all-hands calls and ad hoc Town Halls.
• Line-manage a Junior Communications Manager, leading by example, providing day-to-day support and direction.

Requirements

• Proven experience in communications, with established press contacts in technology and policy.
• A background in technology and/or policy communications, with a clear passion for the sector and current issues it faces.
• Demonstrable experience of landing a story or shaping a debate, rather than volume of coverage secured.
• Experience managing a broad group of internal stakeholders, including advising senior stakeholders and managing expectations, while delivering to deadline.
• An understanding of social media and digital content across multiple channels.

Preferred

• Experience in a newsroom, in Parliament, in Government or in a policy-facing in-house role - somewhere that has given you a feel for how the UK policy debate actually moves.
• Agency experience - techUK works across a variety of sectors, technologies and issues. We are keen to see experience in switching between different messages and audiences.
• Experience of, or confidence in, supporting in crisis communications and working directly with senior spokespeople on the rapid development of messages. Experience in upskilling a direct report.