Responsibilities

• Draft and distribute press releases, news stories, and statements to local, regional, and sector media
• Act as a day-to-day point of contact for media enquiries, escalating to the Head of Marketing and Communications as appropriate
• Proactively identify and develop stories that raise the College’s profile, including student success, staff achievement, and community impact
• Build and maintain relationships with local, regional, and sector media contacts
• Support the coordination of media interviews, briefings, and filming requests
• Monitor media coverage and flag reputational risks or opportunities to the Head of Marketing and Communications
• Produce high-quality written content for external audiences, including press features, case studies, award submissions, and partnership materials
• Interview students, staff, alumni, and partners to develop stories and testimonials for use across external channels
• Ensure all content reflects the College’s brand standards and tone of voice
• Repurpose stories and content effectively across external platforms, including the College website, social media, and partner communications

Requirements

• Experience in a PR, communications, or marketing role, ideally within education or the public sector
• Strong writing skills, with the ability to produce accurate, engaging copy for a range of audiences and purposes
• Experience writing and distributing press releases, statements, or media pitches
• Confidence interviewing people and developing compelling stories from conversation
• Ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines across multiple workstreams
• Strong relationship-building skills and the confidence to work with senior stakeholders

Preferred

• Experience producing stakeholder or partner communications, including email campaigns
• Familiarity with CRM systems or email marketing platforms
• Understanding of media relations principles and experience building press contacts
• An understanding of the further education or public sector landscape
• An understanding of GDPR and data handling in a communications context
• Qualification in communications, PR, journalism, or a related field, or equivalent experience

Benefits

• Pension Scheme
• You'll be part of the Local Government Pension Scheme with employer contributions of up to 20.20%, one of the best pension packages in the sector.
• Leave entitlement
• Up to 30 days annual holiday allowance, plus 1 wellbeing day. You’ll also benefit from 5 to 7 days statutory closure and 2 further days closure at Easter.
• Employee Benefit Platform
• As part of your role, you’ll have access to the COLC Employee Benefits Platform, a one-stop hub for a wide range of perks designed to support your wellbeing, work-life balance, and everyday savings. You’ll be able to access discounts at major supermarkets, fashion and lifestyle retailers, tech stores, travel providers, and more. You’ll also benefit from the Cycle to Work Scheme, cinema and leisure discounts and tech and home appliance discounts, with the option of spreading the cost through salary sacrifice. The platform is part of our commitment to supporting you in every aspect of your working life – and beyond.
• Health and Wellbeing
• As part of our commitment to supporting your health and wellbeing, all employees have access to the Health Assured Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) – a completely confidential support service available 24/7, 365 days a year. Whether you’re facing personal challenges, looking for advice, or simply need someone to talk to, Health Assured is here to help. Through Health Assured, you can access a 24/7 confidential helpline, face to face, online or telephone counselling, as well as structured support for a wide range of issues including stress, anxiety, relationships, bereavement, legal and financial concerns.
• Online wellbeing portal
• online wellbeing portal, a secure, user-friendly platform offering a wide range of self-help resources, health assessments, articles, and guidance covering emotional, physical, and financial wellbeing, and to the Wisdom App, which offers mood trackers and wellbeing tools, meditation guides, fitness videos, and self-help modules as well as daily wellbeing tips.