Communications Officer at The Royal Forestry Society | Banbury, West Northamptonshire, UK

Communications Officer

Banbury, West Northamptonshire, UK (Hybrid)

Salary Not AvailableMid LevelPermanent

Posted 7 weeks ago

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Job Summary

Own media and external communications for forestry focused outreach, turning research into public coverage and stakeholder engagement across press, policy sources, and events.

Lead media outreach and content creation across press releases, QJF items, blogs, and case studies.
Coordinate with forestry groups and broadcasters, track coverage, and represent the RFS at events and on TV/radio.

Job Description

Responsibilities

Communicate strong, positive, and informative messages about the value of forestry in its broadest sense, and the work of the RFS to our membership and to a broader audience.
Research, commission, and place articles in target publications.
Create and write (or commission) press releases, case studies, and blogs.
Forge or strengthen contact with identified media and political/policy sources, including being a first point of contact for television and radio broadcasters.
Write the news section for each issue of the RFS’s Quarterly Journal of Forestry (QJF) and identify appropriate contacts for possible future articles that the editors can follow up.
Liaise with representatives from other forestry sector organisations to enable knowledge exchange and collaboration.
Play an active role in promoting RFS events and initiatives.
Track press coverage regarding the RFS, our staff, volunteers and supporters.
Represent the RFS at other external events when required.

Requirements

Meticulous attention to detail, especially in written communication (including formal and informal writing styles).
We are looking for a candidate who has a real passion for trees and woodland management.
Although a university degree is not a prerequisite for this role, we are seeking a candidate who can operate at this level. You will need to be able to demonstrate that you have advanced your skills in all forms of communication, critical thinking, working in teams and personal responsibility.
This is a development role with significant scope for progression. A willingness to understand and get involved in other areas of our charity will accelerate your learning.
You must be personable, outgoing, positive, and capable of developing good professional relationships with our stakeholders.
A measured approach to managing workload and multiple time-critical projects. and excellent problem-solving skills will allow you to innovate and help the team diversify and strengthen our income streams.
You will need to be confident using some standard Microsoft software (including Word and Outlook).
Eligible to work in the United Kingdom

Nice to have

A university degree (or equivalent) in a subject with relevance to the role (either showing technical understanding of forestry/countryside management issues or giving a solid foundation in the principles of PR and marketing).
Confidence creating and posting engaging content on social media channels (particularly YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook).
Experience of writing for different print publications.
A full UK driving licence and willingness to travel.

Benefits