Responsibilities

• Support the External Communications Manager in the delivery of the Turning the Tide strategy, rebuilding South East Water’s reputation amongst its customers and stakeholders.
• Be adept at pivoting between multiple projects, sometimes with competing needs, to produce appropriate and high quality communications outputs to deadline.
• Competent in drafting accurate customer, media and stakeholder communications materials required for a project or event, including, but not limited to; communications plans and evaluations, briefing notes, statements, press releases, presentations, exhibition materials, articles, advertising, website copy, FAQs and social media content such as videos.
• Competent in turning complex information into appropriate and easy to understand materials for public consumption.
• Keen to learn, develop as well as try new ideas and communications methods as they arise.
• Competent at identifying potential risks to company reputation and have confidence in raising these with appropriate managers.
• Identify opportunities for positive media coverage, crafting press releases, arranging media events, managing interviews and briefing spokespeople.
• Be responsible for organising, managing and attending a range of in-person and virtual community and stakeholder events which open our audiences’ eyes to water.
• Be part of the Communications out-of-hours service on a shared rota basis (approximately one in four weeks) where you’ll help manage crisis communications both in and out of office hours, escalating where appropriate.
• Confident at liaising with designers, photographers, videographers and other contractors to achieve desired outcomes when creating communications materials and arranging events.

Requirements

• Degree-level qualification in a communication or PR related discipline or relevant experience.
• Full driving licence.
• At least three years’ experience in either a field related to journalism (newspaper/online/TV/radio) or public relations/communications, either agency or in-house.
• Media relations, press office management, relationship building, media monitoring & optimisation, media interview management, statement & briefing development, media training, presentation/briefing skills, strategic communications planning, copywriting, proofreading, creative input & ideation, quality control, campaign execution, crisis communications.
• A working experience and knowledge of the media, together with the ability to deal confidently with customers and stakeholders is essential. Social media skills would be desirable.
• Employees are required to be flexible and to be prepared to perform duties and other tasks within their capabilities.

Preferred

• Social media skills would be desirable.

Benefits

• Excellent Stakeholder pension scheme, up to 10% employer contribution.
• 5 weeks holiday plus bank holidays per annum, increasing to 6 weeks with length of service.
• Flexible annual leave policy to buy or sell holiday leave.
• Paid volunteering days.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Health cash plan.
• Life assurance.
• Wellbeing related benefits.