About us
UCL is a radically different university. Founded in 1826 in the heart of London, we were the first university in England to welcome students of any religion and the first to welcome women on equal terms with men. Today UCL has over 50,000 students and 16,000 staff and is one of the world’s top 10 universities.
The Vice-President External Engagement (VPEE) team delivers communications and marketing activity for UCL, working to ensure UCL’s public prominence, reputation and influence reflects the university’s excellence in knowledge creation, education, and innovation.
About the role
As the Media Relations Officer, you’ll be the primary point of contact for most media enquiries. You’ll support the team in disseminating news and media coverage about UCL via key communications channels. Reporting to the Deputy Head of Media Relations, you will produce external-facing content for UCL’s news website, as well as various other platforms (e.g. blogs and social media). You will be responsible for issuing expert advisories and responding to expert requests, as well as arranging interviews for UCL spokespeople.
About you
To do this job you’ll need experience of working within a busy news environment such as a press office, or as part of a communications team. You’ll have an understanding of the workings of external media (print, broadcast, online and social). You’ll have experience of using web content management systems and social media platforms, as well as using image editing software. You’ll need the ability to convey subject matter concisely and compellingly to a wide range of audiences. This will include both strong writing skills, and the ability to communicate appropriately and effectively in person. You’ll be able to establish priorities and manage multiple activities to meet organisational priorities.
What we offer
As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:
41 Days holiday (including 27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
On-Site nursery
On-site gym
Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
Discounted medical insurance
Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.
We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce.
These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.