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Interim Press Officer

Merlin - 26 June 2009

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Job Description

Main purpose of the role
To manage relations with appropriate sectors of the media in order to generate coverage in the UK media and thus raise awareness of Merlin amongst key audiences.
 
Overall Objectives (scope)

• With the Head of Communications, devise and implement a media communications
• strategy
• Maintain a thorough knowledge of Merlin’s on-going operations in order to maximise
• story opportunities
• Brief members of staff on how to work with the media and on collecting information to maximise media opportunities
•  

Responsibilities

• Maintain Merlin’s media database, ensuring it is kept up-to-date and well organised
• Develop good working relationships with key media contacts
• Research, write and distribute press releases and follow up with phone calls to
• appropriate media contacts
• Propose story ideas to appropriate media contacts
• Produce briefings for journalists who are visiting or are interested in Merlin’s projects
• Organise field visits for journalists and accompany them where appropriate
• Give face to face briefings to journalists and conduct broadcast interviews including live radio and TV in accordance with areas of knowledge and with agreement of the head of Communications.
• Represent Merlin at the Disasters Emergency Committee as Merlin’s Media Relations Officer
• Monitor and report on media coverage of Merlin and the issues relating to the sector to trustees, management and staff
• Work with the Individual Giving and Donor Partnerships departments to publicise
• fundraising initiatives such as sponsored events or corporate donations
• Assist in identifying and developing opportunities to work with celebrities in order to gain media coverage for Merlin
• Assist in the storage and cataloguing of photos in the photo library
• Man the out of hours media phone on a rota basis
• Undertake other reasonable tasks as commensurate with the post, as required by the Head of Communications

Dimensions and Limits of Authority

• Responsible for presenting information about Merlin to journalists and editors without
• supervision
• Gives media interviews
• Mans out of hours media phone
• Represent Merlin at the DEC

Person Specification
 
Essential



Qualifications, experience and competences

• Good experience working in press office or media organisation
• Successful experience of producing work in a state ready for print and external
• distribution on a large scale
• Excellent writing skills with the ability to understand complex issues and present them as simple, powerful messages
• Excellent verbal communication skills – ability to build up effective relationships with
• media contacts, celebrities, agents and staff in the field
• Excellent telephone manner and ability to ‘sell-in’ story ideas to journalists and editors
• Experience of managing a wide and varied workload, prioritising, decision making and ensuring the achievement of targets within a fast paced and changing environment with tight deadlines
• Excellent written and spoken English,
• Ability to pay close attention to detail
• Confident and proficient user of Microsoft Office
• Experience of establishing strong working relationships with colleagues from different functions and cultures
• Experience of proactively identifying and addressing issues
• Able and willing to travel to remote and insecure locations for short periods of time and at short notice, and to attend events and meetings at weekends and outside of working hours
• An understanding of and commitment to the mission and values of Merlin

Desirable

Qualifications, experience and competences

• Experience working in non-profit sector
• Experience working with an international NGO
• Experience working with media databases

 
Data Protection
Please note, on submitting your application, you are agreeing to Merlin holding and using the information that you have given for the purposes of recruitment and employment – should an offer be made.

To apply for this position
Please download an application form from our website www.merlin.org.uk Completed form should be emailed to applications@merlin-uk.org stating in the subject field the job title, country and reference number (if any).

Closing Date: Sunday 12th July 2009

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