Publicist, BBC News

CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent, full-time

DEPARTMENT: External Communications (News)

LOCATION: London

PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: £32,000-£40,000 depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

Join the BBC News communications team! You’ll be working on high-profile, highly-scrutinised content which is consumed by around three quarters of UK adults each week. As Publicist, Domestic News, you’ll play a key part in publicising programmes and investigations, and managing our reputation. The successful candidate will promote the BBC’s news programmes and investigations across video, audio and online, targeting UK media to raise the profile of the BBC’s journalism and share the BBC’s key messages. The role will require a keen news sense and ability to handle reputational issues.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM

We have a fantastic, supportive and fun team, led by a great boss. You’ll get experience in issue handling and reputation management, as well as proactively publicising the best news content the BBC has to offer. The domestic and international teams work closely and flexibly, which might mean opportunities for overseas travel.

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:

• Manage domestic publicity for BBC News UK output.
• Work with editorial teams on a range of content from podcasts, to TV and radio documentaries and digital programming.
• Liaise with senior stakeholders and handle potential reputational issues.
• Collaborate on pan-BBC News initiatives and projects with other publicists.
• The role sometimes involves travel to manage publicity on the ground for high profile launches and/or events as well as meeting key stakeholders and media.
• This role requires being part of a rota to work on call over some weekends so the successful candidate will need to be prepared to work flexibly when required.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• A track record of creating and delivering successful publicity campaigns.
• Experience of crafting press releases, pitching feature ideas, understanding TV and podcast promotion, working with external journalists, and creating social media content.
• An understanding of the reputational issues and challenges facing BBC News and the news industry in general.
• Experience of managing reputational issues and good judgment when dealing with crisis communications.
• Experience of stakeholder management and the ability to brief people on relevant communication issues.

DESIRABLE:

• A keen interest in news and current affairs.
• Experience in organising events.
• A good understanding of social media and digital communications as well as experience of coming up with ideas for creating digital content.

If you can bring some of these skills and experience, along with transferable strengths, we’d love to hear from you and encourage you to apply.

Before your start date, you may need to disclose any unspent convictions or police charges, in line with our Contracts of Employment policy. This allows us to discuss any support you may need and assess any risks. Failure to disclose may result in the withdrawal of your offer.

Disclaimer

This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.

Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct Employment screening checks which include Reference checks; Eligibility to work checks; and if applicable to the role, Safeguarding and Adverse media/Social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory.

The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC and they will be given priority consideration ahead of other applicants. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk.

At the BBC you can create and innovate in an inclusive environment while contributing to some of the world’s best loved content, and the BBC’s mission to inform, educate and entertain.

You will benefit from:

• Fair pay and flexible benefits including a competitive salary package, a flexible 35-hour working week, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy an extra 5 days, a defined pension scheme and discounted dental, health care and gym.
• Excellent career and professional development.
• Support in your working life, including flexible working which you can discuss with us at any point during the application, selection or offer.
• A values-based organisation where the way we do things is important as what we do.

Benefits may vary if you are joining on an FTC basis or on an orchestra conditions contract. Learn more about life at the BBC and our values in our candidate pack.

We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual's unique contribution, so all our employees feel that they can belong, thrive and achieve their full potential. We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to join us. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity.

We welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. Find out more about diversity, inclusion and belonging in our strategy below.

We are a disability confident employer. If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the interview process, or to carry out this role, please contact us via email and we’d be happy to discuss: reasonable.adjustments@bbc.co.uk