Senior Communications Specialist - MRM

JOB BAND: D
CONTRACT TYPE: full-time, twelve month attachment/fixed-term contract (maternity cover) beginning 12 October 2026
IN-HOUSE TITLE: Senior Communications Specialist
DEPARTMENT: Press Office, Communications, BBC Group Corporate Affairs
LOCATION: London Broadcasting House
PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: £45,000-£52,000 depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights. The successful candidate will also receive £5,441 London Weighting Allowance.

Please note: this role requires weekend work (Saturday & Sunday 8am-2pm) every 3rd weekend.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

We are seeking a Media Relations Manager to work in the heart of the Corporate Press Office, reporting to the Senior Head of Communications, Press Office. This is a twelve-month opportunity, based in London.

You’ll take charge of a busy press desk on a rota basis with two other managers, and be responsible for generating proactive press and digital coverage and handling complex media inquiries.

In addition to working with all areas of the external communications department, you’ll work with colleagues from the wider Corporate Affairs Division and across the BBC. You will deputise for the Senior Head of Communications, on occasion.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM

No two days in the BBC's Corporate Press Office are the same. This unique and exciting role in a friendly and supportive team offers first‑hand communications experience in one of the busiest press offices in the country.

You’ll play a key role in protecting and enhancing the BBC's reputation, leading on media handling and contributing to major corporate stories and campaigns. Working closely with senior colleagues across the organisation, you'll help communicate the BBC's public service mission at an especially critical time due to the ongoing Charter review.

For those passionate about media and broadcasting, it’s a chance to contribute to the BBC’s public purpose while developing valuable experience across high‑profile communications and issues management. Alongside excellent training and mentoring, the role offers the opportunity to broaden your skills and advance your career in public relations.

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:

• You will take charge of a busy press desk on a rota basis, answering questions on all aspects of the BBC. It could be a content issue, policy decision or reputational matter. Either way, you’ll work with executives and publicity colleagues to oversee communications to the media, prepare statements and releases, brief senior management and co‑ordinate communications activity.
• You’ll have a first‑rate news sense and be full of ideas on creative ways to tell a positive story about the BBC.
• The Corporate Press Office has specific responsibility for handling the media on the BBC’s corporate areas, such as the Director‑General’s work, Charter Review, editorial policy, complaints and reviews, HR matters, and diversity and inclusion.
• It also provides a coordinating role for all the BBC’s communications from teams including TV and BBC iPlayer, Radio and BBC Sounds, News and Online.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• Excellent written and spoken communication skills
• Proactive and reactive publicity experience
• Outstanding news sense / judgement
• Experience managing people
• Experience delivering digital communications

DESIRABLE:

• Experience of handling crises and effecting responses at a high profile organisation.
• Knowledge and/or experience of the media/broadcasting environment an advantage.

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

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.

Before your start date, you may need to disclose any unspent convictions or police charges, in line with our Recruitment 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.

Redeployment

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.

Information at a Glance

This is your BBC

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.

Find out more about the BBC

Life at BBC

Here 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 pensionscheme 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.

Candidate pack

You belong

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.

Diversity, inclusion & belonging strategy

Disability confident

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

BBC Group and Public Services, Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London, United Kingdom, W1A 1AA. BBC Studios Distribution Limited, company no: 01420028, registered address: 1 Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, London, United Kingdom W12 7FA.