Communications Officer - Commercial and Partnerships

Purpose of the role

Got a nose for a good story? From major corporate partnerships and fundraising campaigns to new visitor experiences and products, there’s no shortage of stories to tell at ZSL.

As Commercial and Partnerships Communications Officer, you’ll help bring these stories to life, raising the profile of the commercial, fundraising and partnership activity that helps power ZSL’s conservation work. Working with colleagues across PR, commercial and fundraising teams, you’ll turn ideas, opportunities and moments in the news into compelling stories that build awareness, strengthen reputation and inspire support.

Your work will span pitching stories to journalists, writing press releases, responding to media enquiries and coordinating interviews, filming, photoshoots and media visits. You’ll also help deliver PR campaigns and find creative ways to showcase the impact of corporate partnerships, supporter funding, retail, brand licensing, events and visitor experiences.

With both London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo at the heart of ZSL’s work, regular time on-site is essential to uncovering stories and connecting with the people behind them. You’ll need to work from either zoo four days per week, putting you close to the activity, people and opportunities that bring ZSL’s conservation mission to life.

Interviews are scheduled to take place week commencing 9th November 2026.

Key responsibilities

• Delivery of communications: Supporting the plans for commercial, fundraising and partnership activity, helping ensure activity is planned, coordinated and aligned to organisational priorities and timeframes.
• Develop engaging stories:Highlighting partnership impact, philanthropic support, fundraising successes, retail initiatives, visitor experiences and commercial activity that contributes to ZSL's conservation mission.
• Proactive media and content activity:Including drafting press releases, media pitches, briefing materials, web content and other communications assets; supporting earned media opportunities; and helping to amplify stories across owned, shared and partner channels.
• Coordinate media and stakeholder relations:Including media visits, interviews, filming, photography, launches, events and spokesperson briefings, while supporting the identification of opportunities to raise awareness of ZSL, its work and its impact.
• Protect and strengthen ZSL’s reputation: Monitor media coverage and external developments, supporting reactive communications activity, maintaining planning and reporting tools, and evaluating communications performance to inform future activity and continuous improvement.

About You

• Experience in communications, PR, media relations, journalism, marketing communications or external affairs activity.
• Confidence in drafting clear and engaging written content for external audiences, such as press releases, articles, web copy, briefings or campaign materials.
• Creates compelling content and stories that engage audiences and attract media interest.
• Understands what makes something newsworthy and can identify opportunities to raise awareness of ZSL's work.
• Highly organised, able to manage multiple projects, stakeholders and deadlines.
• Ability to understand complex or specialist information and turn it into accessible content for public audiences.
• Proactive, adaptable and collaborative, with the confidence to take ideas from concept through to delivery and build relationships across the organisation.

This role is subject to standard pre-employment checks, including confirmation of your right to work in the UK. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

ZSL recognises that conservation is one of the least diverse sectors, and we actively encourage applications from candidates who identify as part of underrepresented communities. We are committed to building a supportive and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive and celebrate the value of having a team of employees with diverse skills, experiences, and heritage.

About Us

We’re ZSL, an international conservation charity. Through our unrivalled animal experts in our two zoos (London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo), the work of our pioneering scientists, our dedicated conservationists, our purpose is to inspire, inform and empower people to stop wild animals going extinct. Our vision is a world where wildlife thrives and we’re working every day to achieve this. From investigating the health threats facing animals, to helping people and wildlife live alongside each other, we are committed to bringing wildlife back from the brink of extinction.

What We Offer?

• Alongside the opportunity to do purpose-driven work that helps create a world where wildlife thrives, you'll enjoy a range of benefits, including:
• Up to 12% contributory pension
• Flexible working options
• 25 days' annual leave plus UK bank holidays, increasing with service
• Enhanced family-friendly policies
• Life assurance from day one (for eligible employees)
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme and wellbeing support
• Access to our staff Equality Networks
• Complimentary London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo tickets, plus retail discounts
• Cycle2Work scheme and interest-free season ticket loans (for eligible London-based employees)

You can find the full details of our benefits in the attached Benefits Guide.

We may close this role early or extend the closing date due to the number of applications we receive, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

We anonymise applications until interview stage to ensure a fair hiring process. It’s important to highlight your unique skills, experience, and knowledge. Over reliance on AI-generated content may miss key criteria outlined in the job description and reduce the effectiveness of your application.

If you have any questions about this role, we’d love to hear from you! Please get in touch with our recruitment team at – recruitment@zsl.org

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