Senior Media Relations Executive

Brief Overview

Media relations, press office and PR. No social media, no content marketing — just the good stuff!

It’s surprisingly rare to find a role where you can genuinely focus on media relations and PR, rather than juggling a bit of everything across the marketing mix. So, when this opportunity landed on our desk, we were pretty excited.

We’re working with a global B2B organisation that’s grown significantly over the last decade, yet remains privately owned and family run. The owners take real pride in the business, know their people and genuinely care about the team. They’re still involved, but thankfully, they’re not the interfering type!

They’re now looking for an experienced media relations professional to join their in-house marketing team and take a leading role in shaping how the business is represented across its industry.

One thing to flag upfront: this is a fully office-based role, so it won’t suit everyone. But if you’re looking for a business with ambition, a down-to-earth culture and people who genuinely care about what they do, it’s well worth a look.

So, what will you be doing?

Reporting to the Group Marketing Manager, you’ll take responsibility for developing and delivering media relations activity across a group of established businesses. There’s a good balance of strategic input and hands-on delivery, giving you the opportunity to influence the PR approach while getting stuck into the day-to-day work.

You’ll develop proactive and reactive media plans, manage the press office and ensure media enquiries are handled promptly and professionally. A big part of the role will involve creating compelling press releases, thought-leadership articles, technical features, case studies, business updates and award submissions, making sure the right stories reach the right audiences.

Building strong relationships with journalists, editors and trade publications will be key, as will spotting opportunities to secure quality coverage and raise the profile of the business. You’ll need to be proactive in uncovering stories from across the group, turning them into engaging PR opportunities and keeping an eye on competitor activity, media coverage and emerging issues.

There’s a reputational element to the role, too. You’ll help identify potential risks, support crisis communications when needed and work closely with colleagues across the business to ensure messaging is consistent and communications activity reflects wider business priorities.

And what about you?

You’ll already have solid experience in media relations or B2B PR, along with excellent writing skills and the confidence to deal with journalists, manage enquiries and develop communications plans. You’ll understand the trade media landscape and ideally have established relationships with relevant editors and publications.

Just as importantly, you’ll be someone who takes the initiative, spots a good story and sees it through, rather than waiting for someone else to provide the brief. You’ll be organised, reliable and comfortable working independently, while also building strong relationships with people across the business.

Experience in the construction or electrical sectors would be a bonus, as would a background in crisis communications and reputation management. A relevant degree in PR, journalism or communications would be useful, but practical experience and the ability to deliver are what really count.

Why consider it?

If you enjoy PR but are tired of roles where media relations gets squeezed between social media calendars, content plans and everything else, this could be a refreshing change.

You’ll be joining a successful international business that hasn’t lost its family-run feel, where people matter, ambition is encouraged and you can concentrate on the communications specialism you enjoy.

Interested? Get in touch with AF Selection to find out more. We’d love to tell you about it.