Media Officer

Job Title:            Media Officer

Responsible to: Parliamentary Media Manager

Salary:                £28,000-£30,000

Hours:                 Full Time

Tenure:               Permanent

Location:            Westminster, London

Job Specification: 

This is an opportunity to join the Liberal Democrat media team following the party’s successful General Election campaign which saw a record 72 Liberal Democrat MPs elected.

The Media Officer will report to the Parliamentary Media Manager, with a focus on using the party’s position in Parliament to secure positive coverage across print, broadcast and online media. The role will also involve supporting MPs, peers and their offices to generate media coverage promoting their work in Parliament to constituents and beyond, and to use the tools at their disposal to generate proactive stories. 

 The candidate will be an enthusiastic, ambitious and highly organised individual looking for a chance to shape mainstream politics, work in an exciting and fast-paced communications environment and build a network of contacts with leading journalists across the national media.  

Your background could be in journalism, public relations, or any other role with relevant political or  communications experience. You will be a self-starter with a strong interest in the news and current  affairs, be motivated by building and pitching news stories and have the ability to build effective  relationships with journalists and colleagues. You will also have strong written and verbal  communications skills, be able to rapidly grasp complex issues and manage multiple long and short-term tasks. 

The ideal candidate will be someone who sympathises with the aims and values of the Liberal  Democrats. You will  preferably have a good understanding of UK politics and the opportunities and challenges facing the Liberal  Democrats following the General Election result, and how the party can use its larger presence in Parliament to secure more positive media coverage.

Key Responsibilities:

Generate and pitch stories to secure positive media coverage promoting the party’s work in Parliament

• Support MPs and their offices, as well as peers, in using Parliament to generate local media coverage
• Spot opportunities for using Parliament to generate media coverage by planning ahead and regularly updating the communications grid. 
• Build effective relationships with a wide range of journalists in print and online media
• Participate in the media team’s out-of-hours duty system, and contribute to the  organisation’s wider goals where required. 

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

To apply please send the below to recruitment@libdems.org.uk: 

1. A copy of your CV, including complete work history;

2. A covering letter, no more than 2 pages of A4 in length, indicating clearly how your experience and skills meet the criteria stated in the job, key responsibilities, and person specification (please put your name on the top of the letter); and

3. A completed diversity monitoring form (linked).

Please note:

• We will not be able to employ you if you are not eligible to work in the UK;

• Applicants are encouraged to inform us if any reasonable adjustments are needed to be made during any part of the recruitment process;

• Please give us two referees including one from your current employer - if you would prefer us not to contact them until a later stage of the process, please let us know;

The Liberal Democrats are equal opportunity employers and particularly welcome applications from groups who are currently under-represented in our staff.

The Liberal Democrats are committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of all our staff. That’s why we’ve taken the Time to Change Employer Pledge. We encourage applications from persons with experience of mental health and are committed to supporting our employees to fulfil their potential and perform at their best in work.