Press and PR Manager

BD25 Press and PR Manager Fixed term to 31 March 2026

Closing date: 29 September 2024

Interviews will be held on: w/c 7 October 2024

Note: We are open to discussions around job sharing or secondments.

Bradford district’s year of culture is set to deliver more than 1,000 new performances and events, a series of major arts festivals and major national and international collaborations. To do this we need a team of dedicated, passionate, and enthusiastic people. We have an exciting opportunity for an Press and PR Manager to join the team.

Working with the Head of Press & PR and external agencies, you’ll shape and deliver the Press and PR strategy to build a positive reputation and heightened profile for Bradford 2025.

You’ll devise, manage and deliver innovative press campaigns to communicate the aims and activities of the organisation to the full range of media, including print, broadcast, online and social media, regionally, nationally and internationally.

And you’ll develop and deliver strategies to communicate the impact of Bradford 2025 with the Press team including consultants, and the wider Audiences team.

Key responsibilities

• Work with the Head of Press & PR and external agencies to shape and deliver the Press and PR strategy to build a positive reputation and heightened profile for Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture (Bradford 2025).
• Devise, manage and deliver innovative press campaigns to communicate the aims and activities of the organisation to the full range of media, including print, broadcast, online and social media, regionally, nationally and internationally.
• Develop and deliver strategies to communicate the impact of Bradford 2025 with the Press team including consultants, and the wider Audiences team.
• Work with the Head of Press & PR to identify media opportunities across skills & training and partnerships programmes, and fundraising activities.
• Proactively develop and maintain relationships with a diverse range of key opinion formers, media, platforms and channels.
• Produce clear and effective press releases, background information, media schedules, briefing notes and responses to media.
• Manage and oversee photocalls, interviews, TV & Radio broadcast activity.
• Stage press launches, tours, conferences and events securing the attendance of key media.
• Actively monitor and assess developments in the media and sector and identify opportunities or threats.
• Develop close working relationships with colleagues and ensure they are equipped to act effectively as ambassadors or spokespeople for the organisation through preparation and circulation of internal PR briefings, and other regular liaison.
• Work with the digital team to develop interesting and relevant editorial and content ideas that tell the story of Bradford 2025.

Essential

• Experience and confidence in proactively managing local, national and international media profile for a large organisation.
• Demonstratable success of working with and briefing journalists to place positive stories in prominent media outlets.
• A highly collaborative approach with excellent communication skills.
• Experience of reputation management and handling crisis communications.
• Experience of staging press launches, previews, tours and events, securing the attendance of key media.
• Ability to evidence the results of PR campaigns to a broad range of stakeholders.
• Experience of managing multiple and varied projects and strong time management skills.
• Experience in live and pre-recorded TV & Radio broadcast.
• Ability to build and manage strong relationships with key stakeholders including partner organisations and funders.
• Solutions focussed with a proactive and positive outlook.
• Inquisitive, meticulous and detail orientated.
• Experience working in a busy press office.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills.

Desirable

• Experience in Digital PR.
• Experience of working on Film, Performance and/or Community focussed PR campaigns.
• Experience of working in communications in Bradford or West Yorkshire.

This role might also be called

• Media or Communications Manager, Senior Press Officer.

Benefits include:

• Up to a salary of up to £38,000 dependent upon previous experience
• 37 hours per week worked flexibly Monday to Friday, predominantly office based (City Centre location).
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Contributory pension scheme with 5% employer contribution
• High street discounts through Charity Worker Discounts
• 2x Death in Service cover Confidential Employee Assistant Helpline

We expect everyone in our team to:

• Develop an understanding of Bradford City of Culture 2025, its values, the benefits it brings to the Bradford District and to funders and sponsors.
• Create a positive working environment, underpinned by our values.
• Act as an ambassador for Bradford City of Culture 2025.
• Drive change in our industry through actions and words that advocate inclusion and equality, creating a culture that recognises and celebrates diversity and sustainability.
• Be accountable for the safety of themselves and others by working safely and in accordance with our Health & Safety and Safeguarding Policies.
• Ensure we are collecting and using data from all activities to inform decisions, demonstrate our impact and fulfil our funding conditions in line with GDPR.
• Undertake relevant training and development as required.
• Be open to the opportunities to mentor, train and develop colleagues and participants in Bradford 2025.
• Carry out any other tasks that will be required on an ad hoc or continuing basis, commensurate with the general level of responsibility of your position.

We’re committed to ensuring that everyone feels accepted and can be their true selves at Bradford 2025, and we want our team to reflect our district. We believe that diversity in our team is crucial to our success, so we welcome applications from all races, genders, religions, ages, and sexual orientation as well as from people living with disabilities. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and our ambition is to recruit and retain the best people regardless of background.

If your experience looks different from what we’ve advertised and you believe that you can bring value to the role, we’d love to hear from you. If you require any adjustments to the recruitment process, please let us know so we can help you to be at your best. This might be as simple as wanting sight of the interview questions ahead of time – whatever it is, just ask and we’ll see what we can do.

To apply for this role please send an example of a PR campaign you have produced, a copy of your CV and a covering letter of no more than two sides of A4 via the button below. Please note: Applications will only be considered that contain ALL of the above documents.

Applicants who identify as being part of the following group, and who meet the essential criteria stated in the job description will automatically be invited to interview:

Global majority (a term used to refer to the 85% of the global population who are not of White European heritage)

This is because people from this group are still currently under-represented in the arts industry in the Bradford District, and we are committed to challenging and changing this. We look forward to receiving your application.