Senior Media Relations Officer

Location: Home based or London, office based (minimum two days a week)

About the role

This is a fantastic opportunity to join the busy national press office at the Local Government Association. As a senior member of the team, you will help us generate proactive stories which set the news agenda and secure positive, high-profile, national news coverage for local government.

The LGA is in the national media every day on behalf of our members and the ideal candidate will have media relations or journalism experience. They will need excellent personal and influencing skills alongside a positive, proactive attitude.

Working in our Strategy and Policy Directorate, your main duties will include:

• Generating positive, proactive news stories and rebutting negative news stories about local government;
• Providing advice to elected members and senior staff, preparing briefings for high-profile media interviews;
• Working on policy-driven campaigns which reflect the priorities of our member councils;
• Supporting member councils by offering guidance, advice and help with communications and helping to carry out peer-reviews.

To apply

If you would like to be considered for the role, please complete the offline application form which includes a supporting statement detailing how you meet the criteria of the role and email this before the closing date.

We are specifically assessing candidates against the following criteria:

• Relevant professional or academic qualification, or able to demonstrate significant practical experience. Membership of a relevant professional body would also be beneficial.
• Significant relevant experience, gained through working successfully in a media relations or corporate communications capacity - including a proven ability to contribute positively to an effective, efficient and proactive external relations team.
• Evidence of success in significantly and positively influencing media coverage - across both sectoral and national outlets - in, ideally, the local government field or a comparable sector.
• Experience in aligning media planning to lobbying and campaigning positions across a range of public policy areas.
• A good understanding of local government issues, and the interface between local authorities, the media and the public.
• Political sensitivity, with the ability to exercise discretion, judgement and confidentiality when dealing with politicians and officers at every level, and to demonstrate political neutrality at all times.

Closing Date: 5pm, Friday 7 March 2025.

Interview Date: Friday 21 March 2025.

We use anonymous recruitment, which is the practice of hiding candidates' identities. This process involves removing any identifying information from candidates' applications which includes names.

At the LGA we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. Our recruitment decisions are based on fair, open competition, with appointment on merit.

The LGA are proud to be awarded a "Disability Confident Leader". Please contact us if you require a reasonable adjustment, which is a change to the format or conditions of the recruitment process to accommodate any disability-related needs you may have.

Our benefits

• LGA annual leave entitlement is 29 days, rising to 31 days after three years' service and to 33 days after five years' service, plus all UK public holidays (pro rata for fixed term and part time contracts).
• Flexible & agile working - office-based staff are required to work in the LGA's London office two days per week as a minimum, subject to business need and this may vary significantly between different roles and from week to week.
• Future development - face-to-face and virtual courses are scheduled in line with developmental goals.
• The LGA offers 24/7 access to a free, confidential employee assistance programme managed by Health Assured. This service is also available for Dependants.
• Family friendly policies.

For more of LGA's benefits and working with us, please view our webpage.

Our values & behaviours

Our Values and Behaviours are there to give us an understanding of who we are as an organisation and who we want to be. They are a framework to help us understand:

• how we work with each other;
• how we work with our members and stakeholders;
• our expectations for ourselves and each other.

Our values are:

Inclusive - We ensure that our work is inclusive of all voices.

Ambitious - We are ambitious for councils and their communities and are committed to striving for excellence in all that we do to support our colleagues, our membership and the sector to deliver the best possible outcomes.

Collaborative - We bring together the expertise and skills needed, working as one team.