Job title: PR and Communications Officer
Reporting to: Marketing & Communications Manager
Department: FareShare
Date: April 2012
FareShare is unique. We fight food poverty by tackling food waste. Last year we worked with the food industry to secure 3,600 tonnes of surplus food that otherwise would have gone to waste and we redistributed this to more than 700 charities, feeding 35,500 people per day, saving those charities more than £8 million.
Aim
In the past year, we have focused on raising our profile with the general public, as well as continuing to talk to the food industry and to charities. We want to make FareShare a household name; this means the really effective use of PR and social media to get our messages across in a cost effective manner. We rely heavily on volunteers and on charitable donations to fund our work across the whole of the UK. This role is vital in getting our message out to our network of delivery partners, our 700 charity members, the general public and the media.
Salary
£27,000 - £28,000 (including London Weighting)
Circumstances
Job based in London.
Full-time 35 hours per week.
The role may require the post holder to travel very occasionally within the UK.
The PR and Communications Officer reports to the Communications and Marketing Manager and forms one half of FareShare’s internal marketing resources.
As is common in a small charity (25 staff) this post requires someone with drive, initiative, a ‘just do it’ attitude and who is not afraid to learn on the job through giving it a go! By demonstrating this attitude and combining it with the experience level required below this is a great opportunity to make a real difference in an area of great relevance in the current tough economic climate.
Principle accountabilities
· Promote FareShare through PR channels, building relationships with journalists and securing mainstream media coverage for FareShare, including:
- Answering enquiries from the media, act as press office spokesperson
- Researching, writing and distributing press releases to targeted media
- Proactively generate positive publicity by identifying and pitching stories to journalists.
- Manage FareShare’s social media communications
· Manage relationships with a wide range of key audiences. In particular our delivery partners across the country; each department of the FareShare national team, our major supporters and trustees, journalists at national and local levels, celebrities, and our volunteers.
· Produce marketing materials (including liaising with external designers), such as reports, promotional videos, newsletters and day to day management of the website.
· Write copy for website, marketing materials and any articles as required.
· Support the Marketing Manager in developing and implementing the Marketing and Communications strategy to better promote FareShare to external stakeholders.
· Maintain a contact strategy for external stakeholders, including regular newsletters and corporate partner updates.
· Assist the Marketing Manager on media activities, carrying out impact surveys, developing case studies, key messages and other activities to enable FareShare to promote its work and impact.
· Deliver activities to meet the communications and marketing requirements of the Fundraising and Operations teams.
· Co-ordinate the sharing of FareShare’s key messages with the network of FareShare national operations.
· Design, deliver and support events as diverse as feeding 5000 people in Trafalgar Square to running a depot open day for TV crews and journalists.
· Recruit and manage volunteers to assist with communications team activity, providing regular support and direction the volunteer recruits.
· Develop and manage other appropriate activities as defined by your line manager.
Person specification
· Drive, energy and commitment combined with a willingness to try new things and learn quickly.
· Demonstrable and proven track record of using social media to achieve strategic goals.
· At least 2 years experience of harnessing PR to raise the profile of an organisation or an issue.
· Excellent communication skills with experience of co-ordinating communications processes in a national organisation
· Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience of extensive telephone liaison and copywriting
· Proven ability to develop and maintain good working relations, both within an organisation and with stakeholders
· Experience of working within marketing and with project planning, analysis, monitoring and evaluation
· A self starter with proven ability to work on own initiative, meet objectives and tight deadlines under pressure
· Demonstrate a flexibility of approach and an ability to work in a team
· Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office (word, excel and database). Knowledge of Mailchimp and Wordpress is an advantage.
· Accuracy, meticulous attention to detail and excellent proof reading skills
· Commitment to equal opportunities
· Willingness and ability to travel within the UK on an occasional basis
FareShare aims to be an equal opportunity employer
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