Publicist

Job Purpose

We have a vacancy for a Publicist within the Communications team, working on Factual content.

This is a fantastic role for a creative and enthusiastic comms professional with a passion for TV. You’ll be working in the communications team that oversees press and publicity for world-class science, documentary, history, religion, factual entertainment and documentary content such as Race Across the World, Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland, Amanda and Alan’s Spanish Job, Hamza’s Wild Isles, I Kissed a Girl and many more.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

As a Publicist in the Factual content team you will:

•    Lead and take full responsibility for leading on high impact communications campaigns for a range of BBC Factual content.

•    Generate innovative ways of increasing favourable media coverage and raising the profile of BBC content and talent.

•    Anticipate and manage issues with a potentially negative impact and handle reactive issues as required.

•    Write clear, concise and engaging media information for shows, including press releases, press packs and lines against enquiries.

•    Manage relationships with high profile talent and real-life contributors, some of whom will be appearing on screen for the first time.

•    Manage relationships with senior stakeholders, internally and externally, as well as talent and their reps.

•    Maintain a network of contacts with the national and local media, across print, broadcast and online outlets.

•    Co-ordinate and oversee interviews/press conferences/screenings/launches and briefings.

•    Actively explore and identify new and interesting avenues for communicating effectively and imaginatively with audiences, wherever they are.

•    Collaborate effectively with other BBC teams and work with external partners to deliver campaigns via non-traditional means

Knowledge, Skills, Training & Experience

We are looking for someone who loves TV and has a passion for Factual content, with an established track record of working on and delivering high profile and impactful publicity campaigns.

You will have experience of being able to establish and maintain credible and effective working relationships with a wide range of high profile talent, agents, journalists, stakeholders, partners and editorial staff as well as first-class organisational and planning skills with experience managing multiple campaigns, organising and delivering events, crisis management and issue handling.

Excellent creativity and the ability to think differently with a hunger to constantly try new ideas and approaches is required as well as an understanding of digital communications and great ideas for how we can reach new audiences.

If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you!

Package Description

Band:           C

Contract type:    Permanent

Location:        London based role with hybrid working

Salary:          £32k - £40k  inclusive of London Weighting

We’re happy to discuss flexible working. Please indicate your choice under the flexible working question in the application. There is no obligation to raise this at the application stage but if you wish to do so, you are welcome to. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.

Excellent career progression – the BBC offers great opportunities for employees to seek new challenges and work in different areas of the organisation.

Unrivalled training and development opportunities – our in-house Academy hosts a wide range of internal and external courses and certification.

Benefits - We offer a negotiable salary package, a flexible 35-hour working week for work-life balance and 25 days annual leave with the option to buy an extra 5 days, a defined pension scheme and discounted dental, health care and gym. You can find out more about working at the BBC by selecting this link to our candidate pack.

If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the interview process please contact the [email protected].  For any general queries, please contact: [email protected].

About the BBC

The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC for different reasons and they will be given priority consideration ahead of other applicants. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk.

We don’t focus simply on what we do – we also care how we do it. Our values and the way we behave are important to us. Please make sure you’ve read about our values and behaviours here.

Diversity matters at the BBC. We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual's unique contribution, enabling all of our employees to thrive and achieve their full potential.

We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to be part of the BBC – whether that’s to contribute to our programming or our wide range of non-production roles. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity.

We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. We will consider flexible working requests for all roles, unless operational requirements prevent otherwise.

To find out more about Diversity and Inclusion at the BBC, please click here.