Reports to: Communications Manager

Hours: 37.5 hours

Contract: Permanent

Annual Leave: Starting on 25 days’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays

About the Role:

The Senior Press Officer will take the lead on SAS’s press relations, shaping and delivering the charity’s messaging while cultivating strong relationships with the media. You will be a key member of the Communications team, a core function within the charity. This five-person team is tasked with upholding and enhancing the SAS brand, managing communication channels, overseeing content creation, and providing crossorganisational communication support.

While your primary focus will be on press relations, working closely with the Campaigns & Policy team, you will also contribute to the broader scope of SAS’s communications output. With SAS’s key campaign issues, such as sewage and plastic pollution, dominating the political agenda, this role offers a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious press officer who understands the power of media engagement in driving impact. You will have the chance to build on the charity’s strong foundations in this area and contribute to lasting change for the UK’s rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans.

What You’ll be Doing:

In this role you’ll:

• Stay abreast of relevant news, with a deep understanding of SAS’s positions and the broader context

• Develop and refine quotes for the media, ensuring our messaging resonates with SAS’s unique voice

• Prepare clear media briefings for SAS spokespeople

• Serve as the first point of contact for inbound media inquiries, via both phone and email, managing and triaging these across teams

• Build and nurture relationships with journalists and media outlets, positioning SAS as the ‘go-to’ organisation for media on the issues we address

• Support cross-organisational efforts in proactive media outreach, including crafting press releases and curating distribution lists

• Maintain and enhance SAS’s media monitoring and distribution tools

• Monitor and evaluate the success of all SAS PR activities, providing comprehensive reports across teams

• Work collaboratively and flexibly with colleagues in the communications team to effectively fulfil the team’s objectives

• Act as a brand guardian

• Respond to ad-hoc requests and undertake any other duties within the scope, spirit, and purpose of the role