Blue Cross UK
Media Officer - part time, 6 month FTC
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Application Deadline: 12 July 2026 Department: Fundraising, Comms & Engagement Location: Burford Compensation: £26,000 - £33,000 / year
Description
Contract: Part time, 6 month FTC (14 hours per week, Wednesday and Thursday) Salary: £34,122 – £36,000 per annum plus £3,954 London Weighting Allowance if based in London (pro rata) Location: Burford, Manchester or London Closing date: Sunday 12 July 2026 Interview date: 23 & 24 July 2026
Do you have a passion for storytelling, a strong news sense and the drive to secure impactful media coverage? If so, this could be the role for you!
We’re looking for a Media Officer to join our Communications team, where you will play a key role in raising the profile of Blue Cross as a leading UK national pet charity. This is an exciting opportunity to deliver meaningful media coverage, enhance brand awareness, and communicate the breadth of our work to a wide audience.
This is a single role that can be based at either our Burford, Radcliffe or London site, with hybrid working in place.
More about the role
Working with the Head of Media, you will support forward planning and delivery of the media strategy, identifying compelling stories and responding to the news agenda. You will work across the organisation to uncover stories, support colleagues with media best practice, and ensure PR activity is creative, timely and impactful.
You will also help protect the charity’s reputation, responding to media enquiries and ensuring consistent messaging across channels, integrating activity across PR, digital and social media.
What you will be doing
- Supporting forward planning and delivery of the media strategy
- Spotting and developing internal and external news stories
- Responding proactively to breaking news and pet welfare issues
- Managing media enquiries effectively and to deadline
- Championing Blue Cross brand purpose across PR activity
- Building and maintaining strong relationships with journalists
- Working with colleagues across the organisation, including senior leaders, volunteers and supporters, to maximise story reach
- Liaising with rehoming centres, veterinary teams, shops, fundraising and education teams to identify stories and share best practice
- Organising press visits, media events and filming
- Participating in the out of hours media rota
- Representing Blue Cross within sector media groups
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About you
You will be a confident and proactive media professional who is comfortable working independently and advising colleagues on PR best practice. You will have strong organisational skills and be able to manage multiple priorities, remaining calm under pressure and adapting to changing deadlines.
With a creative and results driven approach, you will understand how PR activity integrates with digital and wider marketing channels. You will be a strong communicator, able to build effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders and act as an ambassador for the media function.
You will also be a supportive team player, contributing positively to shared goals and helping others to deliver high quality outcomes.
Essential Qualifications, Skills, and Experience
- Experience in a media relations, PR agency or journalism role
- Proven ability to spot and respond to breaking news opportunities and develop national stories
- Experience contributing to creative PR campaigns
- Excellent writing and communication skills
- Strong relationship building skills with internal and external stakeholders
- Experience managing photo calls and directing filming activity
- Experience briefing and supporting media spokespeople
- Experience using celebrity engagement to secure media coverage
- Experience integrating social media and digital opportunities into PR activity
- Ability to demonstrate understanding and application of Blue Cross values
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Desirable Qualifications, Skills, and Experience
- Experience of reputation management
- Experience managing external agencies
- Experience working in the charity sector
- Knowledge of animal welfare issues and the wider sector
How to apply
To apply for this role, please submit your application through our careers site and answer the application questions, demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a high volume of applications.
Blue Cross benefits
Our people are the most important part of delivering our purpose. If it were not for their amazing efforts and commitment, we would not be able to make the difference that we do today.
In return, Blue Cross wants to ensure we provide you with the best working environment we can. We want you to be happy working for us and will do everything we can to make sure you are.
Our generous benefits package includes:
- Full time equivalent of 38 days holiday rising to 43 with service (including Bank Holidays)
- Programmes for physical and mental wellbeing support
- Free access to GP via MetLife- 24/7 GP services, private prescriptions and more for you and your family
- Health cash plan
- Unlimited access to an employee assistance programme
- Pension scheme with enhanced employer contribution
- Professional fees paid with Continuing Professional Development and personal development support.
- Life assurance
- 20% discount on Pet Plan pet insurance
- Enhanced family friendly policies
- Recognition scheme
- Annual volunteer days
- Charity worker discounts across a variety of retailers
To read more about the benefits Blue Cross has to offer, please visit the 'why work for us' page on our website.
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