Media Assistant

Sightsavers implements projects in over 30 countries in Africa and South Asia working to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote the rights of people with disabilities. We are looking for a Media Assistant to join our UK team with regular travel required to our Head Office which is based in Haywards Heath (at least twice per month).

Salary: £25,826 per Annum

Location: UK remote – with regular travel to Haywards Heath

Contract: Permanent

Hours: This is a full-time role with some flexibility around working hours and some home working

About the role

Sightsavers has an opportunity for a tenacious, energetic, and proactive individual to support the organisation’s media activities as a Media Assistant. This is an exciting time of growth here at Sightsavers, as the organisation strives in combatting avoidable blindness and neglected tropical diseases, as well as ensuring people with disabilities are included in development.

About you

• To support the Media Team in providing media outreach for all areas of Sightsavers work and the Campaign and Communications Directorate in the delivery of the organisations’ communications plans.
• To provide excellent administrative support and media monitoring.
• An opportunity to gain professional experience and develop skills within the communications and development sector.

Main Responsibilities

Work within the Media Team and provide support of the day-to-day running of the office:

• Leading on daily news monitoring and ensuring internal stakeholders are aware of relevant news stories.
• Supporting with key administrative duties connected to media, including media reports, coverage analysis, setting up and minuting key meetings and researching key media target lists.

Supporting the three media officers to develop their media plans in support of thematic communications strategies:

• Support on reactive media relations as required. Providing journalists with information, including the production of broadcast and print materials, in response to requests from media outlets.
• Building and maintaining lists of relevant target media.
• Writing press releases, feature pieces and briefing documents.
• Pitching to media and organising media interviews.
• Lead on individual projects as appropriate, with a particular focus on in-country media outreach.

General:

• Supporting the team to uphold a good organisational reputation by setting up monitoring reports for key reputational issues, researching the profiles of key journalists and related admin.
• Building good working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

The main responsibilities are not meant to be an exhaustive list of tasks. The need for flexibility is required and the job holder is expected to carry out any other related duties that are within the employee’s skills and abilities whenever reasonably instructed.

This is a varied role, please read the full job description for further details. As an equal opportunity employer, we actively encourage applications from all sections of the community. Sightsavers is a Disability Confident Leader and qualified people living with a disability are particularly encouraged to apply.

Benefits

Sightsavers offers some fantastic benefits. Our comprehensive benefits package includes generous annual leave allowance, pension, season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme, discounted gym memberships and wellness discounts. If you choose to work in or are visiting our collaborative, modern office space, you will find it an easy 20-minute train journey from Brighton or 45 minutes from London.

We anticipate that remote interviews will take place early November and the evaluation process will include a task to be completed by shortlisted candidates in advance of your interview.