Senior Associate

Description:

Senior Associates at di:ga deliver first-class strategic communications support to clients, taking the lead on some contracts, and collaborating on others. They also assist in the day-to-day running of the company, including planning, branding, business development and admin.

The News team leads on delivering excellent media relations service to clients that drive change. We know what makes a story and how to frame content for different publications and audiences. We work with journalists across markets, including the UK, Europe, U.S. and Africa, to secure great coverage and shape the reporting of major global issues.

This permanent, full-time role reports to the Director of News. We will also consider part-time and flexible working requests.

This is a hybrid role, with at least two days a week in our London office (currently Mondays and Wednesdays).

Person specification: You will be a super smart and tenacious media operator who knows what makes news and how to frame and pitch a story to cut through in different markets. You will have excellent journalist contacts already and be able to make new ones as needed. You will write brilliantly, be confident moving between registers, and adept at taking complex policy and data and conveying it in simple, compelling language.

You will have previous experience in a press office, at an agency, or as a journalist, and will instinctively understand how strategic media relations supports advocacy and campaigning. You will have a solid understanding of media markets and will be able to quickly get to grips with the issues we work on. You will be able to use your media training skills to support our clients better from day one. You will be flexible and up for working with colleagues across our Digital and Advocacy & Campaigns teams to design and implement integrated communications strategies that drive impact.

We have a di:ga service standard, which ensures we offer a top-quality service to our clients. This means that everyone we hire, regardless of their role or the team they sit in, must have the following essential skills:

• Excellent writing ability, including spelling and grammar.
• Strategic thinking and a focus on impact; understanding of how to use communications to drive change.
• Excellent time and project management skills – ability to stay on track of deliverables, communicate clearly and meet deadlines.
• Confidence in own judgement and able to argue a point, but tactful and diplomatic, with respect for others’ knowledge and experience.
• Creativity, tenacity and self motivation; comfortable working remotely and often alone – and good at communicating in this context.
• Professionalism, self-awareness, a willingness to learn.

Role-specific skills and attributes:

• At least 4 years’ experience of working in a press office or strategic communications role in the non-profit or public sector, or in an agency with non-profit clients.
• Good knowledge of and contacts in UK and international media, including those covering issues di:ga works on.
• A clear sense of ‘what makes news’ in different contexts / markets and how to advise clients and colleagues to plan and shape content to appeal to these news values.
• The ability to pick up and understand new content and technical policy issues quickly; to cut through complex information and see the story.
• Confident at selling in a story: happy to pick up the phone and be tenacious and creative to get a journalist’s attention.
• Understanding of how to use digital and social media and online campaigning tools.
• Self-motivated, driven, creative.
• Commitment to and experience of measuring and monitoring reach and impact of communications activities.
• Knowledge of and proven interest in human rights, conflict, development, poverty, and climate change.