Media Relations Manager

At National Highways, we are proud of our purpose - to deliver a better service for road users and to support a growing economy. Millions of people rely on England's motorways and A roads every day, and we want everyone who uses and works on them to get home safe and well.

To help tell our story we need to deliver communications and engagement activity that showcases the positive impact of roads investment, and increases awareness and driver confidence about how to travel safely on our roads.

As a Media Relations Manager within our Press Office Team, you will be responsible for protecting, building and enhancing the reputation of National Highways by providing strategic media handling advice to the organisation, liaising with the media, and providing a proactive and reactive media relations service in line with the communications strategy.

You should be an experienced communicator with a strong news sense and excellent judgement.

Hybrid role, with main office Guildford - (40% office based) Some travel will also be required occasionally for team meetings or to facilitate media events within the region.

What you'll be leading on

• Delivering high quality written material, media briefings and communications activity to promote National Highways and enhance our reputation.


• Providing media handling advice, including developing and implementing communication plans to ensure that the most appropriate communication solutions and channels are being used.


• High profile and often complex issues which will require you to use your specialist expertise to achieve balanced and accurate coverage for National Highways.


• Responding to media enquiries and briefing spokespeople, maintaining effective forward planning, and delivering and managing media events/activities.


• Developing relationships with colleagues across the business and journalists, and coordinating activity with the Department for Transport and other external stakeholders.


• You will also participate in an out of hours duty rota to help ensure road users are informed about traffic conditions and to respond to media enquiries.
  
  A strategic thinker with political awareness


• Experience of working with teams across an organisation to engage with the public via the media


• Outstanding stakeholder relationship skills


• Experience in producing creative and impactful communications activity for a range of media outlets


• Experience of working with the media, and providing high quality written material