Media Relations ManagerSalary: £45,100 – £60,400 per annumLocation: Cambridge, UK – Hybrid (40–60% office based)Contract: PermanentHours: Full time, 35 hours per week
Are you a skilled media relations professional with a strong news sense and a passion for shaping impactful stories?
We are Cambridge University Press & Assessment, a world-leading academic publisher and assessment organisation and a proud part of the University of Cambridge.
This is an exciting opportunity to join our External Communications and Brand team and play a key role in raising our global profile. You will help shape how we tell our story, securing high-quality media coverage and supporting our mission to improve education worldwide.
About the role
As an experienced media relations professional, you will develop and deliver strategies that enhance and protect Cambridge’s global reputation and support our organisational priorities.
You will lead the creation and delivery of compelling, media‑ready stories on key education topics, driving proactive coverage across national and international outlets. You will also manage reactive communications and contribute to critical incident response, ensuring messaging is clear, timely and consistent.
You will build strong relationships with journalists and editors, maintain effective media monitoring and contact systems, and advise and train senior colleagues to engage confidently with the media.
Additional responsibilities and accountabilities include:
- Build and manage relationships with key journalists and media outlets to secure high-quality coverage.
- Draft and oversee press releases, statements and key messaging to ensure consistency and accuracy.
- Lead media enquiry handling and partner with senior communications leadership on crisis communications and critical incident management.
- Deliver media training and provide advice to senior stakeholders on effective media engagement.
- Monitor media coverage and provide insight and reporting to inform communications activity.
This position is classified as a hybrid role, requiring the selected candidate to typically spend 40‑60% of their time collaborating and connecting face‑to‑face at a dedicated location. Flexible working arrangements and adjustments for disability or long‑term health conditions are considered from the first day of employment.
About You
You will be an experienced media relations professional with strong knowledge of generating positive coverage and managing reputational risk in a complex organisation. You will bring excellent writing skills, a strong news sense, and the ability to respond quickly and effectively to both proactive opportunities and reactive issues.
You will demonstrate experience of delivering media outcomes, building effective relationships with journalists, and advising senior stakeholders. You will also be highly organised, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet tight deadlines.
Desirable criteria
- Experience working in education.
- Knowledge of UK and/or international media landscapes.
- Experience delivering media training or supporting spokesperson development.
- Understanding of legal and regulatory considerations in media relations.
Rewards and benefits
We will support you to be at your best in work and to live well outside of it. In addition to competitive salaries, we offer a world‑class, flexible rewards package with family‑friendly and planet‑friendly benefits including:
- 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
- Private medical and permanent health insurance.
- Discretionary annual bonus.
- Group personal pension scheme.
- Life assurance up to 4 × annual salary.
- Green travel schemes.
Equal Opportunities & Disability Confidence
We are a Disability Confident employer committed to equality and inclusion, ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to all. The DC scheme’s Offer of an Interview commitment applies to applicants who opt‑in, disclose a disability or long‑term health condition, and best meet the minimum criteria for the role. If interviewing all qualifying candidates is not practical and/or appropriate, we prioritise those who best meet the minimum criteria, as we would for applicants who do not have a disability or long‑term health condition.
Cambridge University Press & Assessment is an approved UK employer for the sponsorship of eligible roles and applicants under the Skilled Worker visa route.
We are committed to an equitable recruitment process. Applications must be submitted via our official online application procedure. If you experience technical difficulties or require additional support with submitting your online application, contact the recruiter.
Successful applicants will be subject to satisfactory background checks including DBS due to working in a regulated industry.
#J-18808-Ljbffr…