September 9, 2024

Whytematter

Belfast

PR Executive

Whytematter are very excited to be recruiting an experienced PR Executive for our client who are a leading company, based in Belfast. This role is hybrid, 1 day per week in their Belfast offices. As a PR Executive, you will be working as part of their Online Marketing team with more than a dozen professionals, the role provides the opportunity to support the companys press office across a series of award-winning brands.
You will use your press skills to create and secure digital content that raises awareness for these brands and supports the SEO strategy. The varied role also allows great flexibility, covering sponsorships and charity partnerships.

In this role you will be: (key responsibilities will include but are not limited to)

Supporting our NI press office with selling in stories to press, building media contacts
Forging relationships and opportunities with journalists, bloggers and key influencers
Supporting the Head of PR by drafting high quality PR content such as press releases and feature articles
Assisting with photography shoots and prop creation on occasion
Cleansing and evaluating data to find newsworthy trends and story hooks, including desk research to substantiate news stories
Proactively identifying upcoming opportunities that may require external comment or offer our brands an opportunity to generate media coverage
Monitoring and tracking media coverage across brands
Using competitor monitoring tools to analyse our competitors’ media coverage, and leveraging that information to identify press opportunities for our own brands
Helping the team organise and stage-managing promotional opportunities, occasional events, merchandising and marketing opportunities
Supporting the Head of PR on campaigns with external agencies
Helping to manage bespoke projects, sponsorships and charity partnerships
Working with the social media team and contributing to social media editorial content – drafting and managing social media copy / stories, competitions, projects, influencers
Working to deadlines and being able to multi-task across various projects simultaneously
Supporting the customer services team once a month by handling email enquiries and complete other tasks as required

Personal Specification – This opportunity is open to PR Account Executives (including graduates) or equivalent titles, who have 1-2 years placement or industry experience.
The successful candidate will have:

Excellent writing and proofreading skills, with experience in drafting press releases and briefing documents for management
Innovative and proactive in identifying and leveraging news stories, current events and statistical data for PR opportunities
Excellent skills in MS Office
Ability to self-educate where and when required
Good interpersonal and influencing skills
Articulate, ambitious, enthusiastic, responsible and thorough
Meticulously attentive to detail - getting it ‘right first time’
Self-motivated and able to use initiative and think creatively
Prioritisation and organisational skills with the ability to work under pressure
Can identify with and commit to our company values

Academics
Essential: Honours Degree in public relations, marketing, digital media, journalism, business or equivalent.
Desirable: (2:1) at degree level, 3 grades ‘B’ or above at A-Level – one of which is English, although not essential.
Essential Criteria

A minimum of 1-2 years’ industry experience in PR and media outreach, either in an agency, in-house communications team or as part of a graduate placement
Experience working closely with journalists and responding to media requests
A proven track record of writing press releases, editorials, opinion pieces, articles, blog posts and social media posts
Experience of using press releases, media requests and proactive media outreach to secure press coverage and backlinks
Excellent and demonstrable working knowledge of the most popular social media channels to support media monitoring and evaluation
Must be eligible to live and work in the UK

Desirable

Strong commercial awareness and an understanding of financial services/insurance or a regulated environment
Experience writing for fintech, insurance, banking or professional services products
Conscientious and highly independent with a desire for career progression
Experience in devising and developing PR-friendly linkable assets (e.g. surveys, interviews, statistical analyses and infographics)
Knowledge of SEO best practice and digital marketing concepts
Experience in building links using digital PR

If you are interested in this role, please click the apply button or alternatively, phone Kirsty on 07715582743.