We are recruiting for a Group Media Officer

About Nesta

We are Nesta, the UK’s innovation agency for social good. We design, test and scale solutions to society’s biggest problems. Our three missions are to give every child a fair start, help people live healthy lives, and create a sustainable future where the economy works for both people and the planet.

For over 20 years, we have worked to support, encourage and inspire innovation. We work in three roles: as an innovation partner working with frontline organisations to design and test new solutions, as a venture builder supporting new and early stage businesses, and as a system shaper creating the conditions for innovation.

Harnessing the rigour of science and the creativity of design, we work relentlessly to change millions of lives for the better. Find out more at nesta.org.uk.

About The Behavioural Insights Team

The Behavioural Insights Team is the world leader in applying behavioural science to public policy challenges in order to strengthen communities and improve lives.

We design and rigorously test new ideas across a range of areas such as health, crime and education, to establish what works and what doesn’t. We have helped Tuberculosis patients take their medicine; reduced police susceptibility to cyberattacks; and helped organisations close their gender pay gap.

Summary

This role will help build the profile of Nesta and BIT in the media, across news, features, comment and podcasts, and among relevant policy and specialist influencers. You will support our researchers to develop media-facing material based on new research. To help you deepen your understanding of our work, around half of your time will be spent focusing on early years, health or sustainability/decarbonisation; our three mission domains at Nesta. The other half of your time will be spent working across the Nesta Group, with a particular focus on BIT, on a mix of proactive and reactive media.

The role

• Develop with minimal supervision a wide range of media-facing material including press releases, media plans, Q&A documents and other supporting content for launches, publications and reactive news opportunities
• Act as the media lead on designated projects across the Group, advising and shaping outputs to help ensure the best chance of high-value coverage in the national and specialist media
• Balance and develop the need to work over the medium term on major projects with more speculative and time bound opportunities to insert Nesta and BIT into public debates through the media
• Work closely with colleagues (sometimes leading) on social media for project launches, reactive opportunities, and profile building for senior Nesta researchers
• Support the Media Lead on engagement with colleagues across the group, including media training, practice sessions and regular updates

The person

• Professional media relations experience (essential): You will have proven experience of working in a busy press office, at least 80% on media. A creative thinker and experienced writer and editor, you will have experience of working on a variety of stories. You have a solid understanding of how the media environment works, how it's changing and what that demands from organisations like Nesta and BIT.
• Excellent writing skills (essential): You will be a superb writer, capable of adapting your style across different channels to reach audiences in the most effective way. The ability to work quickly and flexibly in the role is important. You will be as comfortable advising on a longer-term strategic project as you will turning around flawless copy on a breaking news story.
• Project delivery skills (essential): You will have proven experience of delivering high-impact communications campaigns from conception to delivery and evaluation. You can proactively plan and deliver work, and identify and act on risks and find solutions.
• Strong interpersonal and networking skills (essential): You will have experience of applying these effectively to collaborate well with colleagues, build stakeholder relationships and develop partnerships.
• Knowledge of at least one of our missions (desirable): You will ideally have knowledge of one of our missions: early years, health, sustainability and decarbonisation
• Knowledge of political systems and government in the UK (desirable): You will have knowledge and understanding of how policy is made and developed, and of the wider political system, including central government and Parliament, ideally gained in a professional context. Experience of working in a policy environment would be a real advantage.

As with all members of the Nesta Group communications team, the postholder will also be at their best working in a collaborative, fast-paced environment, have a flexible approach and an appetite for taking on new tasks and challenges. They will also have excellent written and verbal communication skills and a proven ability to write for a range of different audiences.

What we offer

Salary: Circa £43k - plus array of benefits, including private medical insurance, dental insurance, the ability to buy and sell annual leave, eyecare vouchers and more

Location: This role is based in London, Blackfriars, hybrid working arrangement with a minimum of two days in the office

Term: Permanent

Hours: This is a full-time role but we offer a range of flexible working arrangements and encourage our people to take advantage of them. Many do.

How to apply

To apply, please submit:

• A CV; and
• A cover letter outlining why you are interested in this role and a summary of why you think you would be a good fit, in line with the job description (max 1 page).

The closing date for applications is at 08.00am on 22 April 2025.

At Nesta, we believe that a diverse workforce leads to an organisation that is more innovative, more creative and gets better results.

We want our workforce to represent the diversity of the people and communities we serve. We also want our workplace to be one where different experiences, expertise and perspectives are valued, and where everyone is encouraged to grow and develop.

This means that when we are recruiting, we actively seek to reach a diverse pool of candidates. It also means that we are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that potential employees may need to in order to be successful.

We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life, so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including working from home, compressed or part-time hours, job shares and other arrangements.

Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore.