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Senior Press Officer AT The National Archives

Senior Press Officer

£30,917 - £45,000, depending on experience
Kew, West London

Can you lead the press team for one of the world's leading archives?
The National Archives, based at Kew in South West London, has a strong track record in raising awareness of our activities through press and media coverage. But we want to go further and are now seeking an ambitious and talented individual to lead our press team to raise our profile and share our successes with a wider audience.
About the role
As Senior Press Officer you will lead a team of four, responsible for maintaining contact with broadcasters, press and other media outlets and securing coverage for The National Archives' activities.
This includes the 'annual' releases of records from Government including records from Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Defence, MI5 and Foreign and Commonwealth Office among others. You will also take a key role in national campaigns, such as ‘Explore Your Archive’ for the archives sector and our new First World War 100 programme (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/firstworldwar).
You will lead the team to respond effectively to media enquiries and raise our profile by initiating and developing contacts in national, regional and specialist press, broadcast and online media. You will also oversee our media monitoring and advise on reputation management and organise and supervise visits by film crews. You will work closely with the rest of the Marketing and Communications department and other teams.
About you 
You combine senior media handling and planning experience with strategic and creative vision. You will be a seasoned team manager and be able to persuade and influence at a senior level, grasping complex briefs quickly and negotiating effectively with other government and cultural institutions’ press teams. Experience of government and/or cultural sector communications would be an advantage. An interest in archives and their role in government and cultural life is essential.
About us
The National Archives is the official archive for England, Wales and the UK Government, preserving over 1,000 years of history from Domesday Book to the present, with records ranging from parchment and paper scrolls through to recently created digital files and archived websites. Increasingly, these records are being put online, making them universally accessible. The National Archives is also at the heart of information policy – setting standards and supporting innovation in information and records management across the UK. You will have the chance to contribute to an organisation which values people and possibilities and behaves with integrity. We offer generous benefit package, flexi time and reciprocal free access to many of the UK’s galleries and museums and we also provide excellent learning and development opportunities, where possible.
To apply
To find out more and apply, please click the APPLY button below www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/jobs
Closing date: Friday 29th November at midnight.
Interview date: Monday 16th December 2013