Location: United Kingdom - London area preferred. This role can be done remotely or hybrid at our London office. Must be legally eligible to work in the UK.
About Room to Read
We believe that World Change Starts with Educated Children.® We envision a world in which all children can pursue a quality education that prepares them to lead fulfilled lives and make positive change — in their families, communities, and the world.
Room to Read is creating a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality. We are achieving this goal by helping children in historically low-income communities develop literacy skills and a habit of reading, and by supporting girls as they build skills to succeed in school and negotiate key life decisions. We collaborate with governments and other partner organizations to deliver positive outcomes for children at scale.
Room to Read is an innovative, meaningful, fun, and rapidly growing organization. We offer versatile and interesting work with robust career growth potential. Join us for a chance to make an impact on changing the world through literacy and gender equality in education!
Position Overview
The Public Relations & Corporate Communications Associate is part of the Marketing & Communications team within the Brand Communications & Public Relations unit. This position is responsible for supporting the reputation-building and awareness-raising function of Room to Read, predominately in the regions of the UK, Europe, and the Middle East, as well as in other international markets as needed. The PR & Corporate Comm Associate will inform direction on communications and public relations strategy, including target audience and messaging, for the region in order to effectively support fundraising and awareness-raising goals.
The Public Relations & Corporate Communications Associate will be based in London, ideally, and will report to Brand Communications & Public Relations Director based in New York. This position will work closely with the Chief Development & Communications Officer; business development leadership for the UK, Europe and EMEA; in addition to other members of the Development & Communications department.
Duties & Responsibilities
Media Relations and Thought Leadership (50%):
Lead tactical efforts and contribute to strategic thinking in relationship-building with local and regional EMEA media.
Cultivate and steward relationships with journalists and press outlets across broadcast, print and online media which reach key target audiences for Room to Read.
Build media lists, identify newsworthy and innovative storylines and coverage opportunities, craft pitches, and successfully secure placements to support global messaging goals and deepen Room to Read’s brand resonance in the EMEA market.
Collaborate with communications staff in Room to Read’s countries of programmatic operations in Asia and Africa to source case studies and impact stories to support and inform press placements.
Additional responsibilities include authoring/editing press releases distributed by Room to Read and its partners; drafting Q&A responses, talking points, speeches, video scripts, and thought leadership opinion editorials for executive staff including Room to Read’s CEO and leadership team; and supporting media bookings and speaking engagements during executive leadership travel within EMEA.
Communications, Advertising and Influencer Engagement (20%):
Collaborate with program design and research, monitoring and evaluation leads to integrate program data into Room to Read’s external messaging including owned media (blog, publications, social media, digital communications, etc.) and earned media while ensuring integrity and accuracy of our impact story.
Identify pro-bono advertising opportunities within the EMEA region that allow Room to Read to broaden brand awareness.
Support relationships with pro-bono design and creative partners to develop messaging and artwork for global and regional Room to Read ads across print, broadcast and digital platforms.
Identify, pitch and secure opportunities to partner with celebrities and influencers in the EMEA region to support Room to Read’s influencer engagement strategy.
Social Media (10%):
As a member of the global social media team, contribute to content production for Room to Read’s global social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) as needed.
Act as primary manager and content producer for Room to Read’s regional EU/AF Twitter account (@RoomtoRead_EUAF), cross-promoting content from Room to Read’s global social media feeds while augmenting with additional content that is specifically curated for a UK/Europe audience.
Partnerships and Event Support (20%):
Serve as PR lead and/or team member for several key global and regional corporate and foundation partnerships providing tactical support on communications initiatives and offer recommendations for leveraging communications strategy to deepen partnership engagement.
Collaborate with UK and EU team members and the head of Events & Experiential Marketing to support the strategy and execution of fundraising, awareness raising, and media-specific events (e.g., press dinners) and the achievement of PR goals for key regional fundraising events including annual galas and virtual gatherings.
Work closely with executive and international leadership to craft talking points, speeches and scripts for live and recorded remarks at events throughout the year.
Qualifications
Minimum of 3-5 years related work experience, ideally in public relations or corporate communications.
B.A. (degrees in one of the following preferred: Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, English or Literature).
Articulate communicator with preferred experience in working with an executive team.
Excellent writing and communications skills, particularly around speeches, organizational messaging, media writing, and external communications.
Experience in public relations (in-house or agency) and media relations with proven track record of successful pitching.
Proven ability to execute tactical implementation of communication strategies.
Experience working closely with multimedia to tell a story (video, print, online, social media).
Ability to think outside the box to find the unique story and contribute to story development with few resources.
Ability to be flexible, proactive, organized, meet deadlines, and ensure accuracy.
Highly organized with excellent attention to detail and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
Prior success working closely and building relationships with diverse groups of people.
Legally eligible to work in the UK; no sponsorship provided.
