PR and Communications Manager

About Champions (UK) plc

Champions (UK) plc is an award-winning, family-run brand agency offering a full-service solution across strategy, digital, creative, and communications.

With a growing and diverse client portfolio spanning multiple sectors, we are proud to deliver impactful campaigns that drive results.

Our traditional values, entrepreneurial spirit and focus on excellence continue to fuel our growth.

We are now looking to recruit an experienced and driven PR and Communications Manager.

The Role

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced PR and Communications professional to deliver strategic communications activity across a portfolio of clients.

As PR and Communications Manager, you'll be responsible for developing and implementing integrated communications strategies that secure outstanding media coverage, enhance brand reputation, and support broader marketing objectives. This is a hands-on role that blends creativity with strategic thinking, stakeholder management and client management.

You'll work closely with our Head of Communications, clients, journalists and in-house teams across digital, creative and communications to deliver multi-channel campaigns that make an impact.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Campaign Development

• Develop and deliver integrated PR and communications strategies aligned to client goals.
• Plan and execute PR campaigns with clear KPIs and evaluation metrics.
• Oversee end-to-end campaign delivery, including ideation, scheduling, activation and reporting.
• Evaluate campaign performance and optimise activity based on results.

Media Relations & Press Activity

• Build and maintain strong relationships with all types of journalists.
• Lead on proactive media outreach, press release distribution and media sell-ins.
• Manage press office function including handling inbound media enquiries and interview requests.
• Secure high-quality media placements across print, digital and broadcast platforms.

Content Creation

• Write and edit a wide range of content including press releases, opinion pieces, case studies, blogs, speeches, newsletters, features, social media copy, whitepapers and award entries.
• Prepare content for use across online and offline channels including websites, presentations and brochures.

Results Focus

• Ability to deliver results against client KPI's and pivot when required.
• Thorough grounding in results monitoring, evaluation and reporting.

Client Management

• Act as a senior point of contact for clients, providing clear guidance, regular updates and strategic insight.
• Present ideas, campaign plans and results in a confident and compelling manner.
• Support new business development by contributing to proposals and client presentations.

Reputation & Issues Management

• Act as brand guardian and manage reputational risks for all clients.
• Relevant crisis communications support, including media relations and client briefings.

Team Leadership

• Provide direction, coaching and support to junior team members.
• Allocate workloads, review outputs and ensure high standards are consistently maintained.

Events & Partnerships

• Coordinate and deliver press events, photoshoots, launches and stakeholder briefings.
• Identify and evaluate sponsorship, advertising and partnership opportunities.

Experience & Skills

Essential

• A minimum of 4 years' experience in public relations, communications or journalism
• You will have excellent news sense, able to come up with newsworthy angles and build a story that communicates our clients' key messages and objectives
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills- strong copywriting, editing and storytelling skills
• A broad understanding and experience of PR strategy building, social media and PR, pitching, influencing and negotiation skills. Linked to this a strong understanding of digital and social integration within PR campaigns
• Excellent knowledge of the UK media landscape and solid journalist contacts
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment with strong organisational skills. Able to spot opportunities and prioritise multiple tasks to deliver results against strategic objectives
• Confident client handling skills and a proven ability to build trusted relationships
• Familiarity with PR tools such as Muckrack, Meltwater, Roxhill, Cision or similar.
• Proactive, reliable, responsible and accurate with great attention to detail
• Ability to remain calm under pressure, manage sensitive information with discretion and handle crisis situations effectively
• A minimum of 4 years' experience in public relations, communications or journalism
• A PR, Journalism or Communications degree or equivalent qualifications
• You will have excellent news sense, able to come up with newsworthy angles and build a story that communicates our clients' key messages and objectives
• Line management experience and a track record in mentoring junior colleagues
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills- strong copywriting, editing and storytelling skills
• Event management experience- both in person and online events
• A broad understanding and experience of PR strategy building, social media and PR, pitching, influencing and negotiation skills. Linked to this a strong understanding of digital and social integration within PR campaigns
• Experience with social media campaign creation, scheduling and analytics platforms
• Excellent knowledge of the UK media landscape and solid journalist contacts
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment with strong organisational skills. Able to spot opportunities and prioritise multiple tasks to deliver results against strategic objectives
• Confident client handling skills and a proven ability to build trusted relationships
• Familiarity with PR tools such as Muckrack, Meltwater, Roxhill, Cision or similar.
• Proactive, reliable, responsible and accurate with great attention to detail
• Ability to remain calm under pressure, manage sensitive information with discretion and handle crisis situations effectively

Desirable

• A PR, Journalism or Communications degree or equivalent qualifications
• Line management experience and a track record in mentoring junior colleagues
• Event management experience- both in person and online events
• Experience with social media campaign creation, scheduling and analytics platforms

What We Offer

• Contributory pension scheme
• Access to the My SmartE app with a range of employee benefits
• Discretionary Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice scheme
• On-site gym facilities for all employees
• A countryside location with great local walks
• New starter goodie bag to welcome you to the team
• Departmental socials for team building and networking

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Free parking
• On-site gym
• On-site parking

Work Location: In person