External Communications Executive

About the role

Requirements

• PR and media relations
• - Draft press releases, media pitches, statements, Q&As and briefing notes
• - Build relationships with journalists across corporate, property, higher-education, investment and consumer titles
• - Handle routine media enquiries and coordinate interviews and spokesperson requests
• - Prepare spokesperson briefing packs, researching journalists, outlets and topics
• Insight and listening
• - Monitor media coverage, social conversation and trends for the Group on key issues, including on platforms where students are active
• - Track policy and sector news to help shape our communications plans
• Website and GEO
• - Keep the corporate website(s) up to date, accurate and on brand using the CMS
• - Publish news, case studies and campaign content, applying SEO, GEO and accessibility best practice
• - Track how Dot and its brands appear in AI-powered search and answer tools, and flag inaccuracies
• Social media and content
• - Plan and manage the social media calendar across channels
• - Write, edit and publish content including articles, blogs, newsletters and posts
• - Create and edit short-form video and visual content, and brief designers or videographers where needed
• - Use generative AI tools responsibly to work efficiently, in line with Group policy
• Events
• - Coordinate logistics and communications for conferences, awards entries and owned events
• - Prepare speaker materials and capture content for use across channels
• Risk Awareness
• - Follow approval processes and brand guidelines for all external content
• - Spot and escalate emerging reputational risks quickly, in the media or on social platforms
• - Support issues and crisis responses, including monitoring, logging and drafting holding statements, and join the out-of-hours rota when required
• Reporting
• - Compile regular reports on coverage, website and social performance, highlighting what's working and what to change
• - Maintain media, content, events and stakeholder trackers
• Experience and Knowledge
• Essential
• - Up to 5 years in communications, PR, marketing or journalism (ambitious graduates with relevant internships welcome)
• - Excellent writing skills, with strong attention to detail and accuracy
• - Confident using social media professionally and creating engaging content
• - Comfortable working with data and explaining what it shows
• - Willingness to work flexibly, including out-of-hours support when issues arise
• Desirable
• - Exposure to corporate / B2B media in real estate, financial services, or hospitality and leisure
• - Experience of B2C communications in an operational, customer-facing business
• - Video skills: filming, editing and producing content for social
• - Experience with communications platforms, including media databases, listening and analytics tools
• - Understanding of SEO, GEO or AI search
• - Interest in international markets; additional languages a plus
• Personal Attributes & Competencies
• - Organised, able to manage multiple projects and deadlines
• - Good judgement and awareness of reputational risk
• - Curious and insight-minded: notices what matters and asks 'so what?'
• - Collaborative, working well across brands, teams and time zones
• - Proactive and keen to learn
• What success looks like in year one
• - Website and social channels consistently up to date, accurate and on brand
• - Regular listening and insight summaries that the team acts on
• - A growing network of journalist contacts and regular secured coverage
• - AI search visibility tracked monthly, with inaccuracies flagged and corrected
• - Regular performance reports delivered on time
• - Trusted to draft external materials needing minimal edits
• - A reliable contributor during issues, handling routine enquiries with confidence
• Explore all opportunities across the Dot Group at https://careers.thedotgroup.com

Responsibilities

Skills

• Press releases
• Media pitches
• Spokesperson coordination
• SEO
• GEO (Geo-targeting) and accessibility best practice
• Social media management
• Content writing and editing
• Video content creation (filming and editing)
• CMS website updates
• AI-powered search tools usage
• Media monitoring and analytics
• Crisis communications
• Stakeholder management
• Event coordination
• Media databases/listening tools