Lead Journalist

Bristol Water plc; Exeter; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Salary

Bonus Scheme

Pension Scheme

Healthcare Benefits

Professional Development

Employee Discounts

Generous Annual Leave

Job summary

Pennon Group is seeking a Lead Journalist to join the External Communications Team, uncovering stories from across our operations, people and communities. You will craft compelling content and manage media relationships to support proactive engagement.

The role combines strategy with hands-on storytelling across words, images and video, requiring senior journalistic experience and the ability to work under pressure.

Qualifications

• Significant experience as a journalist or senior media-facing role.
• Exceptional writing, interviewing and storytelling skills.
• Proven ability to identify, develop and deliver compelling stories.
• Experience building relationships with journalists and media outlets.
• Experience balancing proactive storytelling with reactive media management.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement with senior leaders.
• Strong organisational skills to manage multiple priorities.
• Experience working under pressure and in fast-changing situations.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel regularly.
• Willingness to participate in an on-call rota and weekends.

Responsibilities

• Act as Pennon's in-house journalist, uncovering and developing stories.
• Create engaging written, video and multimedia content.
• Develop a strong pipeline of proactive stories aligned to business priorities.
• Translate complex topics into clear, audience-focused content.
• Build trusted relationships with journalists and media contacts.
• Travel across the Pennon Group footprint to capture stories and content.
• Support incident and crisis communications, including on-call rota.
• Monitor media coverage and use insights to strengthen activity.
• Work collaboratively in a small, high-performing team.

Skills

Storytelling

Journalism experience

Interviews

Media relations

Crisis communications

Travel willingness

Driving licence

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Journalism qualification

Tools

Video editing

Media monitoring tools

Job description

Powered by Water, Driven by Purpose

At Pennon Group, we’re proud to serve communities while protecting the environment. Together with our subsidiaries, South West Water, Bristol Water, Bournemouth Water, SES Water, Pennon Water Services and Pennon Power, we’re leading the way in water and renewables.

We’re proud to be recognised as a leader in the UK water sector, working towards a greener future. Our goals? As well as lowering our carbon footprint, we’re working with partners to plant 300,000 trees, restore peatlands and supporting farmers and landowners to improve water quality and wildlife.

Whether you’re starting out or seeking a new challenge, our scale and ambition create opportunities for you to shape your own career.

Ready to make a splash? Join our team today.

Lead Journalist

Join Pennon as our Lead Journalist and help bring our people, projects and communities to life.

At Pennon Group, our people deliver essential services, protect the environment and support communities every day. Behind every operational achievement, environmental initiative, customer outcome and innovation is a story worth telling.

We're looking for an exceptional Lead Journalist to join our External Communications Team and help uncover, create and amplify those stories across our business.

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced journalist to combine strategic thinking with hands‑on storytelling. You'll act as a journalist within the business, identifying compelling stories from across our operations, people and communities, bringing them to life through engaging content and trusted media relationships.

Working as part of a small but high‑performing team, you'll play a key role in showcasing the positive impact of our people and services, supporting media engagement, creating high‑quality content and helping the business navigate fast‑moving and high‑profile situations.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as Pennon's in‑house journalist, uncovering and developing compelling stories from across our business, people and communities.

• Create engaging written, video and multimedia content that brings our work to life.

• Develop a strong pipeline of proactive stories aligned to business priorities.

• Translate complex topics into clear, engaging and audience‑focused content.

• Build trusted relationships with journalists and media contacts, managing media enquiries and supporting proactive media engagement.

• Travel across the Pennon Group footprint to capture stories, interviews, photography and video content.

• Support incident and crisis communications, including participation in an out‑of‑hours standby (on‑call) rota.

• Monitor media coverage and use insight to strengthen future communications activity.

• Work collaboratively within a small, high‑performing team and adapt quickly to changing priorities.

What We're Looking For

We're seeking a curious, creative and resilient storyteller with a strong journalism background and a passion for uncovering stories that matter.

Essential

• Significant experience as a journalist or in a senior media‑facing communications role.

• Exceptional writing, interviewing and storytelling skills.

• Proven ability to identify, develop and deliver compelling stories and content.

• Experience building and maintaining strong relationships with journalists and media outlets.

• Experience balancing proactive storytelling with reactive media management and incident communications.

• Excellent stakeholder engagement skills and confidence working with senior leaders.

• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment.

• Experience working effectively under pressure and responding to rapidly changing situations.

• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel regularly.

• Flexible approach to working hours, including participation in an out‑of‑hours standby rota and weekend working.

Desirable

• Experience within utilities, infrastructure or other regulated sectors.

• Photography, videography and content editing skills.

• Experience using media monitoring and sentiment analysis tools.

• Experience supporting crisis communications.

• Journalism, media or communications qualification.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to tell stories with real‑world relevance and impact.

You’ll have access to fascinating people, projects and operations, helping audiences better understand the work that supports customers, protects the environment and serves communities every day.

If you’re a journalist at heart, thrive on curiosity and enjoy bringing stories to life through words, images and video, we’d love to hear from you.4

Join us and help tell the stories behind the people, projects and services that make a difference every day.

We believe in rewarding our people for their hard work and dedication. As our Lead Journalist you’ll enjoy:

• Competitive Salary – Based on experience and skills

• Bonus Scheme – Rewarding your performance

• Pension Scheme – Helping you plan for your future

• Healthcare Benefits – Access to employee assistance programs

• Professional Development – Support for career growth with training opportunities

• Employee Discounts – On various products and services

• Generous Annual Leave – Take time to recharge with our holiday entitlement

Closing Date: 4th September 2026

We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Please note that the successful candidate will be subject to a mandatory DBS check as part of the on‑boarding process.

Be yourself, we like it that way. Together, we will build a culture of belonging, where inclusion is instinctive. Diversity is our strength and a reflection of our communities. We care, we value everyone, we celebrate uniqueness.

Our core values, which are essential to our success, are:

Be Rock Solid - Build trust and be trusted. Be the one we all look to and can depend on.

Be You - We want you to bring your best everyday. Be yourself and make your mark in your individual way.

Be the Future - Embrace change. Drive Progress. Own the challenge.