Media Relations and External Affairs Lead

Student Loans Company; Tees Valley; Hybrid; GBP 41,000 - 49,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

28 days annual leave

Flexi-time and enhanced flexible work

Civil Service pension scheme

Life insurance cover

Sick pay and family leave

Job summary

Student Loans Company is seeking an experienced communications professional to lead media engagement, manage journalist relationships, and provide trusted guidance on complex inquiries. You’ll shape responses to high-profile issues, collaborating with senior leaders across the business to protect and communicate SLC’s impact.

The role requires strong writing, strategic thinking and the ability to operate under tight deadlines in a busy public sector environment.

Qualifications

• Educated to Degree-level with significant experience in Communications, Public Affairs, Politics, Journalism, Business or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
• Demonstratable experience in communications and media relations, with evidence of shaping media coverage.
• Understanding of public affairs, external affairs or stakeholder engagement.
• Membership of, or willingness to work towards membership of, a relevant professional body such as CIPR or the Government Communications Service.
• High level of understanding of UK media landscape, and emerging trends in digital communication.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex policy into clear and accessible content.
• Highly developed interpersonal skills with the ability to develop professional relationships with media and stakeholders, including influencing and networking.
• Research, analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines, under pressure.
• High level of attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
• An advanced understanding of the media landscape
• Work effectively under pressure and to tight deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Lead media engagement and manage journalist relationships across a wide range of issues.
• Respond to complex enquiries and provide trusted communications advice.
• Shape responses to emerging issues in a fast-moving environment.
• Support wider external affairs work and communicate SLC’s role and impact across stakeholders.

Skills

Public Affairs

Media relations

UK media landscape

Policy translation

Stakeholder engagement

Written communication

Interpersonal skills

Time management

Working under pressure

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Communications/Politics/Journalism

Job description

Salary:

£40,642.00 - £48,544.00 GBP Annual

Pension:

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%. Please refer to the Civil Service Pensions website for more information.

Type:

Full time

Please note: The advert will close at 11:59PM the night before the listed closing date.

SLC offer a blended working model which will typically be 2 days in the office and 3 days from home.

Is it time you unlocked your potential?

Student Loans Company is a non-profit making Government-owned organisation to provide loans and grants to students in universities and colleges in the UK. Since 1989, we have enabled our customers to invest in their futures by delivering secure, accurate and efficient assessment, payment and repayment services.

Our Values

Culture is at the heart of everything we do at SLC and we are guided by our five values which help make SLC a great place to work:

• Honesty : We act with integrity and transparency, sharing information openly and addressing challenges with courage.
• Empowerment : We enable people to take initiative, make impactful decisions, and continuously learn and grow.
• Accountability : We deliver on commitments, own our successes and mistakes, and strive for quality outcomes.
• Respect : We value diverse perspectives, actively listen, and create an inclusive environment where everyone belongs.
• Trust : We collaborate across teams, build dependable relationships, and work as one to deliver for our customers.

These values are more than words they guide our decisions, shape our collaborations, and strengthen our impact on the students we serve.

About the Role

SLC plays a vital role in enabling access to higher and further education by delivering financial support services on behalf of government partners across the UK. As part of our Communications and External Affairs team, you’ll be at the centre of high-profile communications activity, leading media engagement and managing relationships with journalists across a wide range of issues. You’ll respond to complex and often sensitive enquiries, provide trusted communications advice and help shape our response to emerging issues in a fast-moving environment. Working closely with senior leaders and colleagues across the business, you’ll support communications during periods of significant public, political and media interest.

This is a role for someone who can quickly assess situations, identify potential reputational risks and provide clear, practical advice when it matters most. You’ll balance competing priorities, maintain exceptional attention to detail and produce high-quality written communications for a range of audiences. Alongside media relations activity, you’ll support wider external affairs work, building effective relationships with stakeholders and helping communicate SLC’s role and impact.

Success in this role will require strong judgement, resilience, collaboration and the confidence to work across organisational boundaries. We’re looking for an experienced communications professional who can build trusted relationships, provide credible advice and deliver high-quality work in a complex and fast-moving environment. You’ll join a supportive team with ambitions to strengthen how communications and external affairs contribute across the organisation.

What you Bring:

Educated to Degree-level with significant experience in Communications, Public Affairs, Politics, Journalism, Business or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.

Demonstratable experience in communications and media relations, with evidence of shaping media coverage.

Understanding of public affairs, external affairs or stakeholder engagement.

Membership of, or willingness to work towards membership of, a relevant professional body such as CIPR or the Government Communications Service.

High level of understanding of UK media landscape, and emerging trends in digital communication.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex policy into clear and accessible content. Highly developed drafting skills with the ability to tailor messaging to different audiences.

Highly developed interpersonal skills with the ability to develop professional relationships with media and stakeholders, including influencing and networking.

Research, analytical and problem-solving abilities. Ability to analyse complex information and present it clearly and concisely.

Excellent planning and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines, under pressure.

High level of attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.

An advanced understanding of the media landscape

Work effectively under pressure and to tight deadlines.

You can expect more from a career with SLC. We support colleagues to unlock their potential through our Career Pathways development programme and offer an excellent benefit and rewards package that includes:

• 28 days annual leave plus 8 public holidays
• Option to buy/sell annual leave
• Flexi-time and enhanced flexible working options available
• Option to join the Civil Service pension scheme
• Life insurance cover for 4 x annual salary
• Enhanced company sick pay and family leave including maternity, paternity and adoption
• Contributory lifestyle benefit options including discounts at hundreds of retailers, cycle to work scheme, access to the Civil Service Sports and Leisure Club for discounted gym memberships, and an optional dental insurance scheme
• To find out what’s it’s like to work at Student Loans Company click here SLC Careers

The Legal Bits

We’ll need you to confirm you have the right to work in the UK. If we offer you a job and you accept, there are some background checks we need to complete before you can start with us. This will include employment history, criminal record check, credit reference check and fraud check.

EDI

As a proud Disability Confident Leader , we’re committed to creating an inclusive recruitment experience that empowers people of all abilities. Our team actively promotes accessible hiring practices, supports candidates with disabilities throughout their employment journey to help build a diverse equitable workplace at SLC.

SLC will make reasonable adjustments for those who consider themselves to have a disability or long-term condition in line with the Equality Act 2010. Our application process provides candidates with the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments but if you would like to discuss this in more detail, please email [e-mail].

Use of AI in Job Applications

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see Candidate Guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.