PR Executive

Wickes; Watford; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive bonus

Save-as-you-earn scheme

Life Assurance

Enhanced contributory pension scheme

Colleague discount

Discount platform and cashback

Wellbeing and support programmes

Job summary

Wickes is seeking a passionate PR Executive to join our Marketing team in a hybrid role based in Watford. You’ll support the Senior PR Manager and Community Engagement Manager with press office activity, campaigns, and Trustpilot management, gaining exposure to a broad range of PR and marketing tasks.

The role offers opportunities to develop PR skills, work across internal teams, and contribute to local store and community initiatives, with occasional travel to London and Wickes stores

Qualifications

• At least one year’s experience in PR, journalism or wider marketing.
• A degree (or equivalent) in Communications, Journalism, Advertising, Marketing or a related subject is an advantage.
• Good understanding of the UK media landscape and what makes a good story.
• Natural networker able to build relationships with stakeholders including stores, agencies and journalists.
• Natural problem-solver who stays calm under pressure, highly organised and detail-focused.
• Proactive, self-motivated with a can-do attitude.
• Curious, creative and tech-savvy with data-informed PR.
• Flexible and adaptable with a willingness to learn.
• A full UK driving licence would be beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Support the delivery of PR strategies and campaigns to build awareness and secure media coverage.
• Draft and refine PR materials including press releases, expert commentary, media responses and presentations.
• Act as day-to-day contact for our PR agency and manage journalist requests and approvals.
• Build targeted media lists and develop journalist relationships for coverage.
• Manage weekly press office and influencer activity with external agency to hit KPIs.
• Collaborate with Social Media team to amplify PR content across channels.
• Lead Trustpilot presence with an external agency on review responses and store engagement.
• Support Wickes Community Programme and engage local stores.
• Work with Digital teams to maximise reach across search and online channels.
• Support regional PR activity including store openings and regional media.
• Track PR performance, produce weekly reporting and manage platforms like Cision.

Skills

PR experience

Journalism

Marketing knowledge

Networking

Problem solving

Analytical skills

Curiosity

Adaptability

Driving licence

Education

Communications/Journalism/Marketing degree

Job description

We’re looking for a passionate PR Executive, ideally a recent graduate or someone with some experience in PR, with a can‑do attitude, a willingness to learn and a genuine interest in PR to join our Marketing team at Wickes.

Working within the in-house PR team, you’ll support the Senior PR Manager and Community Engagement Manager in delivering PR and community activity, from running the press office and supporting campaigns to managing Trustpilot and helping deliver the Wickes Community Programme. You’ll work closely with teams across the business and gain experience across a broad range of PR and wider marketing activity.

PR is an increasingly important part of how Wickes connects with customers, creating topical, useful and relevant stories that inspire and engage. This is a great opportunity to develop your PR skills, build strong relationships and make a real impact within a busy Marketing team.

This is a hybrid role with a minimum of three days a week based at our support office in Watford, with a maximum of two days working from home. The role will also involve occasional travel to London, as well as visits to Wickes stores across the country to support PR and community activity.

What you’ll do:

• Support the delivery of PR strategies and campaigns that build awareness, generate high-quality media coverage and bring the Wickes brand to life, including proactive and reactive press office activity

• Draft and refine PR materials, including press releases, expert commentary, media responses and presentations

• Act as a key day-to-day contact for our PR agency, managing journalist requests, content and approvals

• Build targeted media lists and develop relationships with journalists to secure relevant, high-quality coverage

• Manage the weekly press office and influencer activity, working closely with our external PR agency to deliver timely, relevant activity against agreed KPIs

• Work closely with our Social Media team to identify opportunities to amplify PR content across our social channels and maximise the reach of our stories and campaigns

• Lead the day-to-day management of our Trustpilot presence, ensuring the Marketing team uses the platform to its full potential, working with our external agency on review responses, driving store engagement and using customer feedback to identify emerging themes and opportunities

• Support the Wickes Community Programme, working with the Community Engagement Manager to drive local store participation and raise awareness of the programme and its impact

• Work closely with our Digital teams to identify opportunities to amplify PR content and maximise the reach and visibility of our stories across search, AI and online channels

• Support regional PR activity, including store openings, helping to generate local coverage and build relationships with regional media

• Track PR performance, produce weekly reporting and manage key platforms including Cision and Press Loft

• Build strong relationships across the business, including store teams, Operations, Commercial and Marketing

What we’re looking for:

• At least one year’s experience in PR, journalism or wider marketing, including relevant work placements or internships during your studies, with a genuine passion for building a career in PR

• A degree (or equivalent) in Communications, Journalism, Advertising, Marketing or a related subject is an advantage

• A good understanding of the UK media landscape and what makes a good story, with a keen interest in cultural trends, the news agenda and social media conversations

• A natural networker who is confident building positive working relationships with a range of stakeholders, from commercial and store teams to agencies and journalists

• A natural problem-solver who stays calm under pressure, is highly organised and detail‑focused, and can manage multiple priorities while delivering to tight deadlines

• Proactive and self‑motivated, with a can‑do attitude and the confidence to get stuck in and make things happen

• Curious, creative and tech‑savvy, with good analytical skills and an interest in using data and insights to inform PR activity

• Flexible and adaptable, with a positive and driven attitude and a willingness to learn and develop

• A full UK driving licence would be beneficial

What can we offer you?

• Competitive bonus
• Save‑as‑you‑earn scheme
• Life Assurance
• Enhanced contributory pension scheme after 2 years service
• Colleague discount
• Discount platform including savings and cash back at numerous retailers, savings on gym membership, cycle to work scheme
• Our widely recognised wellbeing strategy is something we’re proud of at Wickes. As part of this, we offer a range of health and wellbeing benefits and support, including an Employee Assistance Programme, financial education & loans, and access to parental, menopause and fertility support.
• By giving you the support you need to do well at work, and the flexibility to make life work for you. We are giving you a career that doesn’t put your life on hold. Where you can be yourself, do your best work, and make a positive difference every day.

About Us:

Wickes is a multi‑channel retailer operating in the home improvement market. With 50 years in industry, Wickes now generates revenue in excess of £1.6bn across 230 stores delivered by 8,000+ colleagues. But it is our culture that is considered our best kept secret; it’s a collaborative, down to earth, fun and inclusive environment where people feel part of a winning team. All our colleagues come from different backgrounds, but what we all have in common is a determination to succeed and a passion for being the best we can be. If that sounds like you, we’ll make you feel right at home

We aim to create an inclusive workplace with colleagues’ wellbeing at the heart of everything we do.

We’re a Disability Confident Employer and committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome applications from disabled people and are committed to providing an accessible recruitment process and workplace for everyone. If you require any support or reasonable adjustments, please let us know here.