Senior Press Officer (Maternity Cover)

ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS/KEW GARDENS; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A major visitor attraction in Greater London seeks an experienced Senior Press Officer to drive engagement through creative PR campaigns. The role includes managing internal communications for events and broader brand strategies, with a requirement for hybrid working. Applicants should have a solid background in national PR campaigns and excellent communication skills. This position offers benefits such as flexible working and opportunities for growth.

Benefits

Continuous learning opportunities

Flexible working arrangements

Cycle-to-work scheme

Discounted gym membership

Employee Assistance Programme

Generous annual leave

Competitive pension

Free entry to national museums and galleries

Qualifications

• Proven experience in delivering impactful PR campaigns.
• Experience working in a cultural organization or visitor attraction.
• Keen eye for compelling stories.

Responsibilities

• Manage communications for events and brand campaigns.
• Support the running of the press office.
• Engage with the central Kew Communications team.

Skills

Experience in delivering national PR campaigns

Outstanding copywriting skills

Verbal communication skills

Ability to pitch to media outlets

Experience in a busy press office

Job description

Wakehurst is looking for an experienced Senior Press Officer to join their dynamic Marketing & Strategic Communications team. The Senior Press Officer will be responsible for delivering creative and impactful PR campaigns to drive engagement, visits, and brand awareness. The role primarily involves managing communications for Wakehurst’s vibrant events programme and contributing to broader brand campaigns to establish Wakehurst’s reputation as Kew’s living laboratory and a garden with purpose. Additionally, the postholder will support the efficient running of the Wakehurst press office.

We seek a confident and enthusiastic individual with proven experience in delivering national PR campaigns and securing high-impact coverage across broadcast, print, and digital platforms, ideally within a cultural organization or visitor attraction. The candidate should have experience working in a busy press office, with outstanding copywriting and verbal communication skills. A keen eye for compelling stories, a successful track record of pitching to regional and national outlets, and the ability to work effectively with the central Kew Communications team are essential.

This fixed-term maternity cover role is based at Wakehurst with hybrid working arrangements. A minimum of two days per week in the office at Wakehurst is required, with occasional short-notice on-site presence for reactive media. Occasional work at Kew Gardens may also be necessary.

The role involves a modest amount (approximately 30-50 hours per annum) of evening and weekend work, including press events, film/photography shoots, on-call media duties during peak times, and communications during adverse weather conditions.

Interviews are scheduled for early September 2025.

About Us

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew), is a leading plant science institute, UNESCO World Heritage Site, and major visitor attraction. Our mission is to understand and protect plants and fungi for the well-being of people and the future of all life on Earth.

We are committed to ending the unprecedented extinction crisis and creating a world where nature is protected, valued, and managed sustainably. We aim to achieve these goals through scientific research, collections of plants and fungi, a global network of partners, inspirational gardens at Kew and Wakehurst, and our 260 years of history.

Join us on our journey as protectors of the world’s plants and fungi.

Our benefits include opportunities for continuous learning, a generous annual leave entitlement, flexible working arrangements, an Employee Assistance Programme, wellbeing support such as a cycle-to-work scheme and discounted gym membership, a competitive pension, employee discounts, and free entry to many national museums and galleries, as well as access to our gardens at Kew and Wakehurst.

We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from all sections of the community. We will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post.

No agencies please.