Communications and Media Officer

Role summary and responsibilities:

With a growing retail network of almost 500 retail branches, Homeworking, Franchise, and Independence Group divisions, Hays Travel is the UK’s largest independent travel agent. This is a rare opportunity to bring your proven communications and media relations experience and skills to the expanding Hays Travel group.

We are looking for a capable, confident, and enthusiastic communicator - with excellent writing ability, a passion for storytelling, and a strong nose for news - gained in a newsroom, in-house communications team, or PR agency environment. Based in Sunderland, the right candidate will research, write and share news stories and content on Hays Travel group’s activity from across the UK with colleagues, travel sector publications, and local / national press. We are looking for someone able to create engaging content that supports strategic objectives and builds brand identity. If appointed, you will bring your excellent communication skills and professional judgement to deliver relevant and high-quality news output to nurture Hays Travel’s reputation. In return you will gain excellent experience from working at the heart of a national, family-owned business that is agile and growing. You will support the Head of Communications on delivering the Communications Strategy, key projects, offer advice on media relations and communications matters to colleagues at all levels across the UK.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential qualifications

• Degree level qualification in a relevant subject area, or equivalent professional experience
• Journalism qualification / experience of working in a professional news room or relevant equivalent

Experience and skills

Essential

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Able to write sharp, precise, and engaging newsworthy copy from scratch
• Able to identify news stories and draw out relevant details through interview
• Confident and personable style
• Experience of using multi-media to share news and stories
• Excellent organisational skills – with proven experience of meeting tight deadlines and prioritising workload, gained in a busy newsroom, in-house Communications team, or PR agency environment
• A team player and confident working unsupervised, using own initiative
• Proactive approach – able to suggest ideas and make things happen
• Proven ability to build and maintain effective working relationships at all levels, both internally and externally
• Ability to successfully pitch stories to journalists verbally and in writing
• Confident talking with people on the phone, via online meeting channels and face to face - maintaining a consistently professional approach
• Resilient to challenges and able to deal with difficult and complex situations
• Ability to comply with Hays Travel’s policies and procedures, including all
• Information security and confidentiality requirements

Desirable

• Strong negotiating skills
• Experienced in reputation management and handling communications in
• Response to an incident

Knowledge

Essential

• Thorough understanding of how to write for different audiences
• Ability to easily navigate and use Microsoft Office applications, including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel
• Thorough understanding of the role of communications and media relations in brand building and reputation management

Desirable

• Able to use online content management systems
• Awareness of the travel sector
• Knowledge of communication measurement

Personal attributes

Essential

• Flexible / able to manage conflicting demands and priorities
• Able to adopt a creative and innovative approach to problem solving
• Focused on achieving outcomes
• Committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion
• Self-motivated, confident, and personally resilient, with a ‘can-do’ approach
• Demonstrable integrity and honesty
• Professional approach and presentation

About Hays Travel

As the UK’s largest independent travel agency, Hays Travel specialises in providing good value, quality holidays alongside excellent customer service. We work with all leading suppliers and can package holidays that include hotels, flights, cruises, tours, attraction tickets, and more. We have almost 500 retail branches across the UK and our Sunderland Head Office is home to tour operator teams, finance, marketing, people/HR, and IT, plus many more. We have been operating for 45 years and continue to grow and develop.

Our values

Our SMILE values are embedded into Hays Travel and ensure our teams work strongly together. You and all your colleagues will ensure that our values are always demonstrated.

• Supportive
• Motivational
• Innovative
• Loyal
• Excellent

What it’s like to work for us?

Whichever location or department you work in, our people are always at the heart of everything we do. We offer a range of training programmes to help you progress personally and professionally, as we know the benefits of promoting and rewarding our hardworking colleagues are extremely important. We’re very sociable and you can take advantage of our colleague discount when booking your own holidays.

Hays Travel is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all colleagues.