Press & Communications Officer

Responsibilities :

Exp: 2+ years

Job Summary:
The Press & Communications officer will be responsible for developing and executing strategic press and media initiatives to enhance Wildlife SOS’s media visibility, outreach, and overall image building. This role involves writing press releases, coordinating media interactions, maintaining press and media databases, facilitating press stories, overseeing media visits and expanding media relations.
The candidate will also contribute to content development for various platforms and play a crucial role in donor communications and internal events.

Key Responsibilities

1. Press & Media Relations:

• Conceptualise and research press releases to ensure alignment with Wildlife SOS’s mission and ongoing initiatives.
• Write and distribute press releases, weekly media pitches, and feature stories.
• Monitor daily news in print and broadcast media to identify relevant opportunities.
• Develop and maintain relationships with journalists, media houses, and external PR agencies.
• Organize press meets across major cities and at Wildlife SOS centres.
• Coordinate media responses and prepare statements as per queries from the press.
• Maintain media and press related internal database.
• Oversee and aid junior press team members in database maintenance.
• Secure exclusive coverage on TV, print, and digital media platforms.
• Work with press team in creating press & media coverage quarterly performance reports.

2. Content Development & Storytelling:

• Research, develop, and write blogs, articles, animal updates, and other communication materials.
• Travel to Wildlife SOS centres to better understand operations and create impactful stories.
• Aid audio-visual department in generating engaging videos.

3. Event Participation & Visitor Engagement:

• Coordinate volunteer and tourist visits, special events, and exposure tours, often including celebs, at Wildlife SOS rescue facilities.
• Represent Wildlife SOS at exhibitions, awareness programs, and external events.

4. Media Coordination & External Filming Requests:

• Act as the primary point of contact for external media queries and filming requests.
• Manage the official phone, ensuring timely responses to media and other inquiries, including rescue call queries.

5. External Collaboration & Partnerships:

• Liaise with external parties and identify collaboration or partnership opportunities.
• Facilitate, monitor and oversee these external opportunities.
• Facilitate filming requests and enable filming wherever possible, aligning with the common interest of the production house and the organisation.
• Monitor shoots by physically attending crews.

Additional Responsibilities

• Media Strategy: Develop proactive strategies to ensure consistent coverage of Wildlife SOS’s work.
• Impact Assessment: Track and analyse media coverage and campaign impact.
• Collaborations: Identify partnerships with media houses, production houses, and other organisations to amplify messaging.
• Internal Communication: Ensure streamlining of communication between field teams and senior leadership with external parties such as production houses, media publications and any other organisation.
• Conservation Advocacy: Help position Wildlife SOS as a thought leader through guest articles, opinion pieces and expert commentary to influence policy-making.