JOB TITLE:                Festival Press Office Assistant

DURATION:               Temporary: 10-13 September 2019, plus 0.5 training day on Monday 9 September.

CORE HOURS:          Hours will be assigned between the core hours of 08:00-18:00 and will be confirmed on appointment. (max. 7 hours a day)

LOCATION:               University of Warwick Campus and Coventry city centre during the British Science Festival

RATE:                        £9.00 per hour

The British Science Festival is Europe’s longest standing science festival, travelling to a different place in the UK each year. Our Festival aims to connect people with scientists, engineers, technologists and social scientists. Further information about the British Science Festival can be found here.

The British Science Association is recruiting a Festival Press Office Assistant to work during the British Science Festival 2019. The Festival will be held in Coventry and Warwickshire from 10-13 September 2019, hosted by the University of Warwick.

The Festival Press Office Assistant will work closely with the wider Communications Team at the BSA in the busy press office during the Festival. They will help prepare the daily press briefings, monitor and cut out the daily press clippings, and provide support for the BSA press team. They will assist with media interviews, where necessary, and will have the opportunity to directly liaise with the speakers at the Festival as well as the science press.

Journalists from across the UK and further afield attend the Festival each year, and the BSA runs a series of press conferences each day for them.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone looking to gain some experience working with the media on a large, national event.

Main duties

• Liaising with members of the press and speakers to facilitate interviews.
• Preparing rooms for press briefings, including setting up the A/V.
• Researching and collating press coverage received during the Festival.
• Attending to the daily operational needs of the journalists and the Press Centre.
• Any other tasks as reasonably required by the BSA Communications Team.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

• Good interpersonal skills.
• An ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Good organisational skills.
• Excellent level of spoken and written English.
• An ability to stay calm under pressure and show initiative to solve problems.
• Good IT skills.

Desirable

• Some experience of working with the media.
• A media or communications qualification.

Terms and conditions

The Press Office Assistant will be working at the British Science Festival on the University of Warwick Campus between 10 -13 September 2019.

The assignment is offered at a salary of £9.00 per hour, you will be allocated no less than 7 hours per day. Your core hours will be scheduled between 08:00-18:00 on the University of Warwick Campus, for four days (including up to a one-hour unpaid lunch/dinner break per day). If successful, your hours will be fully outlined in your offer letter.

The half-day of training on Monday 9 September will be paid at the above rate and the BSA will reimburse reasonable travel costs incurred in attending the training day.

The BSA can provide information about accommodation on site for the duration of the Festival if required.

Download full job description (pdf)

To apply

If you are interested in applying, please send a CV and short covering letter summarising your interest in this post to the British Science Association’s recruitment portal by 23:59 on Sunday 4 August.

We may contact shortlisted candidates after this date to arrange a time for a short telephone interview with you.

The British Science Association is an equal opportunities employer and a charity committed to diversity. The British Science Association is committed to the fair and equal treatment of potential and existing employees irrespective of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, ex-offending background or any other potentially discriminating factor.

Only applicants who have a legal right to work within the UK will be considered.  You will be asked to bring along proof of nationality and/or proof of ability to work in the UK.  You will also be asked to declare any previous convictions in line with your rights under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.