Press Officer Job Description

 

    Assembly  Festival  Role:  Press  Officer     Reports  to:  Head  of  Press     Direct  Relationships:    Programming,  Marketing  and  Technical  Teams   Contract  term:  Mid  May  –  End  of  August  

Evening  and  weekend  work  as  required,  you  may  be  required  to  work  on  bank  or  public  holidays.       Role  Description   Assembly  Festival  is  one  of  the  largest  and  longest  running  multi  venues  on  the  Edinburgh  Festival   Fringe.  In  2017,  we  will  be  presenting  around  200  shows  across  5  sites,  across  all  performance   genres,  for  our  37th  year  of  presenting  the  highest  standard  of  international  and  British  work  on  the   fringe.   The  Press    Officer  will  work  with  the  Head  of  Press  and  the  marketing  team,  to  generate  press   coverage  promoting  all  the  shows  performing  at  Assembly  as  part  of  the  Festival  Fringe  2017.       Role  and  Responsibilities   •

Work  with  press  and  media  towards  presenting  to  a  high  standard  that  will  promote   Assembly’s  artistic  vision  and  shows  appropriately.  

•

Work  with  the  Marketing  team  provide  content  for  Social  Media  sites.  

•

Work  with  the  Marketing  and  Productions  teams  monitor  and  track  ticket  sales  and  generate   joint  promotions  and  press  opportunities.  

•

Coordinate  press  opportunities,  with  specific  reference  to  any  recording  or  photography   with  the  Technical  Team  to  ensure  the  smooth  running  of  on-­‐site  press  opportunities  

•

Work  with  the  Head  of  Press  an  Programming  team  on  the  Assembly  Gala  launch  and   coordinate  the  Press  guest  list  to  maximise  Assembly’s  press  coverage  from  the  start  of  the   festival  

•

Assisting  the  Head  of  Press  with  the  day  to  day  running  of  Assembly’s  press  office,   supporting  visiting  companies,  and  specific  show  campaigns  where  applicable  

•

Assisting  the  press  office  team  with  the  filing  and  reporting  of  press  clippings  

•

Attending  staff  meeting,  award  ceremonies  and  other  events  where  applicable  

•

Other  duties,  within  reason,  as  required.  

 

      Person  Specification:  

• Previous  Edinburgh  Festival  Fringe  experience  is  preferable.   • Understanding  of  arts  based  publicity  and  the  motivations  behind  a  ticket  buyer.   • Previous  experience  managing  press  campaigns  for  live  performances,  pitching  to  journalists   and  securing  reviews

• Previous  festival  based  PR  experience     • Excellent  communication  and  presentation  skills  with  the  ability  to  deal  effectively  with   people  at  all  levels,  both  within  and  externally  to  the  organisation.

• Proactive  approach  to  generating  ideas  and  thinking  on  your  feet  as  well  as  outside  the  box.   • Strong  management  experience  with  excellent  attention  to  detail  and  a  proven  track  record   in  delivering  to  the  highest  standard.

• Experience  working  in  a  fast  paced,  high  stress  environment  and  able  to  deal  well  under   pressure,  and  to  a  deadline.  

• Ability  to  work  independently  and  as  part  of  a  team. • A  high  level  of  computer  literacy,  including  but  not  limited  to  Microsoft  Office  programs. • Willingness  to  work  unsocial  hours. • Excellent  organisational  skills  with  the  ability  to  prioritise  and  to  manage  and  meet   deadlines.   To   apply   please   send   a   CV   and   covering   letter   to   [email protected]   with   the   subject   heading  Press  Officer  by  the  14th  April.  Interviews  will  take  place  at  either  our  London  Office  or  via   Skype.  Applicants  are  encouraged  to  apply  as  early  as  possible,  as  we  will  be  shortlisting  throughout   the  process.  This  role  is  Edinburgh  based.