Senior Communications Officer, Home & Tech

About the role

We have an opportunity with our Home & Technology team for a Senior Communications Officer to join for 12 months.

The External Communications team is responsible for all aspects of the external communications strategy for the Partnership and its two brands. This role focuses on our Home and Technology categories. Our clear ambition for communications: to be the conscience of the business and champion of the brands.

This business purpose is brought to life through the role of communications and campaigning. With communications disciplines that work effectively with other business departments to ensure integration of communications across the company, working together for maximum impact.
This is brought to life across multiple fronts, with a communications programme that leverages progressive business initiatives, builds celebratory feel-good moments, campaigns with passion from a position of strength,scale and responsibility, maintains a drumbeat of positive storytelling, and works hard to mitigate potential risks. Activity must continue to reach multiple audiences, amplifying and deepening customer marketing activity and messaging delivered above the line.

As Senior Communications Officer within the media relations team you will be the first line response to many incoming issues and opportunities in the Partnership Communications team. Therefore they are required to work in a fast, busy and agile environment, triaging incoming issues effectively. Working closely with key internal stakeholders and the media is crucial.

In addition to your contractual pay, any time worked between 22:00 - 06:00 will attract Night Premium at a rate of £- per hour. This will also apply to existing Partners who have enrolled onto Enhanced Hours Premium arrangements.

• Contract type - 12 months fixed term contract

• Working pattern/flexible working - The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach, meaning you'll be able to work a mixture between the office and home based upon your personal needs whilst balancing the needs of the business. The team meets in the office 2-3 days a week. It will be based in the London Central Office, Pimlico.  

Key Responsibilities

• Work with the Comms manager to plan and develop PR activity across Home & Tech 

• Collaborate across the business to ensure that we are telling a department Store story and putting out the key category messages.

• Maintains an informed opinion and up to date knowledge of the external industry that impacts upon us particularly in Home & Tech.

• Work with the Comms manager to influence how John Lewis is perceived, identifying key knowledge of activity and driving success in these

• Work within a culture of customer centric thinking across the whole team and cross functionally

• Working with the rest of the team, to coordinate and lead press, community and influencer PR activities

• Champion and promote the Sustainability, Ethics and Purpose story as part of the overall strategic Partnership narrative.

• Ensures the correct process is in place and is adhered to for media enquiries, and that enquiries are handled consistently across the business.

• Delivers an excellent, thorough and timely service to journalists in response to enquiries.

• Support strategic planning by gathering external insight to build a media picture. Uses awareness of the external landscape to make informed decisions about communications risks and opportunities.

Essential skills/experience you’ll need 

• Extensive communications experience Interiors and lifestyles 

• Events management experience and press campaigns 

• Influencer engagement and relationship management

• Excellent press release writing skills

• Strong communications skills and coaching experience

• Creative problem solving

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The Partnership

We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.  

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.   

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. 

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. 

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.  

Important points to note:  

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.  

We occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications, and therefore, we recommend you apply early. If you require a reasonable adjustment due to a disability which means you may need longer to complete your application please contact us as soon as possible.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview. 

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