INTERIM HEAD OF MEDIA

Contract: 6 Months Fixed term contract, Full time, 35 hours per week
Location: London, UK
UK hybrid working – a minimum of 40 % of working time is spent face-to-face (London office, external meetings or travel).
60/40 hybrid working at WaterAid means roughly three days wherever you work best and two days together in person.
Salary: £68,888 - £72,514 per annum with excellent benefits.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS

• Experience of leading, managing and motivating a Media team.
• Experienced manager of people with proven ability to manage and motivate others.
• Track record of designing and delivering influential and impactful media campaigns that achieve coverage in international, national, regional, trade and online media.
• Excellent news sense and an understanding of what makes a good story for different types of media and audiences.
• Understanding of the role that media can play in shaping the political and public policy agenda, and experience of working in this critically important area.
• Strong understanding of international development communications, marketing, fundraising and advocacy activities and how media activity fits with these and can complement and advance them.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills with the ability to build partnerships with key stakeholders and influence at senior levels.
• Strong relationship builder and experience of working to deliver to multiple teams’ objectives; ability to prioritise and drive integration and alignment between activities

DESIRABLE SKILLS

• Experience of working across the communications mix more broadly.
• Experience in digital PR and managing this aspect within a team.
• Understanding of how AI can be used in the media landscape.
  View the full job description here
  Closing date: Applications will close 12:00 PM (UK time) on Monday, 25th August 2025.
  How to apply: Click “Apply” to complete the pre-screening questions and upload your CV.
  Can I use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in my application? At WaterAid, we strongly advise against using AI technology at any stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure a fair and transparent process that provides every applicant with an equal opportunity to succeed. We value hearing about your unique experiences and perspectives in your application, and, if shortlisted, during the interview as well.
  Preemployment screening: To apply for this role, you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in the respective country. All pre-employment checks will be carried out according to local law and WaterAid’s Safer Recruitment policy. All UK based roles require a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

ABOUT THE ROLE

organisation. Bringing together the diciplines of news and PR, to drive brand awareness and action to bring water to the top of the UK and global media agenda.
As Interim you will lead and work with the Media team to explore and encourage new approaches including how we further maximise the digital media landscape.
The role is pivotal in working with key stakeholders across the organisation in fundraising, global adcoacy and campaigns, and the Communications leadership team, to ensure media strategies are not only aligned and integrated with strategic fundraising engagement and advocacy priorities – but also bold and innovative.

IN THIS ROLE, YOU WILL:

• Champion, inspire and lead a high-performing, highly motivated team.
• Line management of the Senior News Manager, Senior PR Manager and Global Media Specialist.
• Management of the Media Team budget, ensuring budget is being used for greatest impact.
• Ensure that media work is strategic, helping to build engagement amongst target audiences and aligned to organisational objectives specifically to amplify our advocacy, influencing and fundraising goals. Set and review performance against agreed indicators in order to measure impact.
• Lead the team to continue to build a reactive and opportunistic media presence by seizing media opportunities, generating stories and news angles, and creating timely, impactful, appropriate responses to drive relevance of WaterAid within target audiences.
• Build and maintain relationships with key journalists and target media, helping bring the water and sanitation crisis to a wider audience and establishing WaterAid as the sector leader in this area.
• Grow the capabilities and approach to digital PR within the team.
• Work collaboratively with the Communications Senior Management Team to set and ensure clarity on roles and responsibilities of the Media team, to foster an integrated approach.
• Work closely with colleagues across the WaterAid family (country programmes in particular) to advise and support on media work when required.