DESCRIPTION

We are looking for a Press Officer to join our fantastic team at Somerset House Trust. As the home of cultural innovators, the Trust connects creativity and the arts with the broader society.
Somerset House pursues a ‘Step Inside, Think Outside’ spirit and is born from the creative community we nurture - the experience and perspectives we host across background, age, race, and stage, and the intersections and crossovers we encourage.
This Press Officer will play a pivotal role in our small and dynamic PR Team, responsible for successful delivery of PR campaigns across Somerset House Trust exhibitions, events and other activity, whilst also balancing administrative duties to assist in the smooth running of the department. The Press Officer will take a strategic audience-led approach to ensure maximum quality coverage in a range of target media, including print, online, broadcast and social media platforms, and instil awareness of both the particular campaign and Somerset House’s brand mission and vision. The role involves working closely with internal departments and external partners. The Press Officer will be joining at a critical time for Somerset House as it celebrates 25 years in 2025 and marks its coming of age as the home of cultural innovators, a milestone accompanied by a new visual identity and new website.
The Somerset House PR department is a part of the wider Marketing and Communications team, which leads audience-led campaigns for a diverse range of cultural programming which engages audiences in key contemporary issues, challenges conventions and offer alternative perspectives. The team also helps promote Somerset House as the home of cultural innovators, including Somerset House Studios, our other creative workspaces, and revenue streams such as venue hire, food and beverage. Guided by a data-led approach and in close coordination with our other in-house teams and valued partners, we craft and execute multi-channel strategies aimed at elevating brand awareness, enhancing ticket sales and visits, encouraging creative professionals and organisations to join our resident community and fostering engagement both online and offline. Comprising a team of passionate and dedicated professionals, we uphold strong values and possess a clear vision for the future of Somerset House and our ongoing ambition to intensify creativity, multiply opportunity & drive artistic and social innovation.

NETWORKING & PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

• Generating/developing/maintaining effective relationships with key media and influencers through meetings and networking events
• Proactively seeking and developing beneficial partnerships for creative, cross-promotional purposes that align with Somerset House’s brand mission and vision

SKILLS:

• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written).
• Excellent copywriting skills.
• Excellent organisational skills, with scrupulous attention to detail.
• Skilled at turning creative thinking into achievable actions and results.
• Strong ability to prioritise and be flexible with workloads.
• Keen ability to work both using own initiative and as a team player.
• Willingness and motivation to complete tasks to best of ability, no matter how big or small.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with a variety of stakeholders.
• Flexibility and adaptability to change.
• Strong numeracy and IT skills, including working knowledge of MS Office applications and spreadsheets, and ability to learn new systems and software quickly.

ABOUT SOMERSET HOUSE TRUST

Somerset House hosts the UK’s largest and most exciting creative community right in the heart of London, and are always looking for new talent to join our team. We welcome 3 million annual visitors to share our unique combination of cultural events, the creative industries and history. This mix informs and powers our programme and organisational culture, making us a singular, compelling and inclusive place to visit and work.
Somerset House is actively anti-racist, you can read about our Anti-Racism Pledge and the action we’re taking here. We are working hard to ensure our people, our onsite community and our sector reflect, represent and include all of society.
Our Commitment to Anti-Racism, Diversity and Inclusion:
Somerset House is open to all, and we value everyone’s unique skills. Somerset House Trust is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to championing equality, diversity, and inclusion in our workplace. We are committed to equal opportunity and encourage applications from all qualified individuals. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, disability, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic background.
Where candidates are equally qualified, we will seek to prioritise diversity to help us increase representation across the creative economy and the Trust.
We anonymise all job applications to help avoid discrimination in the initial screening stage of our recruitment process. This reinforces our commitment to focusing on the skills and qualifications of all applications from the start.
We’re committed to creating an inclusive recruitment process. Please let us know if there’s anything we can do to help you perform at your best. We’re open to adjusting our process to accommodate your needs please email people.team@somersethouse.org.uk.
The Trust reserves the right to close a job before its application deadline.
Please only apply if you have the right to work in the UK; the Trust cannot currently offer sponsorships

Experience:

• Proven experience of working in a busy press office/agency or within the media.
• Strong evidence of devising and implementing successful PR campaigns and juggling several campaigns at once, which target the relevant audiences and explore opportunities to reach new audiences.
• Demonstrable collaboration with a range of partners, ensuring the appropriate balance is found between mutual PR goals.
• Excellent knowledge of the general media and social media landscape and an avid interest in consuming news and trends.
• Tested track record of balancing press office support and management with campaign work
• Excellent knowledge and interest in the arts/cultural/entertainment sector
• Knowledge and understanding of social media and marketin

Experience:

• Proven experience of working in a busy press office/agency or within the media.
• Strong evidence of devising and implementing successful PR campaigns and juggling several campaigns at once, which target the relevant audiences and explore opportunities to reach new audiences.
• Demonstrable collaboration with a range of partners, ensuring the appropriate balance is found between mutual PR goals.
• Excellent knowledge of the general media and social media landscape and an avid interest in consuming news and trends.
• Tested track record of balancing press office support and management with campaign work
• Excellent knowledge and interest in the arts/cultural/entertainment sector
• Knowledge and understanding of social media and marketing