Media Manager

Part-Time Consultancy
(short-term)

The Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) is looking for an experienced freelance media manager to join the JUST Stories team to cover a period of parental leave for 18 weeks between July and October 2025.

Launched in 2024, JUST Stories is a solutions journalism project, finding and telling stories about the people working together to advance just transitions to net zero. IHRB is looking for an experienced freelance media manager to develop and deliver strategic and impactful communications and media plans for two stories: one about the built environment in Spain and another about indigenous-led reforestation in Brazil. The ideal candidate will have a strong journalistic background, comprehensive knowledge of effective mar-comms approaches, and a proven track record securing media coverage on human interest and social justice issues.

This short-term contract is a great opportunity for the right candidate to join a make a real impact: crafting engaging storytelling pitches; pitching international tier one and specialist media; and contributing to an exciting project that seeks to shape media reporting of people-led net zero transitions in the lead up to COP30.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

We believe action is most effectively inspired through leading-by-example and first-hand stories demonstrating the art of the possible. Yet narratives illustrating the benefits of meaningful engagement between public and private enterprises and workers, communities, and indigenous groups are rare to non-existent within the net-zero agenda.

This project is specifically designed to address this gap. We are investing significant effort to find stories of decision-makers within institutions across sectors committed to decarbonisation and working in meaningful partnership with potentially affected groups to achieve fast and equitable climate action across sectors.

Launched in 2024, JUST Stories is a narratives project by IHRB that is finding and telling stories of people working together to advance just transitions to net zero.

The first deep-dive feature - ‘Collie: A blueprint for the world’s eight million coal workers?’ - told the powerful story of Collie, a coal town in Western Australia where workers, business and government have co-designed their future away from fossil fuels.

The second feature is coming in June 2025, spotlighting how women in the salt farming industry in India are harness a solar transition away from diesel to build their social and economic power in the process.  

In addition to the feature stories, in February 2025 IHRB launched the JUST Stories Database, featuring inclusive projects that are seeking to prioritise the rights of people most impacted by net zero.

COMMUNICATIONS OBJECTIVES

• To share with public and private sector net-zero policymakers a range of innovations, solutions, and challenges experienced in the pursuit of meaningful partnerships, for the sake of collective learning and improvement.
• Identifying and working in partnership with tier one and specialist media platforms that engage target audiences to tell the feature stories.
• Amplifying the JUST Stories project with ongoing specialist media, social media and stakeholder engagement.
• Promoting the JUST Stories database with specialist media, social media and stakeholder engagement.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING

IHRB is looking for an experienced freelance media manager to join the JUST Stories team to cover a period of parental leave for four months between July and October 2025 (part-time, up to nine days per month)

The primary objectives of this short-term contract are:

• preparing a dynamic communication plan for the next two stories
  
• securing tier one and specialist media coverage for the next two stories
• finding and creating opportunities for media and social media engagement for the broader JUST Stories project.

You’ll do this by:

• Supporting the development and leading delivery of a communication and media plan for the third story in the JUST Stories project: about the rights-based approaches organisations in Barcelona are taking to addressing the dual climate and housing crises.
• Preparing a strategic communication and media plan for the fourth story in the project: about efforts to regenerate the Amazon forest in Brazil drawing on Indigenous knowledge. The publication of this story is likely to coincide with COP30 in Brazil.

• Leading on:
  • identifying timely media angles;
  • preparing audience-specific media materials;
  • undertaking in-depth media research and building press lists;
  • proposing tier one and specialist media targets;
  • preparing highly-targeted pitches;
  • pitching and building relationships with journalists;
  • developing thought leadership op-ed proposals and drafts; and
  • proposing creative social media content;
  • media monitoring and preparing reactive comment and pitches
• Liaising closely with the Project's Researcher to advise on long-form and short-form supplements (videos, audio, social media) to the Spain and Brazil stories, to ensure alignment with the JUST Stories Communication Strategy and media objectives.
• Regularly presenting Media and Communications updates for and engaging with donors, IHRB’s Executive team, the JUST Stories Advisory Council, and other partners.
• Leading media engagement around key project events that bring together the featured individuals (human-interest stories) in each transition process and a wider ecosystem of practitioners to be inspired toward action.

Other key activities will be agreed on an as-needed basis throughout the ongoing collaboration.

TIMEFRAME & CONTRACTING

• Timeframe: The individual or agency will be recruited for a 3-4 month period from July-October 2025. The level of engagement is expected to be 0.4 FTE equivalent as a part-time consultancy, and candidates must be able to commit up to 9 days per month to the project. Exact start/end dates and working patterns will be agreed with the successful candidate.

• Contracting: This post will have a consultancy agreement subject to UK law.

• Compensation: IHRB can offer a day rate of up to £300/day including VAT for a maximum of 9 days per month.

REQUIREMENTS

Experience & Knowledge

• A degree in Journalism, Media, Communications, or related field, or comparable work experience.
• At least 5 years experience in journalism, media relations, or comparable field.
• A fluid, natural communicator who can convey complex issues simply and compellingly to different audiences with different needs - from senior journalists to worker groups, communities, and indigenous populations affected by net-zero transitions, as well as the practitioners and decision makers within large transitioning institutions (public and private).
• Demonstrable experience in planning and executing long-term communication strategies across diverse contexts and audiences, including to the highest standards of ethical communications and journalism.
• Strong media contacts in tier 1 media, including environment / political / social and economic affairs editors, and a proven track record of successfully securing media coverage on assigned topics.
• Demonstrable experience organising and managing press trips - with particular preference for experience managing media engagement with vulnerable groups.
• Proven track record in developing social media content and analysing and optimising engagement across platforms.
• High capacity to organise and manage multiple priorities, and work under time pressure with a fully remote team, demonstrating adaptability, enthusiasm, initiative, and a positive approach to problem solving.
• Design and editing skills desirable but not essential.
• Ability to read, write, speak and understand English required. Additional language skills also desirable but not required (project budget provides for interpretation/translation).
• Location is home-based and therefore flexible globally, but timezones within 1-2 hours of GMT will be preferred in order to work best with the rest of the project team.
• Willingness to travel within Europe for 3-5 days, if required. 

APPLICATION PROCESS

Click on the "Apply Now" button to answer some specific application questions.

Deadline for applications: 5pm BST on 8 June 2025

Interviews: Shortlisted applications will be invited to an initial 30-45min video interview via TeamTailor. The first round of interviews will take place week commencing 16th & June between the hours of 2-6pm BST.

Expected start date: July 2025. A consultancy offer will be subject to receipt of two satisfactory references.

Applications from unsuccessful applicant/s will be held on file for 6 months after the end of the recruitment process.