Media Relations and External Affairs Lead

SLC plays a vital role in enabling access to higher and further education by delivering financial support services on behalf of government partners across the UK. As part of our Communications and External Affairs team, you'll be at the centre of high-profile communications activity, leading media engagement and managing relationships with journalists across a wide range of issues. You'll respond to complex and often sensitive enquiries, provide trusted communications advice and help shape our response to emerging issues in a fast-moving environment. Working closely with senior leaders and colleagues across the business, you'll support communications during periods of significant public, political and media interest.

This is a role for someone who can quickly assess situations, identify potential reputational risks and provide clear, practical advice when it matters most. You'll balance competing priorities, maintain exceptional attention to detail and produce high-quality written communications for a range of audiences. Alongside media relations activity, you'll support wider external affairs work, building effective relationships with stakeholders and helping communicate SLC's role and impact.

Success in this role will require strong judgement, resilience, collaboration and the confidence to work across organisational boundaries. We're looking for an experienced communications professional who can build trusted relationships, provide credible advice and deliver high-quality work in a complex and fast-moving environment. You'll join a supportive team with ambitions to strengthen how communications and external affairs contribute across the organisation

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview.

The Legal Bits

We’ll need you to confirm you have the right to work in the UK. If we offer you a job and you accept, there are some background checks we need to complete before you can start with us. This will include employment history, criminal record check, credit reference check and fraud check.

EDI

As a proud Disability Confident Leader, we’re committed to creating an inclusive recruitment experience that empowers people of all abilities. Our team actively promotes accessible hiring practices, supports candidates with disabilities throughout their employment journey to help build a diverse equitable workplace at SLC.

SLC will make reasonable adjustments for those who consider themselves to have a disability or long-term condition in line with the Equality Act 2010. Our application process provides candidates with the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments but if you would like to discuss this in more detail, please email ask_recruitment@slc.co.uk.

Use of AI in Job Applications

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see Candidate Guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.