Starting Date: ASAP/October-November 2024

Contract type: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: London – GBP 57’400 p.a.; Netherlands – EUR 65,000 p.a.; Sweden – SEK 58,000 p.m.

Location: London, UK, Netherlands, Sweden, EU countries can be considered

Application closing date: 10th September 2024

About The Job

Are you purpose-led and ready to embark on a journey to shape the future of sustainable cotton? Join us at Better Cotton as Media & Content Manager and lead a team responsible for delivering high-impact communications for the world’s largest cotton sustainability initiative – we support more sustainable farming practices and farm livelihoods for nearly 3 million farmers in the Better Cotton network in 23 countries around the world.

The mission of the Communications team is to engage targeted audiences, enhance Better Cotton’s brand and thought leadership and amplify its impact. Led by the Director of Communication, the team comprises four key sub-functions – Events, Media & Content, Stakeholder Communications, and Policy & Advocacy. As a cohesive unit, we serve as a hub of excellence, ensuring seamless coordination across various functions, techniques and platforms in alignment with the global communications strategy.

The Key Aspects About The Role Are

• Ensuring the success of Better Cotton’s strategic plan by communicating the organisation’s work, profile and values to the global, regional, national media as well as social media in alignment with management and country leads.
• Driving media (traditional and digital) coverage which raises the profile, reputation, credibility and influence of Better Cotton, its experts and messages.
• Collaborating with the Events, Stakeholder and Policy & Advocacy roles to maximise opportunities.
• Working with the Sr Communications Manager, Communications Director and other leadership to further Better Cotton’s credibility and reputation amongst a diversified group of stakeholders via the media and social media engagement.

The Challenge

The Media and Content Manager is a new role reporting to the Senior Communications Manager, who leads the Media & Content and Stakeholders sub-functions. This role is crucial in executing and strengthening the organisation’s media approach across international, national and local levels, while also expanding its digital communications presence.

We are looking for a seasoned media relations professional with a proven track record of securing global media coverage and managing issues and crises. This role will also involve creating digital content creation and social media management. The role will have line management responsibilities.

Collaborating closely with the broader communications team and key internal stakeholders, the Media & Content Manager will help enhance Better Cotton’s reputation, credibility and influence through a strategic and integrated approach to storytelling and impact.

Areas that play to your strengths

We are seeking a motivated Media & Content Manager to join our Communications Team.

In this role, you will be responsible for the following workstreams:

Media Relations

• Actively cultivates relationships with key media outlets, journalists and leading voices on social media, secures coverage and furthers the Better Cotton mission.
• Monitors the media landscape to proactively identify opportunities and risks for Better Cotton, including drafting and distributing PR/advisory notes, developing op-eds, drafting FAQs, pitching stories, managing media enquiries.
• Provides media intelligence and hands on media crisis support to the Better Cotton offices around the world.

Content, Social Media and Website Management

• Creates and curates high-quality, engaging multimedia content for our global social media channels and website to effectively communicate the story and impact of Better Cotton
• Develops and tracks media and social media engagement metrics to measure success, identify areas for improvement and adjust approaches accordingly
• Keeps up to date with the latest trends, tools and best practices in social media and media to ensure Better Cotton at the forefront of digital and media innovation.

Team collaboration and line management

• Works closely with internal stakeholders such as the key function and programme leads to support the development of media and social media strategies, secure coverage and create thought leadership content, including speaking engagements.
• Manages and supports staff development, including line management responsibilities
• Actively participates as part of the core team in key global fora (Annual Conference, Climate and Biodiversity CoPs, CGI etc) especially with related communication opportunities.
• Contribute to the production of key organizational publications – e.g. Annual Report, Country Impact Reports, LCA reports etc
• Works closely with the Senior Communications Manager and the Director of Communications to provide training and advice to the Leadership

We Are Looking For Someone Who Has

the following skills, knowledge, and experience:

• Proven success and extensive experience in international media relations, stakeholder management or a related field, as well as good knowledge in social media, digital influence areas and event participation.
• Excellent written and spoken English – French, Portuguese, Urdu or Hindi an advantage
• Attention to detail, diplomacy and discretion
• Ability to work as part of a team in a multicultural environment and across time zones
• Prepared to undertake some international travel

What We Offer

• Competitive salary
• Hybrid working – Two to three days/week in the offices central London, or remote working from EU locations
• The opportunity to work from anywhere in the world for up to one month per year
• Flexible working, with core hours from 10 am to 4 pm local time (specific working hours to be determined by the line manager)
• Continuous learning and development
• Pension scheme
• 25 days paid annual leave, plus 8-9 Bank Holidays and a further 3 discretionary days off over Christmas
• Enhanced parental benefits
• A warm, positive working environment where everyone is valued
• The opportunity to make your mark and make a difference.

Working arrangements

The position is full-time (40 hours per week) and will be based either in London or a determined EU country. Better Cotton offers flexible working, with core hours being 10 am – 4 pm (specific working hours to be determined by the line manager). The position will require limited travel.

Apply now

Send us your CV (2 pages maximum) and a brief cover letter (1-page maximum) by or before 10.09.2024.

In your cover letter, please include an explanation of why your experience is specifically relevant to this role at Better Cotton. We want to see your personal style – what makes you tick and why you think your next opportunity is here with us.

Our hiring process

Initial Screening

If you are selected, you will be contacted for an initial screening, which may involve a brief phone interview or video call. The purpose is to learn more about you, confirm basic qualifications, and discuss the role and organisation.

Interviews

If you are confirmed after the initial screening, you will be invited for interviews. The interview process at Better Cotton may include one or more rounds of interviews with various stakeholders, such as the hiring manager, team members, and potentially senior management.

Assessment And Testing

Depending on the role, you might be required to complete assessments, technical tests, or skills evaluations to gauge your competency and suitability for the position.

Reference Checks

Once you progress further in the process, reference checks are conducted to validate your work history, skills, and qualifications, and for some roles, your education and criminal history.

Offer Stage

After completing interviews, assessments, and reference checks, the hiring team evaluates your performance and fit for the role. If you are selected and your references are relevant and satisfactory, you will receive a formal job offer letter outlining the terms of employment, compensation, benefits, and any other relevant details.

About Better Cotton

Better Cotton is the world’s largest cotton sustainability programme. Our 200+ colleagues of 37+ nationalities are united by a shared passion and commitment to achieving the Better Cotton mission: to help cotton communities survive and thrive, while protecting and restoring the environment. Through our network of field-level partners a quarter of the world’s cotton is now grown under the Better Cotton Standard. We have united the industry’s stakeholders behind our efforts, from ginners and spinners to brand owners, civil society organisations and governments. Everyone who cares about cotton and its sustainable future can now be part of something better.

About Our Values

The post holder will be expected to operate in line with our workplace values which are:

• Trustworthy (including honest, transparent, credible)
• As having Integrity (including responsible, authentic)
• Positive (including problem-solving, pragmatic)
• Engaging (including adaptable, inclusive, holistic)
• Daring (including courageous, innovative, game-changing)

Being you @ Better Cotton

Better Cotton is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer with a strong commitment to good practice and transparency in the management of natural, human, and financial resources.

We have a zero-tolerance approach to any attitudes or behaviours that put children or adults at risk of harm. Safeguarding incidents are acts of serious misconduct and are grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including, dismissal and referral to relevant authorities for criminal prosecution. Therefore, all offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks.

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