PR and Content Assistant

Job Description

About MCS

MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) is the UK’s national quality mark for small-scale renewable technology, such as solar panels and heat pumps. We’re here to set standards and provide protection, giving consumers confidence to invest in renewable technologies to heat and power their homes and small businesses. Working with industry, MCS defines, maintains, and improves quality, by setting standards for low-carbon energy technology products, contractors, and their installations.

Now is an exciting time to join MCS; especially as we plan to launch changes to Scheme, which will have a greater focus on consumer protections, quality workmanship, and dispute resolution. 2024 was a record-breaking year for the small-scale renewables industry in terms of installations and we look forward to continuing our vital role in driving forward the UK’s progress towards Net Zero.

Our People

As an MCS employee, you will have the ability to demonstrate, understand and apply our company values. These are embedded in all roles across the business, and you should evidence these values as part of the application process:

• We are open and inclusive
• We are understanding
• We are expert
• We are innovative
• We are principled
• We are passionate

We are a strong and ambitious team of nearly 70 and growing. People are at the heart of MCS. We empower each other, support each other, and work together to achieve our goals. From members of our team who are just starting their journey as an apprentice, to those who have worked in renewables for years, we have wide range of talents and expertise.

The Communications Team

The MCS communications team is a small, but talented group of people supporting the company in managing public and media relationships, organising and overseeing industry, stakeholder, and internal events, and managing our digital channels including social media and the MCS website.

The team supports everyone across our business creating vibrant content and exciting stories from our rich data that positively engages with our stakeholders, including installers, manufacturers, consumers, and policymakers.

Our communications function is at the heart of our operations; helping us to showcase the very best of our standards, installer community and industry-leading insight. We are ambitious for the future, driven to innovate and stand out.

Work in the communications team is fast-paced, intellectually stimulating, and multi-faceted. As a member of the team, you will be integral to ensuring our messages reach the right audiences in a timely and effective manner. A talented ‘people person’, you will naturally be able to develop and maintain relationships with stakeholders. You will be a confident self-starter with exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

Working closely with the communications team, market development colleagues and analysts across the company, you will be a dab hand at producing engaging content for various channels, planning communications alongside our digital and events teams and evaluating and reporting impact.

A commitment to working the occasional evening, weekend or away from home is expected.

Main role and responsibilities:

As PR and Content Assistant, you’ll use your exceptional written communication skills to create impactful and informative content for MCS. With an onus on delivering results in the press, you’ll identify opportunities to communicate our key messages across trade, regional, national, and broadcast media, all while building strong relationships with journalists and crafting content that is tailored to the target audience. You will use your knowledge of the media landscape to report back to the MCS team on the impact that our earned media activity is having on the wider business. You will also develop a deep understanding of the small-scale renewables landscape, sharing relevant industry news internally to ensure the business remains up-to-date on the sector.

You will also support in the creation of owned media content; for the website, internal communications, and supporting with events where required e.g. creating descriptions for panels and speaking opportunities. As a strong writer with good knowledge of the industry and its key issues, your copy will be relevant, on message, and in the correct tone of voice for our audience(s).

What you’ll do:

• Develop a knowledge and understanding of the scheme and technologies to allow you to complete your duties and fulfil your role
• Assist in delivering strong, innovative and creative communications through research writing, editing and proofreading: dissemination across multiple channels
• Help promote MCS’s work through creative press releases, case studies, blogs, and opinion pieces and respond quickly to topical discussions and events
• Establish strong working relationships with journalists, key media contacts, and stakeholders
• Assist with planning, developing and delivering communication strategies for our campaigns and priority work.
• Ensure coverage reports are up-to-date and appropriate for sharing with Senior Leadership Team
• Assist with writing, editing, developing and updating MCS’s website, ensuring that content is relevant, up to date and engaging
• Help with the design , production, copywriting and distribution of marketing and communications materials, using both print and online methods
• Assist with the planning and delivery of internal and external exhibitions and events
• Assist with the promotion of external events, including our calendar of industry webinars, trade shows and company away days
• Undertake general administration on behalf of the comms or wider MCS team including booking transport, meeting room and hospitality
• To become aligned to and embody the MCS brand and act as its advocate for the company, ensuring that all brand guidelines are always followed. You will ensure that all MCS communications are ‘on message’ and adopt the right tone for the audiences.

Person specification

Knowledge

• A degree or equivalent qualification in communications, marketing, English, or equivalent experience (Essential)
• A strong understanding of the communications landscape and best practices (Essential)
• Ability to write and edit copy for a range of audiences and channels (Essential)
• Ability to deliver integrated communications plans using a broad mix of channels (Desirable)
• A strong understanding of the small-scale renewables technology sector (Desirable)

Skills

• Exceptional written, verbal, and non-verbal communication skills (Essential)
• Strong copywriting and proofreading skills with a natural flair for spelling and grammar, alongside the ability to write in different tones effectively (Essential)
• Strong media relations skills, with an ability to build relationships with journalists and identify opportunities in the press (Desirable)
• Highly organised with strong organisational and administration skills to prioritise workload and set deadlines (Essential)
• Ability to understand complex and technical policy issues and translate them into clear messaging and target-driven communications (Desirable)

Behaviours

• An enthusiastic team player with the ability to work collaboratively, build capability, deliver insight and inspire the confidence of colleagues (Essential)
• A track record of building and maintaining high-level relationships with key stakeholders, internally and externally: ideally with a working knowledge of government (Essential)
• Self-motivated and ambitious with the ability to manage conflicting priorities well (Essential)
• A commitment to personal development and a desire to expand knowledge of the communications function (Essential)
• Willing to work flexibly to cater to media deadlines / journalist requests (Essential)
• Willing to travel across the UK to attend events and meeting as required (Essential)

Why you’ll love working for MCS

Aside from the exciting and challenging role, the people, our culture, and our mission, we have some amazing benefits that make MCS a pretty awesome place to work. Here’s a few favourites among our team:

• Our Team: We are an energetic sociable and talented bunch who are super passionate about what we do and determined to make a difference. We are friendly, supportive, collaborative and we learn from each other every day.
• Holiday: 25 days’ annual leave per annum – increasing to 28 days with three years’ service, and to 30 days with five years’ service
• Social Events: regular yoga in the office, dress-down Fridays, and more.
• Wellbeing: Medicash healthcare plan with the highest level of cover. Access to Mental Health First Aider, up to 8 counselling sessions
• Complimentary Food & Drink: Weekly provision of organic free fruit, breads, spreads, breakfast items, tea, coffee, soft drinks, and team lunches.
• Supportive HR Policies: Enhanced Maternity, Paternity leave, sick leave, and emergency paid leave, life assurance 5x your salary, income protection
• Grow with MCS: Access to and support with continuous professional development
• Subscriptions: Payment of one professional subscription per year
• New Starters: Welcome lunch with the CEO
• Company Pension: 8% company contribution
• Working week: 37.5 hours with flexible working options
• Salary Sacrifice Schemes: Cycle to work, EV lease scheme
• Free Parking

Don’t meet every single requirement?We know that sometimes people can be put off applying for a job if they think they can’t tick every box but we realise the ‘perfect candidate’ doesn’t exist. So, if you can do most of what we’re looking for, go ahead and apply. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles!

To apply, please send a CV and covering letter outlining how you meet the person specification and why you have applied for the role.

Email: careers@mcscertified.com

The closing date is Friday 31st January, 9.00am

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: From £26,780.00 per year

Benefits:

• Bereavement leave
• Company events
• Company pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Discounted or free food
• Enhanced maternity leave
• Enhanced paternity leave
• Free parking
• Health & wellbeing programme
• On-site gym
• On-site parking
• Sick pay
• Work from home

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 31/01/2025
Reference ID: PR & Content Assistant