Media Relations Manager
Reckitt
Marketing & Communications
Slough, UK
Posted on Aug 4, 2025
We are Reckitt
Home to the world's best loved and trusted hygiene, health, and nutrition brands. Our purpose defines why we exist: to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. We are a global team united by this purpose. Join us in our fight to make access to the highest quality hygiene, wellness, and nourishment a right and not a privilege.
Corporate Communications & External Affairs
Our communications and external affairs team are at the very heart of Reckitt's brand, purpose and products, bringing them to life around the globe for our employees, consumers, investors, governments and our suppliers. It's a rewarding task, growing and protecting Reckitt's image and brand. Every day, we design public relations and communication strategies that build awareness, trust and relationships, while steering us away from reputational risk. We do this by gathering and maintaining knowledge of our policies, principles, and business strategies, while keeping up-to-date with relevant developments right across our business units and trusted brands. From digital, media and events to employee experience, strategic relationships, and community partners, we identify opportunities to deliver on our business and sustainability agenda, while proactively identifying storylines and opportunities to advance our narrative.
About the role
We are looking for a skilled and proactive Media Relations Manager to step into a high-impact, fast-moving in-house role on our dynamic Corporate Affairs and Communications team. You will be responsible for protecting, shaping and promoting the company’s reputation, through proactive and reactive media engagement. You will engage and liaise with Reckitt’s brands, agencies, and corporate communications colleagues to help develop, pitch and secure earned media stories that communicate the company’s narrative to external audiences and amplify Reckitt’s corporate reputation.
Whether you’re currently in-house or at a top-tier communications agency, you’ll bring a strong understanding of media strategy, reputation management and stakeholder engagement. Reporting to the Global Media Relations Director, you will work closely with leaders and cross-functional teams to craft and tell compelling stories, support day-to-day media engagement, manage reputational issues and contribute to strategic campaigns that build understanding and confidence in Reckitt as a world-class consumer health and hygiene company.
This is an exciting time to join a high-performing function that is investing in its communications capabilities.
Your responsibilities
- Develop and execute proactive media strategies that align with corporate priorities and promote the company’s corporate reputation, brands, innovation, and business performance.
- Act as a day-to-day press contact, managing corporate media inquiries with accuracy, speed and strategic judgement.
- Draft and edit media materials, including press releases, statements, Q&As, briefing documents and op-eds.
- Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key journalists and media outlets across business, consumer, lifestyle, trade and digital channels.
- Support financial communications activities, including media engagement around earnings announcements and other financial calendar events. Translate complex financial data into accessible, accurate messaging for external audiences.
- Monitor traditional and social media coverage, flagging issues impacting the company and industry, providing regular insights and analysis to internal stakeholders.
- Support crisis communications and issues management as needed, working with crisis management team, legal and senior leaders.
- Partner with internal stakeholders including Investor Relations, Legal, Human Resources, Brands, Sustainability and Supply to identify positive stories, gather information and align messaging.
- Assist in preparing senior executives for media interviews, including briefing documents and message training.
- Help generate and populate editorial calendar to ensure an ongoing drumbeat of stories.
The experience we're looking for
- Approximately 5-7 years’ experience in media relations, public relations, or corporate communications, ideally within or supporting FTSE100/Fortune500 businesses.
- Strong grasp of UK and international media landscapes with a network of media contacts.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a sharp news sense and strong attention to detail.
- Proven ability to manage multiple projects and respond quickly in high-pressure situations.
- Digitally native mindset with fluency in online tools and platforms – including AI-powered solutions – to enhance efficiency, insight generation and media engagement.
- Ability to collaborate effectively across functions and influence internal stakeholders.
- Commercial awareness and understanding of reputational drivers in the consumer goods/FMCG sectors.
The skills for success
Emotional intelligence, Listening skills, Writing skills, Presentation skills, Interpersonal skills, Digital skills, Research skills, Time management skills, Adaptability, Stakeholder engagement and influence, Strategic thinking, Risk management, Business Accumen, Leadership, Brand Strategy, Relationship management.
What we offer
With inclusion at the heart of everything we do, working alongside our four global Employee Resource Groups, we support our people at every step of their career journey, helping them to succeed in their own individual way. We invest in the wellbeing of our people through parental benefits, an Employee Assistance Program to promote mental health, and life insurance for all employees globally. We have a range of other benefits in line with the local market. Through our global share plans we offer the opportunity to save and share in Reckitt's potential future successes. For eligible roles, we also offer short-term incentives to recognise, appreciate and reward your work for delivering outstanding results. You will be rewarded in line with Reckitt's pay for performance philosophy.
Equality
We recognise that in real life, great people don't always 'tick all the boxes'. That's why we hire for potential as well as experience. Even if you don't meet every point on the job description, if this role and our company feels like a good fit for you, we still want to hear from you. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, disability or medical condition; colour, ethnicity, race, citizenship, and national origin; religion, faith; pregnancy, family status and caring responsibilities; sexual orientation; sex, gender identity, gender expression, and transgender identity; protected veteran status; size or any other basis protected by appropriate law.