External Communications Officer

Because we strive to put people first.  

Culture, our way. 

What’s a career at Primark all about? The positive impact you’re making, the experiences you’re having and the people you’re with. You’re our inspiration. Embrace what sets you apart, own your career and develop in ways you never expected. Leave your mark. And do it your way.  

 What You’ll Get 

People are at the heart of what we do here, so it’s essential we provide you with the right environment to perform at your very best. Let’s talk lifestyle: 

 Let’s talk lifestyle: Healthcare, pension, and potential bonus. 27 days of leave, plus bank holidays and if you want, you can buy 5 more. Because Primark is all about tailoring to you, we offer Tax Saver Tickets, fitness centre, and a subsidised cafeteria.  

What You’ll Do as an External Communications Officer

You’ll be joining our dynamic and fast-paced global external communications team and play a key role in managing our global press office as well as leading and supporting communications and campaigns for our international markets as well as the key business priorities and focus areas for the Corporate Affairs team. You’ll have significant responsibility and get to work on a wide range of projects and with a wide range of stakeholders at all levels.

 From store openings and exciting new global campaigns to our work in the sustainability and diversity & inclusion spaces – you’ll get the chance to make a real difference and play a key role in telling our story to the outside world.

In your role, you’ll collaborate with different people across a range of skillsets. Here’s a flavour of your day-to-day:  

• Press Office: Key team member on Primark’s global 24/7 press office team with responsibilities including but not limited to managing media enquiries to Primark, drafting media responses, keeping press log updated, gathering information from across the business and liaising with our external PR agencies across markets. Providing out of hours and weekend support as part of on-call team rota (generally once a month or less)
• Media Relations: Strong corporate and consumer media relations experience is essential: developing story angles and spotting proactive media opportunities for the brand, developing press releases, media materials and statements, as well as being confident in speaking to the media both proactively and reactively. 
• Drafting Comms Materials: Drafting key messages and Q&A documents, developing briefing notes for spokespeople, liaising with media, identifying potential issues.
• Media Monitoring: Daily monitoring of media coverage, flagging key articles and issues with the External Communications team and wider business when required. Monitor coverage across industry and competitor landscape, keeping up to date on all things fashion and retail, contributing to weekly Corporate Affairs internal newsletter. Work with Social Media Insights team to monitor potential and existing issues.
• Digital Comms: having a digital mindset and creative capabilities when it comes to communications, identifying opportunities to build digital content into announcements or campaigns, and applying a digital lens to all projects.
• Reputation Projects: Working with the Head of External Communications and External Communications Managers on reputation projects in priority European markets, working closely with Primark’s country leaders and external PR agencies to promote and protect brand reputation in our markets.

What You’ll Bring 

Here at Primark, we want everyone to feel valued – so please bring your authentic self to work, of course with some other key experience and abilities for this role in particular: 

• 4-5 years’ experience in Consumer and/or Corporate Communications team in a Communications/PR Agency or In-house Communications/PR Department.
• Experience working with or for a consumer-facing brand and retail/fashion/FMCG experience preferred. International experience is a bonus.
• Excellent communications skills, including strong writing capabilities and attention to detail.
• Knowledge of design platforms like Canva and well versed in social media tools and other related programmes including media monitoring and brand/reputation tracking.
• Experience with issues/crisis management, with the ability to work under pressure and operate calmly in a reactive environment.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and experience in building relationships with a range of stakeholders internally and externally are really important in this role. Ability to manage and engage with stakeholders at all levels.

Does this sound like you? Great, because we can’t wait to see what you’ll bring. You’ll be supported within a team of equally capable people, celebrating who you are and aiding you reach your potential. At Primark, we’re excited about our future - and we’re excited to develop yours.  

About Primark 

At Primark, people matter. They’re the beating heart of our business and the reason we’ve grown from our first store in Dublin in 1969 to a £9bn+ turnover business and over 80,000 colleagues and over 440 stores in 17 countries today. Our values run through everything we do. In essence, we're Caring and always strive to put people first. We're also Dynamic, bravely pushing the boundaries to stay ahead. And finally, we succeed Together. 

If you need any reasonable adjustments or have an accessibility request, during your recruitment journey, such as extended time or breaks between online assessments, a sign language interpreter, mobility access, or assistive technology please contact your talent acquisition specialist. 

All offers of employment are subject to background checks, including right to work, reference education and for some roles criminal, and financial checks. If you have any concerns, please reach out to our talent acquisition team to discuss. 

Job No: JR-301

Our fashion isn’t one-size-fits-all and neither is our culture. Primark promotes equal employment opportunity, we strive to create an inclusive workplace where people can be themselves, access opportunities and thrive together.