Communications Officer

Salary: £28,000 a year

Location: Loughborough / home working

Job type: Permanent, full-time

Closing date: Sunday 8th November 2026

Reports to: Marketing and Communications Manager

Background

British Wheelchair Basketball is the national governing body for wheelchair basketball in the United Kingdom. We are a registered charity and representative body of wheelchair basketball in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

We are responsible for delivering the sport at all levels, from grassroots to the GB teams who compete at the Paralympic Games. We run domestic leagues and competitions, run coaching and development programmes and qualifications for coaches and officials, and support a network of clubs across the country. We also run the GB elite performance programme and the development pathways that underpin it.

This is an exciting time to join us as we grow the sport’s profile, reach and relevancy and strive to make wheelchair basketball an everyday sport in the UK and Northern Ireland.

Overview of the Role

We are seeking to appoint a motivated and proactive Communications Officer to join the Marketing and Communications team at British Wheelchair Basketball. The Communications Officer will play a key role in delivering online and offline communications activity, activation of PR functions, assisting in the promotion and growth of wheelchair basketball as a sport within the UK. This includes press releases, news posts, newsletters, and supporting content created for social media.

The role will be responsible for communications output, primarily through digital channels, that inspires and engages new players to the sport, supports the engagement of existing members, celebrates the achievements of our domestic leagues, and shines a spotlight on the international success of our GB teams. The Communications Officer will work across the wider BWB team and stakeholders to ensure that delivery is of a high quality and meets all strategic aims.

The role will include regular weekend and out of hours working given the nature of working in sport.

Responsibilities:

• Plan and execute communications content alongside wider Marketing and Communications team for our website, newsletter, press outlets, social media channels, and stakeholders
• Lead on handling media requests and management of press contacts, including attending media briefing events and activities
• Lead responsible for BWB newsletters and content CRM, such as MailChimp
• Responsible for creating engaging and informative content around our sport, including domestic leagues, recreational activities, and performance squads
• Collaborate with Digital Marketing and Communications Officer on social media content
• Use domestic, national and international events to showcase the sport
• Drive engagement with all key stakeholders, including commercial partners, the playing community and other stakeholders
• Evidence success through analytics reports
• Work collaboratively with the wider BWB team to ensure that all key events, messaging, and campaigns are supported

Other:

• Support the smooth running of the sport, including competitions and events where required
• Support the implantation of the BWB Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan
• Ensuring the health, safety and welfare of all involved with wheelchair basketball
• Following safeguarding procedures for children and adults
• Undertaking other duties as appropriate to achieve BWB objectives

PERSON SPECIFICATION

SKILLS / COMPETENCIES

• Verbal communication – able to communicate clearly and confidently in speech (Essential)
• Written communication – able to communicate effectively, considerately and clearly in writing (Essential)
• Analysing and investigating – gather information systematically to establish facts and principles. Problem solving (Essential)
• Initiative / self-motivation – able to act on initiative, identify opportunities and proactive in putting forward ideas and solutions (Essential)
• Drive – determination to get things done. Make sure things happen and constantly looking for better ways of doing things (Essential)
• Planning and organising – able to plan activities and carry them through effectively (Essential)
• Flexibility – adapt successfully to changing situations and environments (Essential)
• Time management – manage time effectively, prioritise tasks and able to work to deadlines (Essential)
• Commercial awareness – understand the commercial realities affecting the organisation (Desirable)

EXPERIENCE/KNOWLEDGE (specific to the role)

• A minimum of 3 years’ experience in a communications / media role (Essential)
• A good understanding of communications channels and social media, and their application within a business setting. (Essential)
• Ability to clearly and concisely communicate about sport and articulate this interest. (Essential)
• Highly experienced in writing and distributing press releases, and the management of PR contacts (Essential)
• Ability to conduct interviews and craft written / verbal content around a subject (Essential)
• Experience of website content management systems (Essential)
• Good administration skills with the ability to track tasks through to completion (Essential)
• Experienced in creating effective, high-quality newsletters, and is able to produce professional reviews of how they perform (Essential)
• Experienced in using newsletter CRM systems such as MailChimp (Essential)
• Excellent IT skills and experience of Microsoft suite (Essential)
• Excellent customer service standards (Essential)
• Working understanding of inclusion, equality and safeguarding in sport (Essential)
• Experience of digital marketing and social media (Desirable)
• Experience of budget management (Desirable)

QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree or equivalent experience (Desirable)

Useful information

The appointment may be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

For more information, including an overview of our strategy please visit our website: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/about/governance/strategy/

There may be unsociable hours such as evenings and weekends involved with the post with regular event working throughout the season.

British Wheelchair Basketball is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from all qualified individuals. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.