Portland is a strategic communications consultancy trusted by some of the highest profile organizations, brands, governments, and individuals in the UK and around the world. We have global offices in London, Paris, Brussels, Washington DC, Singapore, Doha and Nairobi and Berlin.
We are pioneers in integrated communications campaigns, helping clients manage their reputation, improve their visibility and media coverage – and deliver global communications campaigns across multiple platforms.
Our teams of experienced consultants invest time to understand clients from the inside out, work with them to set clear strategic direction, and then bring the whole of Portland’s abilities to bear to deliver on their objectives.
At Portland we never rest on our laurels; we constantly strive to improve our work and be at the forefront of our industry.
The role
At Portland, we offer a 12-week internship within each of our client facing teams and we encourage you to express your interest in working at Portland here!
We are looking for candidates who are available to come on board for 12 weeks and are passionate about pursuing a career in PR and Communications. You’ll be allocated a team to join, gaining experience in various communications projects, for UK and global clients and will be embedded in account teams throughout the business. The role is likely to include content creation, copywriting, policy research and supporting events, presenting an opportunity to learn from some of the best PR and Communications consultants in the industry. We offer internships within our Corporate Communications, PA & Policy, International, Health, and Litigation and Disputes teams.
Key responsibilities
- Monitoring political, parliamentary, media and social media activity, sometimes on a daily basis.
- Conducting research and helping account teams to map relevant stakeholders across the media, politics, policy and specialisms, whether that be Healthcare, Philanthropy, Crisis and Reputation Management, Campaigning, Digital, Financial and Professional Services or Sport.
- Helping to draft media materials, building distribution lists and selling-in press releases and feature items.
- Working with account teams to draft communications content.
- Helping to organise events: parliamentary launches, press conferences, large scale workshops etc.
- Undertaking research for new business and participating in the development of proposals.
We’re looking for candidates who
- Have a good feel for communications work, preferably with some experience of external communications, for example social media for a charity or university group, speaking to stakeholders as part of a project etc.
- Are organised, with the ability to manage your workload and work to deadlines.
- Can analyse information and provide concise insight to tight deadlines with accuracy and relevance.
- Can communicate confidently with colleagues.
- Are logical, quick, and flexible in the appraisal of problems.
- Can present findings and insight clearly and accurately to a range of audiences.
- Are proficient in the use of database and internet tools, and Microsoft Office (Word, Outlook, Excel, Teams).
Qualifications and skills
- We’re open to seeing candidates with degrees or the equivalent such as apprenticeships or similar diplomas.
- Previous experience of PR research, working or interning at an agency/press office, managing professional social media channels or a post graduate qualification in a relevant subject area would be an advantage.
- Exceptional written and oral communication skills.
- An additional language is advantageous, especially French at full professional proficiency.
- A professional interest in Healthcare, Philanthropy, Crisis and Reputation Management, Campaigning, Digital, Financial and Professional Services or Sport would be advantageous.
Other information
This is a Talent Pool where we keep profiles of candidates that would like to be a part of our internship programme, and we’ll get in touch with you if we feel your profile fits, when and as we’re looking to hire the next intern in each area of the business.
Unfortunately, due to the high volume of applications we receive it is not possible to respond directly to all applicants, only to those whose candidacy is being pursued. In addition, the length of the recruitment process varies based on the vacancy needs. Traditionally, the process takes approximately 3-4 weeks. Therefore, your patience is greatly appreciated.
What we offer in return
At Portland we take a flexible approach to hybrid working and encourage our colleagues to do the same. We are committed to employee development and have an open doors culture where you will have the opportunity to learn from some of the most experienced people in the business.
