Jamie Harding

Senior media and communications leader with extensive experience running high-performing press offices, shaping organisational narrative, and delivering strategic communications in complex, high-profile environments. Proven track record of translating technical, policy and operational work into compelling public-facing stories that influence national conversation.

Proven ability to manage agencies, lead teams, handle high-risk reputational issues, and deliver creative, insight-driven campaigns that engage consumer and specialist audiences. Skilled at cross-department collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and shaping organisational narrative in fast-paced environments.

Senior Press Officer, Sport England (March 2020 - April 2023; June 2024 - present)

• Elevate the profile of Sport England and its wider work, identifying opportunities to showcase the organisation's wide range of expertise to media, government, and those involved in delivering grassroots sport and physical activity
• Management of media liaison, exercising sound judgment and decision-making to handle over 150+ national and regional media enquiries each year
• Preparation and publication of press releases, op-eds, media responses and information briefings, Q&As and other written communications
• Development of relationships with key press contacts across the fields of sport, sport news, travel, education, health and social affairs
• Leading of This Girl Can's continued policy work on the issue of women's safety in active spaces, including developing new partnerships and delivering milestone multi-platform communications campaigns
• Managed reputational risks surrounding discrimination in sport, safeguarding and welfare incidents and high-profile governance controversies

Head of Media (Interim), Sport England (April 2023 - June 2024)

• Oversaw the press office, managing both proactive and reactive media engagement for Sport England
• Responsible for driving a coordinated approach to Sport England's PR activity, ensuring alignment to the organisation's strategic objectives and communications grid
• Led stakeholder liaison and media handling of projects and workstreams including of review of A Code for Sports Governance, the Whyte Review into British Gymnastics and the £300m Winter Sport Survival Package to support spectator sports through the COVID-19 pandemic (delivered on behalf of DCMS)
• Built a strong network of contacts with key journalists and outlets to enhance Sport England's media planning and ability to generate positive coverage
• Created compelling national media campaigns, identifying proactive opportunities to raise the profile of Sport England and the organisation's work
• Oversaw evaluation of Sport England's PR activity, measuring impact against organisational priorities while reporting into the organisation's Executive Team and Board
• Delivered improved organisational working with colleagues across with Marketing & Activations, Public Affairs and Digital to help deliver organisational aims in the strongest and most efficient manner possible

Major Events PR Manager, British Athletics (October 2017 - March 2020)

• Led communications strategy for British Athletics' TV events held across the UK
• Worked with rights holder broadcasters – including BBC and Sky Sports – to enhance outputs
• Partnered with globally renowned athletes to deliver promotional activity and moments
• Planned and produced print/online and digital campaigns across owned social media channels and paid media partners, including with national media titles and platforms
• Running of a 15-person event day team, including overseeing the work done by teams covering broadcaster and photographer management, flash quotes, media zones and athlete liaison
• Oversaw an annual PR and media operation budget sheet of £500K
• Line-managed temporary summer staff recruited to strengthen in-house communications

Media Operations Manager, World Athletics Indoor Championships Birmingham 2018 (March 2018, secondment

• Managed the athlete mixed zone across four days of the championships, liaising with international media

News Service Manager, World Athletics Championships London 2017 (August 2017, secondment)

• Worked on the championships' new service team, issuing updates, quotes & stories to international media

Press Officer, British Athletics (August 2016 – September 2017)

• Served as a team Press Officer, travelling internationally with British teams to deliver press activity, serving as a spokesperson and covering off on content creation and general reporting
• Led content creation and production of event programmes for British Athletics' in-house TV events, including the London Anniversary Games and Birmingham Diamond League

Media & Communications Assistant, British Athletics (April 2016 - August 2016)

Public Relations & Communications Intern, Acorns Children's Hospice (January 2016 - April 2016)

BA (Hons) in Advertising & Public Relations – Southampton Solent University