We’re Pret: proud makers of freshly made food, organic coffee, and big ideas. Across 750+ shops and 20+ countries, our teams are shaping the future of Pret through innovation, inclusion, great customer service and a shared passion for doing the right thing. We’re growing fast on our mission to be the employer of choice in hospitality, everywhere we operate – so this an exciting time to hop on board.
Doing the right thing has always been central to Pret’s values. At the heart of this commitment is The Pret Foundation, established over 30 years ago with a simple but powerful mission: to alleviate hunger and help tackle homelessness.
We Believe in Growing Good Things
Growth is at the heart of everything we do. From the freshly hand-made food we create every day, to supporting our teams, we help our people grow in confidence, skills and to pursue their unique paths. Pret is where passionate, hardworking, wonderful people (like you!) find what they need to shine. And the proof is in the pudding – over 80% of our managers started on the shop floor! So did 20% of our Support Centre teams, including our CEO, Pano.
What we’re looking for
With a third of the UK population living pay cheque to pay cheque, many are just one step away from homelessness. We are looking for passionate team players who want to make a real difference, changing lives and sharing the positive impact Pret is creating through its Foundation.
As interim Communications and Events Manager, you will join a lean but effective team and lead on building the profile of The Pret Foundation with both colleagues and customers and develop fundraising initiatives that drive engagement and growth. You’ll be joining at a time when we’re refreshing our strategy and celebrating Pret’s 40th anniversary so we’re looking for a highly motivated individual who can juggle a myriad of priorities and is able to operate with high levels of autonomy.
Key responsibilities
- Lead the development and delivery of The Pret Foundation communications plan
- Work with key stakeholders to develop and deliver an annual calendar of engagement events for colleagues – including a challenge event and auction.
- Stay closely connected to the Foundation’s strategy development process, leading internal and external launch communications in the second half of the year
- Build strong relationships with Pret Marketing team to create and oversee any Foundation campaigns across print and digital, from planning to approval.
- Lead the development and delivery of compelling content across digital and social channels, including creating impactful case studies to increase engagement and raise awareness.
- Keep abreast of brand development work and how best Pret can demonstrate the social impact it is having through its Foundation to its consumers.
- Own and deliver a consistent cadence of internal communications across channels (e.g. Weekly Pret, Team Brief), bringing impactful stories to life
- Support the People Function as part of annual colleague survey to gauge awareness and recommend where improvements can be made.
- Explore new fundraising initiatives and support the development of new channels such as round up at tills.
- Set and manage robust and accurate budgets in line with organisational timescales and requirements, working closely with the Finance Manager to ensure activities are delivered on time and to budget.
- Define and track key metrics to measure the effectiveness of communications and campaigns, using insights to continuously improve
- Act as a key point of contact for Foundation communications, influencing stakeholders and ensuring consistency of messaging across the business
Experience and Skills required
- Proven experience in a communications role, with responsibility for developing and delivering communication plans or strategies
- Strong writing, storytelling and content creation skills, with the ability to translate complex ideas into clear, engaging messages
- Experience managing digital channels and integrated campaigns
- Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to influence and challenge constructively
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver at pace in a fast-moving environment
- Experience using data and insights to evaluate and improve communications effectiveness
- Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain high standards across all outputs
- Experience in events or large-scale colleague engagement activities (desirable)
- Experience in purpose-led, charity or social impact environments (desirable but not essential)
About you
- Be kind, honest and generous: bring genuine warmth and your authentic self to work every day.
- Bring your passion: share our passion for food and exceptional customer service.
- Spread joy every day: small acts of kindness are a big part of what makes the Pret experience special.
We offer
- £45,000–£50,000 per annum, pro-rated for the six-month contract, plus a 10% completion bonus, subject to successful delivery of agreed objectives.
- Gold Card: We love making people’s day through our food and drinks. That goes for our teams too. That’s why everyone gets a Gold Card. When you’re in the office, your food and drinks are on us. And when you’re not, you can use your Gold Card to get up to 5 Barista-made drinks a day, and 50% off everything else (food, snacks, bottled drinks – the lot).
A few more perks
- You’ll get 33 days of annual leave (including flexible Bank Holidays) pro-rated for the duration of the six-month contract.
- Free private medical cover, with the option to add family or partner at an additional cost
- 4% of your pension contribution matched by Pret,
- Life assurance at 3x annual salary
- Flexible Benefits Platform packed with lifestyle discounts
- Season ticket loans
- Healthcare cash plan
- Financial wellbeing provisions
- Free mortgage services
- Opportunities to support our charity, The Pret Foundation
We also offer
- Individual ways to grow - We offer lots of opportunities for learning, whether you join us for a short stint or the long game, you’re good to grow with us. Including fully funded professional qualifications, leadership development and mentoring.
- Diversity and belonging - Everyone is welcome at Pret, we want you to feel confident and valued for who you are and to truly belong.
- Pace and variety - Our work is fast paced with lots of variety, you’ll build a diverse skill set and learn a lot!
- Community and purpose - We’re proud to make a difference through The Pret Foundation, from tackling homelessness to reducing food waste and creating positive change for people and communities.
Our values
- Happy Teams Happy Customers
- Amazing Standards Every day
- Never Standing Still
- Doing The Right Thing
The interview journey
Every interview process at Pret begins with the same two stages. First, you’ll have a relaxed 30-minute conversation with our recruitment team so we can get to know you and your experience. Next, you’ll be invited to a one-hour, in-person interview with the hiring manager at our Head Office in London Victoria.
Depending on the role and function, there may be additional stages. These could include time spent in one of our shops, completing a task, or meeting a senior leader.
Before you apply
This role is based at Pret’s Support Centre in London Victoria, where we work in a hybrid way - typically three days a week in the office.
We’d love to get to know you, not a robot, so please do not rely on AI to complete your application.
