Brand & Comms Lead

Responsibilities

• Reputation & Relationships
• - Build and maintain a target relationship map covering trade bodies (e.g. CIWM), Business Improvement Districts, national groups and resellers, industry associations, and government and public-sector procurement bodies
• - Cultivate press and trade-media contacts directly
• - Own the events and conference calendar, including the industry expos, sustainability forums and procurement events First Mile attends, speaks at or sponsors, attending in person and following up on the relationships established
• - Enter and attend industry awards as a relationship and credibility exercise, with partners and customers where possible
• Advocacy & Referrals
• - Run the First Mile referral and advocacy programme, identifying and nurturing happy customers and partners into active advocates through referral schemes, customer events and other activity
• Communications & PR
• - Own the positioning statement, messaging house and tone of voice that content, design, sales collateral and the website work from
• - Assemble the proof points enterprise and public-sector buyers want to see, including compliance, the ESG and B Corp story, case studies and references

Requirements

• What You'll Bring
• Essential
• Experience
• - Proven experience in a senior brand, communications, PR or partnerships role, ideally in a B2B environment
• - A track record of building and developing relationships with trade bodies, industry associations, public-sector organisations or media that have raised a brand's profile and delivered commercial results
• - Experience leading and developing a team, including content and design specialists
• - Experience owning a brand or communications budget and linking activity to leads, pipeline and revenue
• Knowledge & technical capability
• - Strong knowledge of brand positioning, messaging and tone of voice
• - Strong PR and press office capability, including media relations and reputation and crisis communications

Preferred

• Experience in sustainability, waste management, facilities management or public-sector procurement
• An existing network across trade bodies, industry associations or trade media relevant to the sector
• Experience of brand architecture or brand integration through M&A
• Experience communicating ESG or B Corp credentials
• A relevant professional qualification or membership, such as CIPR or CIM

Benefits

• The opportunity to make a real impact within a growing, purpose-driven B Corp
• A collaborative and supportive team with genuine investment in your development
• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Hybrid working, where appropriate to the role
• Enhanced family-friendly policies following qualifying service
• 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing with length of service
• Monthly wellbeing allowance to spend on whatever supports your wellbeing
• Regular company socials and events
• The opportunity to work for a rapidly growing, multi-award-winning business in a sector that has never been more important
• Equal Opportunities First Mile is committed to building an inclusive workplace. Recruitment and selection decisions are based on skills, experience, role requirements and objective evidence of capability. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.