Lead Strategic Communications Partner

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and support 5 communications professionals across two Strategic Communication Partner teams while building a collaborative, results-driven culture
• Reviewing work to ensure it is delivered to a high standard
• Leading the development and delivery of a communication campaign to support one of our four strategic priorities
• Taking charge of the most complex and demanding announcements as needed, creating communication plans and materials to a high standard, including press releases, social media posts, internal messages and stakeholder emails, while partnering with communications teams to deliver results
• Proactively bringing our stories to life through traditional media, social media or other channels
• Acting as a trusted strategic communications adviser to Executive Directors and senior leaders, providing advice on high-profile, politically sensitive and reputationally significant issues
• Developing and maintaining effective relationships with senior communicators across Whitehall, Parliament, consumer groups, trade associations and the media
• Ensuring media enquiries are handled effectively and leading on the most sensitive reactive issues, including crisis and issues management
• Being part of the out-of-hours rota for media queries

Requirements

• Minimum: - Demonstrated ability to manage proactive and reactive media relations, including handling media enquiries and responding to sensitive or high-profile issues
• Leadership experience, including managing and developing individuals or teams through direct line management and/or matrix management
• Essential: - Proven success in developing and delivering communications plans, campaigns or media strategies
• - Effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex information into clear and compelling messages
• - Experience overseeing communications activity involving significant reputational, regulatory, political or public-interest considerations
• - Confidence advising senior leaders on communications strategy, stakeholder engagement and messaging
• - Experience coordinating communications responses during complex issues, crises or fast-moving external events
• - Demonstrated ability to balance multiple competing priorities and deliver high-quality outcomes in a demanding environment
• - Solid understanding of traditional, digital and social media channels and how they support strategic communications objectives
• - Ability to build credibility, influence stakeholders and establish strong working relationships across a complex organisation

Benefits

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Non-contributory pension (8–12% depending on age) and life assurance at eight times your salary
• Private healthcare with Bupa, income protection and 24/7 Employee Assistance
• 35 hours of paid volunteering annually
• Colleagues spend a minimum of 50% of their working time in the office each month (60% for Directors and Executive Directors) across our London, Leeds and Edinburgh offices. A flexible benefits scheme designed around your lifestyle