Senior Manager – Strategic Communications (Corporate & Consumer)

Responsibilities

• Plan, develop and oversee multi-channel communication strategies and campaigns supporting organisational goals
• Contribute to the development of the annual comms plan, quarterly communications strategies, and message house as required
• Oversee delivery of high-impact consumer PR campaigns and activity (national and regional), raising awareness of CRUK’s priority campaigns, fundraising activities, corporate supporters, special events and trading
• Oversee delivery of CRUK’s corporate communications activity, including visible leadership, EDI strategy and Annual Report & Accounts
• Oversee delivery of high-quality communications content, including drafting and reviewing media materials, press releases, statements, plans, briefing documents and creative multi-media content
• Oversee the creation of crisis communications plans and manage reputational issues, recommending appropriate courses of action to senior stakeholders
• Use data-driven insights to inform high-level decision making
• Ensure strategies take into account recommendations and lessons learnt from previous activity
• Oversee campaign evaluations, working with colleagues to ensure they reflect the full breadth of our communications activity, and the impact of our work
• Monitor the external landscape to identify strategic opportunities and risks

Requirements

• Communications expertise: excellent communications track record; experienced at leading a team to deliver against KPIs; ensures department-wide objectives are met
• Management expertise: leads by example, encourages team to develop creative, progressive ideas that increase our effectiveness. Actively coaches and oversees development of line reports, setting direction and role modelling appropriate behaviours
• Problem solving: able to work on own initiative to deal effectively and pragmatically with problems; actively supports the head of strategic communications & campaigns by helping to resolve complex team-wide problems
• Accountability: responsible for setting team direction and strategies for some corporate communications campaigns as part of supporting the wider department objectives
• Decision making: proactively manages own workload and advises team members on how to manage theirs; deputises for head of corporate communications requiring ability to take key decisions with appropriate consultation
• Communication skills: well-developed communication skills, and ability to deal with complex and sensitive information in a professional way; always showing a high level of self-awareness
• Influence: required to influence internal and external stakeholders, including at very senior level; builds consensus and instils confidence and credibility of advice and decision making with other key teams
• Strategic planning: Responsible for developing and managing plans to achieve delivery of overall communications strategy. Uses organisational priorities to make informed decisions about communications support
• Experience: an established communications career at senior level, either in-house or agency, with a proven track-record of team and project management and excellent results delivery. Accustomed to regular contact with directors and executive directors, as well as the CEO for important reputation issues