Head of External Communications

At a glance:

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Salary - We have a budgeted salary of between £130,000 - £150,000
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Contract type - This is a permanent position
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Working pattern - This is a blended working role, therefore your time will primarily be split between working from home and the London OR Bracknell Head Office. However, there will also be an expectation to visit other locations as the need arises.


About the role:

A great opportunity has arisen for a Head of External Communications to join the Partnership on a full time, permanent basis.

As the Head of External Communications, you will play a pivotal role in bringing our brilliant brands and products to life to help contribute to our commercial success, while looking after the reputation of the Partnership.

The External Communications Team is responsible for all aspects of the external engagement for the Partnership; its two main brands John Lewis and Waitrose; as well as John Lewis Financial Services and our emerging rental home business.

The External Communications Team is central to the Partnership's success as the conscience of the business and a champion of our brands.

All done while ensuring our unique way of doing business shines through in our communications and campaigning so our employee-ownership model is a competitive advantage.

Reporting to the Director of Communications, the role oversees brand and lifestyle PR, Media Relations, Sustainability and Purpose PR, Public Affairs and Financial and Strategic Communications teams.

The leads of the Public Affairs and Financial and Strategic Communications teams report directly to the Communications Director, while they form part of the External Communications Team day to day.

Key responsibilities:

• Inspire and lead the External Communications team to ensure we continue to have a high performing, creative and innovative function that supports the business
• Ensure the Communications team works effectively with other areas of the business to achieve maximum impact, commercially and reputationally
• Work closely with the brands to amplify and deepen customer marketing activity and help elevate our messaging
• Bring this to life across multiple fronts through a corporate and brand communications and engagement programme, focusing on brand initiatives, corporate news, celebratory feelgood moments and campaigns, supported by a drumbeat of positive storytelling
• You will achieve this while working to mitigate potential risks and issues, managing a busy media relations function
• Ensure external communications and engagement activity reaches a broad range of audiences, managing a complex set of stakeholders with different needs

What will you be doing?

• Leading, mentoring and motivating the External Communications Team, ensuring we maintain high standards, encouraging innovation and creativity
• Prioritising, coordinating and sequencing campaign activity in partnership with our brands, to ensure it has maximum impact, showing discipline in what messages are delivered and when
• Working closely and collaboratively with other teams in Communications and key teams across the Partnership
• Advising and providing counsel to senior leaders and your team on communication matters related to the reputation and profile of our brands and the Partnership
• Ensuring the External Communications team regularly uses insights and measurement to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of its work
• Implementing communications and engagement strategies aligned with priorities of each area of the business
• Developing and maintaining a network of external stakeholders such as journalists, analysts and influencers

Essential skills you'll need:

• Significant experience of running an inhouse corporate and/or lifestyle External Communications Team, working for high profile consumer or retail brands
• Established relationships with key UK lifestyle, consumer, financial and business media
• Deep understanding of crisis and issues management with the ability to stay calm under pressure and offer sound advice
• Excellent communication skills written and verbal and proven ability to work successfully with senior stakeholders
• Creatively minded, able to come up with brilliant ideas for stories that can cutthrough in a busy and competitive market
• A coaching mentality to empower teams to do their best work
• Excellent attention to detail and capable of working at pace on multiple projects in a high pressure environment
• Ability to prioritise resources and budgets, showing agility if plans need to adapt
• Knowledge of products and trends across retail categories relevant to the John Lewis Partnership (food, fashion, beauty, home, tech). Knowledge of financial services and rental property would be an advantage

Benefits of the Partnership and the role:

• Hybrid Working.

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• Fulltime working holiday entitlement 25 days holiday, plus public and bank holidays (this is prorated for part time hours).