Overview
Senior Communications Manager
40 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1JA
Company Description
Publicis Groupe UK is the UK arm of Publicis Groupe, a global transformation partner to the world’s biggest companies, and one of the world’s largest marketing services group with more than 100,000 employees across 100 countries. In the UK, we have 25 agencies and capabilities including Digitas, Saatchi & Saatchi, BBH, Leo Burnett, Zenith, Starcom, MSL and Taylor Herring. We employ 5,000 people with expertise across the full range of business and marketing transformation services. We have three main offices in the UK in Chancery Lane (Holborn), Television Centre (White City) and Turnmills (Farringdon).
Our Commitment
As part of our dedication to create an inclusive and diverse workforce, Publicis Groupe UK is committed to equal access to opportunity for people without regard to race, age, sex, disability, neurodiversity, sexual orientation, gender identity or religion.
Job Description
About the comms team
We are an in-house team of 10, soon to be 13, whose job it is to build the reputation of Publicis Groupe UK and our agencies (and capabilities). We have close ties to the global communications team and specialist teams from other areas of the business so there is a good network of communications professionals, and there are plenty of opportunities to learn and grow within the team.
About the role
This role is critical both in helping build the profile of Publicis Groupe UK to attract clients and talent, and in providing best practice and streamlining the way we deliver external communications for our agencies and capabilities right across the business. This individual will lead on reputation building for Publicis Groupe UK, focusing on our strengths in areas including ESG, making the best use of our spokespeople and coming up with innovative ideas to continuously improve the way we do things. You’ll also manage our internal communications manager, providing inspiration and direction, working closely with the director of comms and the rest of the team. This person will be at the centre of the comms team helping to identify ways we can improve our systems and better work together.
The individual
We are looking for a communications professional with natural gravitas and a track record of developing and delivering communications strategies to achieve results. You’ll need to be a strong communicator with excellent writing skills, someone who enjoys media relations, is good at managing stakeholders and providing counsel, someone who is action-oriented, organised and good on detail. You’ll need to be able to work at pace when it’s required and be comfortable working with senior leaders. You’ll be a thinker and a doer who can handle complexity and manage several projects in tandem. You’ll work closely with our chief talent officer, chief data and product officer, director of DEI and other stakeholders.
About the candidate
You’ll be a comms professional with lots of energy and ideas, natural gravitas and a track record of developing and delivering communications strategies to achieve results. You’ll be used to working with senior clients/stakeholders and earning your stripes as a trusted adviser. You’re a thinker and a doer, a strong writer, highly organised with experience of working in-house in complex organisations, or working in an agency environment, managing several clients. You’ll have a good news instinct, able to identifies opportunities and come up with new ideas. You’ll have a strong interest in business and marketing.
Your responsibilities will include
- Develop and deliver strategies to build reputation among clients, talent and other stakeholder groups.
- Help to articulate a more distinctive narrative for Publicis Groupe UK.
- Develop key messages for different areas of the business and initiatives
- Identify and package existing newsflow.
- Create new news to deliver on the overall communications strategy.
- Hands on media relations, pitching interviews, opinion pieces and news stories.
- Write press releases, reactive statements and Q&As.
- Identify new ways of working and share best practice, striving for excellence and efficiency.
- Develop templates to drive quality and consistency across the team.
- Build relationships with journalists (business editors, broadcast planning desks, marketing trade titles etc.).
- Build relationships with stakeholders from across the business to build trust and demonstrate the value of communications.
- Liaise with industry bodies, representing Publicis Groupe UK at events and meetings.
- Regular reporting and evaluation to merchandise successes to the business.
Qualifications
- Bright, self-starter who takes the initiative, proactive and resilient.
- Organised, good at planning ahead with excellent attention to detail.
- Natural gravitas, a great communicator and collaborator, working with multiple stakeholders, ability to drive meetings and calls.
- At home in a fast-paced environment with the ability to think on your feet, work in an agile manner and adapt to changing requests.
- Engaging, positive, enthusiastic, good at building relationships.
- Self-aware, comfortable bringing personality to work, challenges when appropriate, works well with others and leads by example.
- Excellent presentation skills, able to structure intelligent and compelling plans.
- Extensive knowledge and understanding of the media and experience of managing issues.
- A proven team player, with the ability to remain flexible.
- Digitally savvy and passionate about communications.
- Experience in similar roles within an agency or in-house environment.
Additional Information
If you have any adjustment needs arising from a disability or medical condition to fully participate in the recruitment process, please discuss this with the recruiter who contacts you.
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