Job Description and Person Specification

Transcription

1 Job Description and Person Specification Please note this statement is for information only and does not form part of a contract. This list is not exhaustive and you will be expected to undertake such duties as may be assigned to you by ActionAid from time to time. Employees are expected to be flexible in their work in order to deliver the objectives of the organisation. Job title Contract type Senior PR Manager Permanent Grade/starting salary Band 6A- 45,184-46,551 Reporting to Head of Brand Marketing and PR Team and Department Brand Marketing and PR Team; Public Engagement Department The Senior PR Manager works closely with the Head of Brand Marketing and PR, offering strategic input into the team s plans and leading on the operational delivery of all PR for the organisation. The PR function includes a Celebrity Coordinator and Senior Press Officer, both who report direct to the Senior PR Manager. Within the team, alongside the PR function is the Brand function, consisting of the Brand Marketing Manager and Brand Engagement Manager. The Senior PR Manager will work closely these roles to deliver integrated and high profile Brand Marketing and PR activity. Direct reports Two direct reports, Senior PR Officer and Celebrity Coordinator. Context Are you passionate about making a real difference? As part of the global ActionAid family, we are helping to build a fair and just world where everyone can claim their rights. To achieve this we work with local people in more than 45 countries to fight hunger and disease, seek justice and education for women, hold companies and governments to account and help communities cope with emergencies. In the UK our role is to raise funds to carry out programme work internationally, to motivate and engage our supporters and the general public and to campaign for change. We are a values-driven, forward-thinking organisation, focused on achieving long-term change through supporting our partners to make a sustainable difference. The Brand Marketing and PR team drive ActionAid s high profile Public Engagement efforts through strategic, disruptive and engaging activity on earned, owned and paid channels. The team works within the Public Engagement department, to raise the profile of ActionAid s brand and mission, in order to drive fundraising and campaigning actions by a UK mass audience.

2 Purpose of the Role To drive the strategic direction and lead the operational delivery of ActionAid s PR work in the UK. Working alongside the Brand Marketing function, the Senior PR manager will raise ActionAid s profile and visibility through the delivery of ambitious, high value and influential PR, via both reactive and strategically planned opportunities in print, broadcast and online, inclusive of traditional digital and social media channels. Key tasks and responsibilities Contribute to the overall strategic direction of Public Engagement and Lead on PR and Celebrity Strategy within ActionAid UK: Provide overall strategic direction on everything within the PR function to help achieve organisational goals. Supporting the Public Engagement Departmental Management team with strategic PR and communications solutions. Propose, develop and deliver creative PR plans that will deliver maximum visibility and results for ActionAid. Support the fundraising and campaigning functions within the organisation, planning integrated, profile-raising activations which support income generation and developing high-impact PR activity, events and stunts. Lead on the development of PR opportunities for new initiatives. This may include developing PR partnerships, events management and corporate PR. Oversee PR Project Management, from pitch, to scope, execution and evaluation. Ensure that self-scrutiny is applied throughout the evaluative process and share learnings within the team as a whole and any relevant cross-departmental teams. Take the lead on development and delivery of a new celebrity strategy to increase the ambition and output of current celebrity relationships and create new opportunities through high value relationship building. Oversee all PR Operational Delivery and Lead the PR Team: Lead the PR team as an enthusiastic and creative manager. Working alongside the Head of Brand Marketing and PR ensure the development and delivery of on-brand, high profile, persuasive, integrated and multichannel PR initiatives from the PR team, that take advantage of all opportunities. Drive the delivery of popular press coverage and editorial features placements i.e. women s press, lifestyle magazines, weekend supplements, working in an integrated approach with the News team. Work within AAUK s project management system and deliver media projects within budget and to timeline. Lead regular meetings with departments to identify cross-organisational PR opportunities, actively networking with senior stakeholders throughout different teams and departments. Ensure PR strategies are fit for purpose and that PR closely follows organisational priorities. Ensure all PR activities promote ActionAid s values and are within our brand and production guidelines. Use audience analysis to inform strategies Keep up-to-date with industry developments and popular media to be aware of all external opportunities. Promote an understanding of the challenges and opportunities of PR work across the organisation and advise senior managers on PR issues.

3 Provide line management to the Senior PR Officer, Celebrity Coordinator and contract staff / agencies when necessary: Set standards for an ambitious and high performing PR function. Display strong leadership skills to drive a result focussed approach from the team. Supervise and oversee all activities within the PR function, based on cross organisational priorities and external opportunities, with a responsibility to ensure delivery of all targets. Provide appropriate support and development via 1:1 sessions (giving written feedback after each) and yearly and mid yearly appraisal so that performance based targets are met. Contract external staff to carry out support on projects where appropriate. Contract PR agencies to carry our projects where appropriate and where costs allow, overseeing budgets, plans and key performance indicators in line with our procurement policies. Monitor and evaluate PR initiatives and coverage to demonstrate and evidence how PR activity is delivering on organisational objectives and evidencing ROI: Oversee PR media evaluation and work with the Head of Brand Marketing and PR to ensure organisational evaluation systems are followed, compiling reports on projects, coverage and updates as necessary. Keep up-to-date with industry best practice on monitoring and evaluation of impact. Champion and deliver digital PR: Identify key opportunities for growth and development of Brand Marketing and PR work across digital channels and work closely with the Head of Digital to optimise performance against objectives. Help develop the PR team s capabilities to create and upload digital content and manage social media communities. Keep up to date with latest developments and in discussion with Head of Brand Marketing and PR ensure their roll out across the team. Consult on digital media tactics for campaigns across Brand Marketing and PR. Feed into wider strategy and plans on digital PR to deliver integrated digital communications, alongside the Fundraising, News, Campaigns and Digital teams. Tweet and blog on the PR agenda. Ensure a multichannel approach to PR, in particular lead on using video content in PR delivery. Responsible for budgets within PR Led Projects: Advise on budget requirements as part of the scoping process for any project. Identify and cost resources required for planned activities and operate within budgets available. Provide full reviews and updates on spending when required to the Head of Brand Marketing and PR. Contribute to a strategic and forward-thinking PR programme of work through provision of strategic support to the Head of Brand Marketing and PR and collaboration with wider team(s): Help raise and develop the range and depth of skills within the PR team. Ensure the programme of PR supports the Fundraising agenda, in particular with income generation from individual giving audiences. Contribute creative PR ideas, strategic thinking and support to the work plans of members of the Brand Marketing team and throughout the organisation as per the needs of cross-organisational projects.

4 Ensure that lessons learned are communicated within the Public Engagement Department and any relevant cross-departmental teams. Help map trends in the evolving media landscape to inform our organisational strategies and allow us to respond quickly and effectively to opportunities. Network effectively in support of the role: Identify opportunities for and arrange and attend frequent meetings with a wide range of journalists and PRs in support of projects and build and maintain successful relationships the ability to network is crucial to the success of this post. Deliver high profile media partnerships through effective networking and relationship building, to support both Brand (awareness) and Fundraising (conversion) objectives. Undertake out of hours working: Contribute to out of hours media contact and travel at home and overseas where this is required to provide effective PR support and leadership to ActionAid initiatives. Take on any other reasonable duty as may be assigned: As is consistent with the nature of the job and its level of responsibility, deputising for Head of Brand Marketing and PR if required. Person Specification Knowledge and Experience Essential Substantial experience in developing and implementing PR campaigns preferably including agency experience with a demonstrable track record of success in obtaining influential media coverage for PR initiatives. Knowledge and understanding of how PR fits with other marketing disciplines e.g. advertising and brand marketing. Proven experience of working on diverse and wide ranging strategies to communicate with mass audiences and capitalise upon celebrity involvement. A keen sense of popular culture, a solid understanding of the media, especially mass media and of the wider media context particularly online and social media including comprehensive operational knowledge of social media primary channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube & Instagram Commitment to equal opportunities and to ActionAid s mission, vision and values. Educated to degree level or equivalent experience. A wide range of celebrity, agent and PR and media contacts Experience of working on PR partnerships and of measuring media impact. Desirable Experience of working within corporate guidelines (e.g. on brand and identity) and of working within an international PR/marketing and communications strategy. Experience of acting as a spokesperson for the organisation Understanding of women s rights and development issues and communicating them to a range of audiences. Experience of leading international media trips.

5 Experience of working in a large complex organisation. Skills and Abilities Extremely determined and results driven individual who will deliver against ambitious KPI s. A self-starter who is motivated to achieve high value outcomes. You will have high energy levels and initiative as well as determination, professionalism and flexibility to work some irregular and unsociable hours, with a willingness and ability to undertake occasional travel abroad. A strategic and creative thinker with proven ability to generate unique and distinctive PRable ideas, and follow them through to successful delivery. In depth knowledge of content creation and how content fits into PR. Strong management and leadership skills demonstrated by evidence of leading high performing teams that contribute to organisational objectives and showing resilience in the face of changing priorities. Excellent networking skills with a proven track record of building a wide range of media and other contacts; an understanding of developing celebrity relationships is also essential. Meticulous organisational skills with proven experience of developing and implementing PR strategies for key projects and campaigns and of managing a range of projects under pressure with competing deadlines. Strategic thinking and planning skills with the ability to spot external reactive opportunities that relate to the PR agenda with a track record of flexibility to quickly and seamlessly integrate them into planned activity to maximise PR output. Creative, imaginative and enthusiastic approach to projects, team-working, problem-solving. Outstanding verbal and written communications skills. Strong monitoring and evaluation skills.