Head of External Communications

About the Role

The Head of External Communications is accountable for leading a team of communications professionals to promote and build the OU brand by developing plans and strategies and turning them into operational communications campaigns and activity. The role holder and their team will be key to delivering the University’s Greater Reach plan.

This is a senior role requiring management expertise, influence and experience. The role holder will deputise for the Assistant Director of Communications (External) as necessary.

You will work in a planned and proactive way across the OU with multiple stakeholders taking a four-nation approach, you will bring together communications professionals across the OU to ensure that communications campaigns are planned, integrated, executed and evaluated.

Working openly and collaboratively in partnership is key to success in the role. You will work closely with a wide variety of colleagues across media relations, internal communications, brand and campaigns, strategy and insight, government and external affairs, broadcast and partnerships, the business development unit, the development office, and faculty business partners and communications managers.

You will lead external communications activity to support recruitment campaigns led by colleagues in brand and campaigns. Working in partnership with campaign leads, you will devise plans and deliver activity to support those campaigns. Your role will focus on how the external communications team can deliver measurable multi-channel campaigns prioritised in accordance with the Greater Reach plan, working closely with colleagues across MarComms. These will include key partnerships such as with the BBC, scholarship campaigns, NSS, Open Societal Challenges and other campaigns as identified by MarComms SLT. You will produce key messaging documents for key campaigns that teams will be expected to amplify and you will ensure consistent messaging on all campaign activity.

Skills and Experience

• Significant experience in a senior communications or campaigns role.
• A creative approach to designing campaigns.
• Confidence in working with senior colleagues in shaping strategies.
• Ability to manage a team, prioritise their workload and support their delivery.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to proactively network and build contacts within organisations, at all levels.
• Excellent writing skills – a proven ability to write engaging and accessible copy for different audiences and channels, conveying key points clearly and concisely.
• Knowledge and experience of delivering effective external thought-leadership communications.

How to apply

For further information and to apply online, please click the ‘Apply’ button to be taken to the OU Careers website.

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The Open University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion which is reflected in our mission to be open to people, places, methods and ideas. We aim to foster a diverse and inclusive environment so that all in our OU community can reach their potential.  We recognise that different people bring different perspectives, ideas, knowledge, and culture, and that this difference brings great strength.  We strive to recruit, retain and develop the careers of a diverse pool of students and staff, and particularly encourage applications from all underrepresented groups. We also aspire to make The Open University a supportive workplace for all through our policies, services and staff networks.

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