Head of External Communications - The Open University

£58,500 - £65,800 • The Open University • Milton Keynes

Advert Reference Number: 242

Job Location: Milton Keynes

Department: Marketing & Communications

Salary: £58,596 to £65,814

Closing Date: 15 October 2024

Weekly Working Hours: 37

Contract Type: Permanent

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.

You will use your own excellent writing skills and proven ability to write engaging and accessible copy to help engage with different audiences and the communities we serve.

You will work with the Senior Communications Manager (Thought Leadership) to produce a rolling programme of thought-leadership that will ensure the OUs expertiseis brought to the fore. The role holder will ensure that research plays an integral role in the OUs external communications across all our channels.

The role requires somebody who understands social media platforms, the importance of thought leadership to the OU and the role research can play in boosting the OUs reputation for academic expertise. You will work with your direct reports and the strategic communication planning team to ensure that an integrated communications plans are in place, complete with evaluation mechanisms.

The role holder will embed evaluation and measurement methodology to ensure the team supports the Greater Reach plan and other key strategic plans and projects. You will lead on sharing these evaluations with stakeholders across the university. You’ll be confident in working with senior leaders and stakeholders across the university providing expert communications campaign advice.

This person will also need to work in a co-ordinated way with our external agencies and stakeholders across the university.

It is anticipated that a hybrid working pattern can be adopted for this role, where you can work from home and the office. However, as this role is contractually aligned to Milton Keynes, it is expected that some attendance will be required when necessary. We’d expect this to be at least once a week and in response to business needs.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and promote communications strategies and plans that influence OU objectives and deliver high quality campaigns as shaped by the GreaterReach plan and other key strategic campaigns. These will include BBC partnership, Open Societal Challenges and scholarships.
• Lead coordination and external communications activity supporting recruitment campaigns while working with the OU’s external agencies.
• Oversee a rolling programme of thought-leadership communications ensuring the OUs expertise is highlighted to key external audiences.
• Ensure research at the OU is amplified and plays an integral role in external communications.
• Work with the Strategic Communications Planning team to ensure communication campaigns are planned and evaluated.
• Support the Head of External Communications in strategy development and stakeholder management and deputise as required.
• Ensure high quality and consistent key messaging is evident throughout all campaign activity.
• Build and manage key relationships at the OU and with partners both in and outside the University.
• Manage the campaign analysis and develop appropriate evaluation process in line with the Greater Reach plan and other key strategic plans.

Skills and Experience

Essential

• 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.
• Understanding of the role research can play in communications campaigns.
• Proven ability in delivering high impact multi-channel campaigns through planning, execution and evaluation phases.
• Demonstrable ability to adopt a proactive planned approach to work, while also capitalising on opportunities to deliver responsive content.
• Ability to engage quickly with specialised and complex material, across many disciplines, resulting in high performing multi-channel campaigns.
• An ability to work collaboratively with colleagues across the division and the university, in support of a combined delivery of strategic objectives and priorities.
• Evidence of effective, independent decision making and of working both individually and as a member of a team.
• Knowledge of latest campaign trends, systems and tools both in and outside the higher education sector.

What you get in return

We have a strong commitment to providing training and development in and beyond your current role. This includes thorough induction into the organisation and regular reviews of your training and development needs.

We also offer a great range of benefits that support our employees and their families for the long term. Staff Benefits include an attractive pension proposition and 33 days holiday per annum pro rata, plus 8 Bank Holidays and 3 extra Christmas closure days.

How to apply

If you are interested in applying for this position, please click the 'Apply' link above where you will be directed to our Careers webpage.

We may close this job advert earlier than the published closing date where a satisfactory number of applications are received. We would therefore encourage early applications.

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.