• Job Description

  Req#: R-143471

  Posting End Date:

  April 22, 2024

  Join John Lewis or Waitrose today

  If you've ever stepped through the doors of a John Lewis or Waitrose shop, shopped online, or seen any of our adverts, you'll know there's something unique about us.

  That unique proposition is our Partners. As co-owners they have a say in our business and receive a share of the profits, so they put time and effort into making it work. Our Partners are the reason we're the success we are. They're our secret sauce; the opportunity for us to differentiate.

  Job Summary:

  Job Description:

  At a glance:

  • Salary - We have a budgeted salary of between £130,000 - £150,000

  • Contract type - This is a permanent position

  • 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 feel-good 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 in-house 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 cut-through 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.

  • ?️ - Full-time working holiday entitlement 25 days holiday, plus public and bank holidays (this is pro-rated for part time hours).

  • ⚖ - Excellent work life balance, including focus on well being and flexible working and our marketing leading equal parenthood leave Policy

  • ? - Defined Contribution pension scheme where your contributions will be matched by the Partnership (up to 8% of pay) and, after three years’ service, you’ll receive an additional Partnership contribution of 4% of pay, regardless of whether you pay in or not

  • ? - You’ll get Partnership discount in store and online once you complete your Earning Membership period. That’s 25% off in John Lewis (12% off electrical products, some exclusions apply) and 20% in Waitrose (some exclusions apply) You’ll also be able to nominate someone you live with to share your discount.

  • ? - Simple cycle to work support scheme

  • ? - We’re really proud of our exclusive hotels based in some of Britain’s most beautiful areas and once you’ve been with us for three months, you’re welcome to explore them

  • ? - Health Care cover

  • ? - Car allowance

  ? - Learn more about our extensive range of exciting benefits that you could enjoy when you join us, visit - https://www.jlpjobs.com/about/benefits/

  Next Steps:

  • The application form consists of a CV upload followed by application questions. Please ensure you refresh the page each time you complete a task to ensure you complete everything that you need to in time. (If internal, check your Workday notifications and see further guidance on the PDW under "Internal application process").

  • Once you've submitted an application the next steps of the process, if successful, will include a 1st stage face to face interview (wk comm 7/5) then, if selected, a 2nd stage chemistry interview.

  • You'll be asked about any adjustments you might need to support the recruitment process. Let us know, and we'll be sure to discuss it with you.

  • Thanks for your patience in the meantime and for showing an interest in joining JLP.

  We occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications. Therefore, we recommend you apply early

  For internal use only:

  #LI-HEADOFFICE

  #LI-HYBRID

  
  Pay:

  £121,000.00 - £170,000.00 Annual

  
  Scheduled Weekly hours:

  35

  
  Worker Type:

  Permanent Partner

  
  Job Level:

  Partnership Level 4

  
  Hours of Work:

  35

  At the John Lewis Partnership, we embrace our differences. We want you to be you. Because, well, we know you're at your best when you're free to be yourself.

  Being a truly inclusive employer to us means creating an environment which celebrates your contribution, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, social background, religion or belief. It's why we've set our own aim to become the UK’s most inclusive business - for our Partners (employees) and our customers.

  We firmly believe that our future success lies in diversity of thought from all Partners and it's integral in our mission to build a happier world. ? ?

  We welcome applications from everyone interested in working for us. And, once you're a Partner, your differences will make all the difference.

  Find out more about D&I in the Partnership here.

  We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where it is possible to do so. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.

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• About the company

  Find a career with a difference when you join the John Lewis Partnership, the UK's largest employee-owned company. Apply today for jobs with John Lewis and Waitrose where you'll learn what it means to be a Partner, rather than an employee. Visit our ca...

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