Head of Media (£80-90K Basic Salary) Twice A Week In The Office

Head of Media Brief:Our client is looking for someone who is proactive, tenacious and genuinely motivated by generating media coverage, rather than someone who is simply comfortable managing incoming media enquiries.The ideal candidate should be able to take technical or potentially “dry” subject matter and turn it into compelling media stories.Strong profiles could come from:Communications/media agencies, particularly at Account Director level or above;Commercial organisations;Public-sector organisations;Professional or membership bodiesOrganisations working in areas such as infrastructure, planning, engineering, built environment, policy or similar specialist sectors.Our client is not looking specifically for a charity-sector candidate.Our client is also less interested in candidates whose experience is predominantly consumer/luxury/lifestyle PR, because the media environment and subject matter would be materially different.An agency candidate moving in-house could be attractive, particularly someone who wants more ownership and a different work-life balance but retains the drive and contacts expected in a strong agency environment.The key attributes are:strong media-relations capability;evidence of proactively generating coverage;ability to identify a story in technical or complex material;strong journalist relationships and confidence building new networks;ability to work with specialist rather than consumer media;excellent writing and editorial judgement;strong news sense;confidence advising senior stakeholders;persistence and resilience;strategic understanding of how media supports organisational objectives; andability to lead a function rather than simply execute campaigns.The candidate does not necessarily need infrastructure experience, but they should have worked in a sector where the subject matter requires interpretation and good judgement.Main Responsibility:Responsible for the strategic leadership of the media function, ensuring the organisation’s external voice is clear, consistent and influential across national, trade and international media.Accountable for defining and delivering the media strategy, owning the organisation’s media messaging framework and safeguarding its reputation through proactive engagement and effective crisis communications.Acts as a senior advisor on media positioning and reputational risk and provides professional leadership across a de-centralised but coordinated (federated) media model.Act as a business partner, liaising with a specific directorate or team on behalf of the entire communications and marketing directorate. Summary of Specific Accountabilities:Develop and lead the organisation-wide media strategy, aligned to organisational priorities and policy objectives Own and maintain the media messaging framework (“lines to take”), ensuring consistency across all media activity Lead the approach to reputation management, including media positioning and risk mitigation Define and oversee the spokesperson strategy, including identification, development and deployment Lead media response in crisis situations, establishing escalation frameworks and ensuring effective execution Provide professional leadership across regional and international media activity, ensuring alignment in a de-centralised but coordinated modelOversee the media performance, insight and sentiment analysis, using data to inform strategic decisions Ensure alignment between media, marketing, digital and policy activity to deliver a consistent external narrative Provide strategic oversight of media outputs and editorial positioning, including key channels such as NCE Key Accountabilities:Provide strategic leadership for the media function, ensuring delivery of organisational objectives Define and implement frameworks, standards and approaches for media activity across the organisation Ensure media activity contributes to organisational KPIs, reputation and influence Monitor media performance and reputational risk, taking corrective action where required Provide guidance and direction to media professionals and stakeholders across the organisation Manage media-related resources, tools and budgets within defined parameters Ensure compliance with governance, policy and approval processes Build strong relationships across communications, policy, marketing and leadership teams Drive continuous improvement and innovation in media strategy and delivery Key technical skills: · Strong experience in media strategy, reputation management and crisis communications · Ability to develop and apply organisation-wide messaging and positioning · Experience advising senior stakeholders on media and reputational issues · Strong understanding of national, trade and international media landscapes · Ability to interpret media insight, sentiment and performance data · Strong editorial judgement and understanding of brand and narrative Other skills and requirements: · Ability to influence at executive and board level · Strong strategic thinking and decision-making capability · Ability to operate in high-profile and high-pressure environments · Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills · Collaborative approach to working across a complex organisation · Ability to lead through influence in a federated model Key behavioural competencies: · Provides strategic leadership and direction for media activity · Influences senior stakeholders and organisational decision-making · Makes sound decisions in complex and high-risk situations · Communicates with clarity, authority and confidence · Works collaboratively across functions and teams · Maintains high standards of professionalism and governance