Head of Financial Communications - major retailer - 12 month contract

We are exclusively handling a Head of Financial Communications 12 month contract role for this listed market-leader.  This is a broad role covering financial comms along with broader corporate comms campaigns and is suited to someone with strong media relations experience particularly in retail or food and drink experience in financial comms.  Property experience is not important although you will pick up the corporate local PR strand for proactive property communications. You will lead on the communications for the financial lifecycle and will use your consumer facing experience in financial PR to speak through a consumer lens. The pace is fast, your team of managers need great leadership and your issues management experience will be relevant.

The Company

This FTSE 100 retailer is a respected household name and boasts a large communications team of experts.  They have an impressive reputation which requires top tier skills to maintain. This role plays an important part in executing key leadership profile opportunities with the media along with creating proactive corporate campaigns to promote the business.

The Role

Key challenges and opportunities in this Head of Financial Communications - 12 month contract role:

• Take the lead on all financial comms including trading statements, M&A activity and leading on the AGM
• Manage the corporate and financial communications team and build strong internal relationships with other teams within the business to deliver great results
• You have great access to the CEO/COO and this role is seen as ‘senior’ internally
• Deliver a clear plan of financial and strategy comms to feed into the master external comms plan, demonstrating vision and objectives
• Work closely with other teams heads to maximise PR opportunities and collaborate on property communications for the business’ property stakeholders
• Be a leader and a mentor to the financial comms team and develop individuals through training opportunities
• Develop strong senior relationships across other businesses to align with the corporate strategy
• Manage the corporate media plan and smoothly deliver proactive media activities across broadcast, print and digital

The Person

Key attributes and experience for this Head of Financial Communications - 12 month contract role:

• You will have outstanding financial and corporate comms experience and must be able to start this role by the end of October, or shortly after
• It’s likely that you are working in a financial PR agency at Associate Director level with experience of consumer facing brands ideally in retail or food and drink
• Or you could have previously worked in an agency and now sitting in a Head of Media role in-house and feel very comfortable with financial comms for a high-profile company
• Expert media relations skills both proactive and reactive particularly with financial and broadcast media experience and a solid background in delivering company results
• Excellent communication skills, written abilities, attention to detail and presentation skills as you will be delivering across internal and external senior stakeholders
• You will be a highly confident line manager as you have a team of high performing senior managers
• Strong financial and analytical skills with specific experience managing large budgets

To be considered for this Head of Financial Communications - 12 month contract role please click to apply.

For more details on this role and similar roles, contact Sarah Leembruggen on 02075596597 or [email protected], or visit our website for our newest in-house and agency positions -

www.the-works.co.uk/jobs