External Communications Manager

Job Description

Your role :
Reporting to the Director of Communications & Commercial Marketing, and working within the wider Corporate Affairs team, you will be responsible for key corporate and trade media relations across News UK and its three business units:
Times Media (including The Times & The Sunday Times), News Broadcasting (including talk

SPORT, Virgin Radio UK, Times Radio and the Talk brand) and The Sun. Working collaboratively with a range of different stakeholders, you’ll play an instrumental role in telling the story of one of the UK’s leading and most innovative media companies.

You will manage media relationships with key contacts across a range of business media outlets, with a particular focus on core corporate functions including marketing, broadcasting, commercial, publishing, retail, technology and others. You will also develop communications across owned corporate channels including newsletters, the corporate website, Linked In and Twitter, working closely with the trade marketing to develop and deploy activity.

You will also support the EVP, Director of Corporate Affairs, on projects and issues management, as appropriate.

• You will develop and deliver proactive B2B media relations for a range of stakeholders across News UK - understanding and responding to their priorities, needs and requirements.

You will work closely with the Communications Director and Heads of Communications for Times Media and The Sun to develop and execute the corporate and B2B communications strategy for each of our divisions, including News Broadcasting.

Alongside running the press office for those internal clients, you will also develop opportunities to surface success stories across industry events and awards.

You will work closely with the Head of Trade Marketing and our external PR agency support to ensure all B2B and commercial communications are aligned, integrated and consistent.

Working closely with the Senior Internal Communications Manager, you will ensure aligned storytelling for your clients to other News UK colleagues, as well as supporting the We are News employer brand externally.

You will deal with issues management as it arises, and support the EVP, Director of Corporate Affairs as required.

You will be responsible for ensuring the corporate website is actively telling our B2B success stories, developing thought leadership content in this setting and others.

You’ll work with a Communications Executive to ensure that we are fully optimising our professional networks:
Linked In and Twitter.

You’ll be responsible for producing and developing weekly commercial newsletters and other impactful tools, videos and events to help reach our audiences.

You’ll effectively monitor the performance of our B2B communications and report back to your internal clients against agreed KPIs.

• A passionate interest in media, news and current affairs.
• An established track record of five or more years delivering high profile and impactful corporate communications and B2B media relations, ideally within an agency or in-house in a Technology, Media or Telecoms environment.
• Superb attention to detail, first-class organisational and planning skills, plus experience managing multiple clients and campaigns.
• Excellent creativity and a passion to be a strategic business partner to your clients.
• The gravitas to build networks quickly and effectively, influencing senior stakeholders - as well as the external media you’ll be working with.
• The ability to work in real-time, high pressured press office environments and prioritise effectively.
• Experience in issues management, award-writing and briefings for industry events.
• Enthusiasm and curiosity to ask questions, improve processes and drive effective outcomes.
• A self-starter, with excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Recognition that in a fast-moving 24 / 7 media environment, some working out of core hours will be required from time to time.

Driven by passion, guided by principles and acting with purpose. We represent, reflect and reach the nation, telling the stories that matter. We inform our…