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Role Description

Job Title: Director of Communications
Location: 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AH
Department/Directorate: Communications
Reports To: Chief Executive
Staff Supervised:

  • 1x Head of Digital, Brand & Marketing
  • 1x Head of Events and Public Engagement
  • 1x Head of Media and Public Affairs
  • 1x Head of Publishing

Communications Directorate 

JOB PURPOSE

Summary

As a member of the Senior Management Team of the Academy, the Director of Communications has a key role in stewarding the Academy as a whole, working in conjunction with the Fellowship. The Director of Communications will help the Academy achieve its strategic objectives in championing the humanities and social sciences, currently with a focus of ‘opening up’ the academy.

Main Duties

  • Work with the Senior Management Team to oversee the delivery of the overall work of the Academy, in accordance with the Academy’s strategic plan.
  • Work closely with the Vice President for Public Engagement and the Communications and Engagement Committee, the Vice President for Publishing, and the Heritage Committee, thereby with the Council, as well as the wider Academy Fellowship to develop the Academy’s communications work including events, media, and public affairs.
  • Lead the Academy’s Communications directorate, building integrated ways of working, embedding EDI, and facilitating a high performing team.
  • Work with the Fellowship team to secure effective communications with Fellows on the work of the Academy, and their representation on the Academy website.
  • Secure agreement for, and lead, a dynamic strategic communications strategy to strengthen the reputation of the Academy and significantly improve awareness and understanding among key audiences and stakeholders (both existing and prospective).
  • Develop strategies appropriate and specific to those varied stakeholders, including media, parliamentarians, the Fellowship, and stakeholders in the higher education, cultural sector and civil society.
  • Develop programmes of work to grow understanding and support for SHAPE disciplines and research; inspire more people with stories and insight from the research we support, and to increase awareness and understanding of the Academy’s distinctive role within the research ecosystem.
  • Own and champion the brand strategy as the organisation’s brand guardian responsible for growth, perception shift and bringing the brand to life across the wide spread of audience touchpoints in line with the strategic priorities of the Academy and other significant moments.
  • Lead the Academy’s content strategy, including across the Academy’s Publishing arm, taking an audience-first approach that delivers high quality content tailored to different audiences across owned and organic digital channels.
  • Lead the Academy’s public engagement programme, including the events programme, Summer Showcase, British Academy Book Prize and such other flagship activities as may arise (particularly concerning the periodic wrapping up / relaunch of the strategic plan, and celebration of notable anniversaries) to target a wide, public audience and draw people into our wider work.
  • Oversee the Academy’s digital communications channels, ensuring that they are optimised for our key audiences and reflective of best practice, collaborating with other departments such as IT to ensure a good user experience wherever our audiences find us online.
  • Lead communications at times of crisis, setting out the messaging framework and co-ordinating stakeholders around it, including updating and advising the President, Council, and Chief Executive.
  • Develop the Academy’s approach to building external partnerships, and work with relevant teams across the Academy to ensure there is a common strategy to how this is done.
  • Oversee the Academy’s marketing activity and approach across all paid, owned and earned channels, ensuring it is audience-focused and evaluated and capturing data and audience insight that can be used to help our engagement plans
  • Oversee budgets in the Communications Directorate to ensure programmes are developed and delivered within the allocated resources.
  • Work with colleagues across the Academy including Research, Policy, Finance, Development, and Fellowship, enabling better linkages and synergies between programmes of work.
  • To play an ambassadorial role, along with other senior management, for the Academy with external stakeholders.

Key Stakeholders

Internal

  • Trustees/President
  • Senior Management Team/CEO
  • Fellows of the Academy
  • Heads of Department

External

  • Media
  • Parliamentarians
  • Leaders of organisations in higher education, the cultural sector and civil society