Where will you be working?
We’re the UK’s leading infrastructure services company, and we touch almost everyone’s lives. From highways, rail and aviation, to energy, water and telecoms we do the work which keeps the country running.
This role sits in our Corporate Affairs team, which looks after all internal and external communications for M Group. The team keeps our people informed about what’s happening across our Group, handles relationships with media and stakeholders, and manages our marketing and digital channels.
Want to come and be a part of it?
What will you be doing?
The Head of External Affairs is responsible for managing M Group’s reputation externally. This includes earned media, whether that is traditional or digital in form, as well as external stakeholders. They will act as a strategic advisor to senior leaders, providing the company with a recognised centre of excellence in the management of news coverage, our relationships with stakeholders and trade bodies, and our approach to public policy.
The role is responsible for the media and public affairs strategies, stakeholder mapping, key message identification and positioning, and the finding and promotion of positive stories; the vast majority of work is proactive, rather than reactive. They will own relationships with client media teams and be responsible for our crisis & issues response, ensuring a planned, structured and coordinated approach to external communications.
The role will act as an integral part of the wider Corporate Affairs team, interfacing collaboratively with colleagues responsible for internal communications and marketing. They will also be responsible for managing their budget and measuring the impact of our external communications.
What you’ll bring:
Essential
- Extensive experience managing corporate reputation in either the media or public affairs spaces, with core understanding of the other.
- Demonstrable ability to successfully promote positive stories and mitigate negative ones with the media, or the equivalent with stakeholders.
- Experience of creating detailed forward assessments and plans for company threats and opportunities, in either a media or public affairs landscape.
- Ability to navigate complex internal stakeholder landscape and build productive relationships at all levels.
- Manage competing demands in a fast-paced environment, keeping stakeholders informed and managing expectations.
- Intellectually capable of handling content across multiple different industries and topics, all with their own complexities.
- Robust attention to detail with clear and concise writing style.
Desirable
- Experience of working with internal communications and digital owned channels and ensuring coordination and collaboration.
- Experience of utilising AI to support successful and productive outputs.
What’s in it for you?
We offer a range of benefits designed to support your life in and out of work, some of which include;
- Matched or contributory pension scheme
- Online GP service, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
- Employee assistance programme
- My Rewards portal, access to 1000’s of retail discounts
- Cycle to work, salary finance and give as you earn schemes
- Enhanced maternity, paternity leave and adoption leave
- Reward and recognition scheme
In addition, this role offers;
- Company car (or allowance) and fuel card with a range of EV and hybrid vehicles to choose from
- My Car Choice our salary sacrifice EV/ Hybrid car scheme
- Company van/vehicle and fuel card for business use
- Private health care and health care cash plan for you (and your family)
- Discretionary bonus scheme
- 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
- Recommend a friend – get rewarded for introducing people to us!
About us
We want to be an employer of choice and a great place to work, attracting diverse and talented people, who join us and make a difference. We’re one of the Top 100 UK companies actively supporting and recruiting veterans. Our ENABLE inclusion networks bring together people who have a shared passion, to help create an environment where everyone belongs.
Our values help to shape our culture and how we work with one another. We recruit with these values in mind, to ensure your aspirations, and ways of working, align with ours.
- We’re responsible and go further for our people, clients, communities and the planet
- We’re open and seek new and better ways of exceeding expectations
- We’re together and as one team; the whole is greater than the sum of the parts
- We’re ambitious and embrace opportunity, to lead essential infrastructure services for life
Whether you’re a trainee, apprentice or graduate, or progressing through your career, our people benefit from industry recognised programmes, training and development.
It’s an exceptional time to be a part of M Group.
Please note: Occasionally, job adverts might be closed before the stated closing date. Do apply as soon as possible to ensure your application is considered.
For certain roles, successful candidates will be subject to 3rd party background checks as part of the hiring process. Some roles require drug and alcohol testing as part of induction and onboarding.
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