Head of Communications

An exciting opportunity has come up to hire a Head of Communications for the Barclay's Women's Super League and Barclay's Women's Championship (BWSL/BWC); this is a newly created senior role, reporting into the Chief Marketing Officer.

You will be an entrepreneurial self-starter, highly experienced with national and industry media capable driving a proactive communications approach to underpin the NewCo brand and business plan, including sustainable commercial sustainable growth, engagement of diverse fans, build and manage successful stakeholder relationships.

NewCo

The NewCo is an independent body where each Club who participates in the top two tiers of women's football (Barclays Women's Super League and Barclays Women's Championship) acts as shareholders to run the women's professional game in England.

The collective aim of the NewCo is for the collective to work together to build the most distinctive, competitive and entertaining women's football club competition in the world. Setting up NewCo provides the opportunity to accelerate the sustainable growth of the women's game and will not only support the development of the Barclays Women's Super League and Barclays Women's Championship, but the entirety of the women's football pyramid.

What will you be doing?

The Head of Communications will have responsibility to deliver the brand communications strategies and reactively handle sensitive communications issues as relating to BWSL/BWC in order grow the brand and reputation of the newly formed organisation, ensuring key stakeholders are updated and informed as appropriate.

Responsibilities will include:

Develop and deliver an annual communications strategy incorporating key milestones, opportunities and associated budget requirements. Ensure the communications strategy has clear deliverables where appropriate and focuses on the NewCo business priorities, working collaboratively across the business functions. Working with the relevant stakeholders internally and externally where relevant, devise proactive communications approaches that support and enable the successful launch and operation of the Newco responsible for the development and delivery of the BWSL/BWC. Devise and implement a communications strategy for targeting Women's Football fanbase through cross-functional campaign management of key fan growth catalyst moments. Developed in partnership with marketing and content colleagues. Ensure communications strategies enable commercial and content functions with delivery of key assets and create compelling PR opportunities. Define the landscape of media titles and key journalists who will influence the profile and the perception of NewCo and the leagues. Develop a comprehensive media relations programme to regularly engage key media. Devise and implement a strategy for club communications engagement and implementation Develop strong working relationships with BWSL & BWC club communications teams Establish a programme of mainstream and industry engagement for the CEO Compile, and have on-going responsibility for a comprehensive set of FAQ's to manage reactive communications strategy. Take the lead on crisis communications. Hold, develop and manage full budget responsibility for the communications activities. Lead, manage and support a team to appropriately handle all related PR and stakeholder management activities and support the delivery of the relevant communications strategies. What are we looking for?

Critical Experience:

Proven success in a high profile and demanding communications environment within the sports industry and can evidence sound judgement and decision-making capability. Experience with football industry media is a positive Experience of managing agencies and proactively running campaigns Adept at crisis communications management Operates successfully in a start-up / matrix organisation where managing and influencing internal and external stakeholders is the norm alongside a naturally collaborative style. Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to engage, influence, and negotiate with stakeholders at all levels. Excellent leadership and interpersonal skills, capable of building and managing high-performing teams. Characteristics

A successful communications expert who has a proven track record of building high performing teams and developing a healthy and inclusive culture. Passionate about women's football and broader women's sport culture. Entrepreneurial spirit and ability to deal with matrix stakeholders & ambiguity. Experience as a frontline media spokesperson with high standards of personal integrity and EQ. Experienced at devising communications strategies and seeing them through to delivery Flexible approach to working hours