Head of Communications London Department Corporate Affairs Industry Real Estate Employment Type Permanent Salary and Package Competitive salary and benefits Role Overview A senior communications professional protecting and driving forward Grainger’s brand and reputation as the UK’s best landlord and the market leader in the Build to Rent sector, both B2B and B2C. The role holder will be responsible for enhancing and taking forward Grainger’s PR, (press and media) and communications strategy. The role will report into the Director of Corporate Affairs and will work closely with the Executive team. Primary responsibilities will include leading on all non-financial external communications (proactive and reactive), corporate communications, consumer PR, crisis communication and reputation management, internal communications, corporate website, corporate social media, and some customer communications. The individual will be expected to be pro-active, a self-starter and regularly generate new creative ideas for furthering Grainger’s business and brand. The candidate will be a proven high performer, with a track record of exceptional delivery and execution. The candidate will need to show strong leadership skills and act as a key senior team member. Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to: General Develop a comprehensive communications strategy, forward looking plan and successfully execute on it Line Manage the Communications Manager Work closely with the wider Corporate Affairs team, and particularly the marketing team to deliver best in class, joined up marketing and communications for Grainger PR and media relations Develop and deliver PR strategy Draft supporting PR materials: key messages, boilerplates, press releases, comments and columns on behalf of Executive team Brief, appoint and manage PR agencies as required Work with the Director of Corporate Affairs on financial communications and support on PR for all financial announcements, including financial reporting Work with the Head of Marketing to deliver PR and media relations to support marketing of our operational assets to support lettings Internal communications Develop and deliver a robust internal communication strategy Own and manage all internal communications channels Lead on content creation for internal communications channels Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of communications channels and activities Ensure external communications, press and media are communicated and shared internally, where appropriate Social Media Manage Grainger's corporate social media presence to support Grainger's reputation and profile for B2B purposes and as a leading employer. Work with the Head of Marketing in relation to utilising social media for B2B and B2C marketing purposes Corporate communications Work with the Head of Marketing to jointly manage the Corporate Website, reporting to the Director of Corporate Affairs who has ultimate responsibility Develop and regularly review key messages for Grainger Support the Head of Marketing to manage and coordinate Grainger's presence (including speaking opportunities) at external industry events (including targeting which events) Support the senior team on their speeches and presentations at events Work jointly with Head of Marketing to develop and deliver Grainger’s Awards Strategy Drafting and creating Corporate Communication collateral Crisis Communication and Reputation Management Own and manage Grainger’s Crisi Communications strategy and framework Lead on crisis communications response and potentially reputationally damaging matters Provide guidance and support to Executive Team on crisis matters and response Support Operations with reputationally threatening customer complaints and issues Draft proactive and reactive statements Monitor media and social media for potentially damaging coverage and prepare a response Identify areas of reputational risk. Supporting government relations, financial PR and IR Work with the Director of Corporate Affairs to support Grainger’s political engagement strategy from a communications perspective, Support the Director of Corporate Affairs on Investor Relations and Public Affairs work Other responsibilities Work closely with colleagues from across the business to support in the delivery of effective stakeholder communications Provide advice and guidance to colleagues on how best to communicate to residents and key stakeholders. Supporting with customer communications and customer campaigns Regular internal reporting on communications activity Producing high quality papers for the Board and Executive team Develops and maintains up to date corporate templates including presentations, descriptions, boiler plates, etc Develop and maintain a programme of engagement for Grainger’s Executive team with key external stakeholders, including journalists, policy makers and other key influencers Work with partners to develop communication strategies and plans, and produce, review and issue joint communications Qualifications, skills and experience Candidate requirements (skills, qualifications, experience and qualities) Minimum 10 years relevant experience in PR and communications, with experience in the UK real estate sector highly desirable Exemplary writing skills; an ability to write clearly and concisely Strong communication and interpersonal skills Good level of commercial awareness and knowledge of the UK property market Strong knowledge and understanding of UK national, regional and property press Solid understanding of current property media: journalists, publications, news cycle, trends, issues etc desirable Strong relationships within the property media desirable Proactive, demonstrates initiative and self-starter Proven ability to execute and implement to the highest standards Outstanding strategic thinking and planning skills Builds relationships at all levels of the business Hard working Highly organised Politically knowledgeable and aware Forward thinking Duties and key responsibilities % Weighting PR and media relations 50% Internal communications 30% Social media 5% Corporate and crisis communications 5% Events 5% Misc 5% About Grainger Grainger plc, an award-winning FTSE250 property company, is the UK’s largest listed residential landlord. We provide more than 11,000 homes nationaly and are growing with a £1.5bn pipeline of 5,000 more BTR homes. We operate in one of the most exciting and newest property markets in the UK, the emerging build-to- rent sector. We build high quality homes for rent. Our buildings are serviced by our amazing Resident Services Teams, which come complete with additional amenities including lounge, gym and co- working space – creating a vibrant community for our residents. With over 4.5m UK households renting, mostly from small private landlords, the UK rental market landscape is changing, demand is increasing, and the number of professional, large-scale build-to- rent landlords is rising, raising standards for renters and putting Grainger front and centre in this growth market. Grainger’s business model is fully integrated – we invest in land and new residential developments, we design and develop homes, and we operate them. This means we offer a wide range of opportunities for people looking to further their career in an industry leading business. We are a socially positive business that puts people at the heart. We are changing the way people rent in the UK by providing high quality homes and great service, all at mid-market prices. We are building homes where people want to live, creating spaces residents enjoy and making a positive impact on local communities. Grainger’s core purpose is ‘Renting homes and Enriching lives’, backed by four values: Every Home Matters People at the Heart Leading the Way Exceeding Expectations. We are also a leader in sustainability and ESG and a FTSE4Good business and have committed to the World Green Building Council’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment. We are committed to supporting and increasing diversity throughout the business and the wider industry and to making a positive social impact locally, and we encourage our colleagues to support the implementation of our community programmes. Grainger was recently recognised as a Top 100 employer by Best Companies. Grainger is accredited by the National Equality Standard, the UK’s leading ED&I benchmark. For further information Grainger has partnered exclusively with Ellwood Atfield for the recruitment of this role. To apply, please visit the Ellwood Atfield website here.