Head of External Relations - London, England

Head of External Relations

Morson are recruiting for a Head of External Relations to join our client in London, England

For this role you must:
.Lead the Media (including Digital), Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement (including Community Relations) teams.
.Provide strategic communications advice to the Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Chief Executive, their Executive and other Directors in order to protect and enhance their reputation.
.Deliver a coherent external affairs strategy to rebuild stakeholder trust and restore the project's reputation
.Lead on all aspects of external reputation management for our client, including their crisis communications strategy.
.Ensure alignment with our clients internal communications activity and strategy.
.Report delivery of the strategy to the Executive Group and the Board as appropriate.
.Manage the budget for the External Affairs team.
.Lead the liaison between our client and their Sponsors- as well as other key partner organisations.
.Ensure relationships with key political stakeholders are maintained and strengthened.
.Provide specialist advice and guidance to our clients staff at all levels on all aspects of external communications activity with an emphasis on sharing best practice.
.Control the management of our clients corporate identify and application of their brand.
.Take reasonable care of your own and others health and safety and of those who may be affected in the day-to-day delivery of this role by taking personal responsibility for working to their principles.
.Co-operate with our client in all matters relating to health and safety, including following safe working procedures at all times.
.Act as a role model for our clients vision and values, behaving in ways that are in alignment with their Ways of Working. Encourage and support others to do so too.
.Promote equality in the workplace and adopt appropriate behaviour when interacting with colleagues.
.Take necessary care to properly protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of corporate information from unauthorised disclosure, modification or destruction. Never knowingly put their information or information systems at risk.

Person Specification
.Extensive and high-level communications and external relations experience. Good working knowledge and experience of public relations including media relations and new media.
.Experience of strategic communications issues and providing communications advice at Chairman and Chief Executive level.
.Highly-developed interpersonal, communications and negotiating skills. Ability to build and maintain effective long-term working relationships with high profile and key stakeholders including elected representatives.
.Strong strategic and people management skills including ability to establish individual and departmental priorities, objectives and targets and motivate others to achieve.
.Experience of leading and managing change in a complex organisational and political context.
.Ability to handle complex political and public relations issues, including crisis management.
.Ability to explain and promote our client and its objectives to a wide-ranging audience including stakeholders and elected representatives.
.Knowledge of rail and transport industry an advantage.

If you are interested and have relevant qualifications and experience, apply now and I will be in touch with you shortly.

Alternatively, contact Connah OKeeffe at Morson International for more information about this position.