Head of Communications - 12 Months FTC

We currently have a wonderful and exciting opportunity for an experienced and creative Head of Communications to work for a leading, global academic publishing within their Journals Division on a maternity contract for the duration of 12 months.

Based in the Oxford area the Head of Communications will be responsible for managing high-level communications for the journals business.  This role will be responsible for devising a communications strategy which supports the company brands and will help deliver their strategic goals for the business.  The Head of Communications is also responsible for a small team of locally-based communications staff but will liaise with colleagues globally to craft and deliver their message.

This is a very responsible role and key duties will involve:

• Understanding the requirements of customers and the business, and devise a communication plan to deliver to these needs.
• Manage the content of the corporate web presence and liaise with colleagues across the group to ensure a consistent customer experience across the websites is offered.
• Ensure the needs of key customer groups – librarians, authors, editors, society officers, users and journalists are taken into account within the organisation’s communication strategy.
• Ensure all available communication channels are utilised effectively, including web, social media, print, email and face-to-face.
• Lead initiatives and projects aimed at addressing specific communications needs.
• In combination with peers within the Senior Management team for Marketing, deliver an effective communication strategy to build profile and understanding of the department’s purpose and plans to both external and internal stakeholders.
• Lead, performance manage, mentor and coach the communications team to create a high performance culture and good levels of employee engagement.

The successful person will have a thorough understanding of the role communications play in corporate strategy; a proven track record of delivering to targets and objectives and outstanding team management and motivation skills.  You will ideally have similar experience in publishing, academic research, or a related field, plus a critical and creative mind, seeking opportunities to deliver improvements and strong verbal, written and presentational communication skills.

For further information on this role, please forward a CV and a short covering letter outlining your interest and salary expectations.