Head of Communications & Marketing (Culture)

Job id: 077826. Salary: £51,174 – £60,221 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance.

Posted: 30 October 2023. Closing date: 12 November 2023.

Business unit: Faculty of Arts & Humanities. Department: Culture.

Contact details:Dan Walker. Daniel.Walker@kcl.ac.uk

Location: Strand Campus. Category: Professional & Support Services.

Job Description

King’s Culture is recruiting a Head of Communications & Marketing. As King’s College London’s specialist institute for creative knowledge exchange and engagement with the creative & cultural industries, King’s Culture brokers, develops and delivers a portfolio of distinctive partnerships that support the university’s education, research and service ambitions.

Now is an exciting time to join King’s Culture as we embark on the next phase of our work after ten years at the forefront of higher education engagement with the creative industries. With an enhanced focus on knowledge exchange partnerships and communicating King’s positive impact on the world through creative interventions, this role will be key to the success of our work that across King’s two flagship public-facing platforms; Science Gallery London on Guy’s Campus, and, King’s spaces on and around the newly pedestrianised Strand-Aldwych. As part of King’s strategic Vision 2029 , King’s Culture will play a key role in the university’s refreshed approach to engagement with our local communities and cross-capital partners.

The Head of Communications & Marketing develops & delivers effective communications & marketing that connect and showcase these activities both within and beyond the university, driving participation and audiences.

This role requires a balance of skills across internal and external communications & engagement, marketing and digital expertise. The post holder will be adept at identifying, researching and developing campaigns and stories. They will work with colleagues in the King’s Culture team, central and faculty-based communications and marketing teams and external collaborators and partners to tell those stories through digital and social media, impactful events, compelling internal and external campaigns, launches and other activities to inspire and engage stakeholders.

As with all King’s Culture posts, this role is part of the Faculty of Arts & Humanities with primary accountability for supporting our work at SGL and Strand.

At King’s, our definition of diversity encompasses and goes beyond the characteristics protected by the Equality Act 2010 to include everything that makes us unique, from our backgrounds and experiences to our personalities and ways of thinking. King’s Culture welcomes applicants from communities underrepresented in the higher education and/or cultural sector and expects all applicants to demonstrate a clear commitment to diversity and inclusion.

This post will be offered on an indefinite contract.

This is a full-time post.

Key responsibilities

• Provide hands-on strategic communications & marketing expertise for King’s Culture’s varied programme, including Science Gallery London on Guy’s Campus, cultural programming for the pedestrianised Strand/Aldwych, creative partnerships with artists and organisations across & beyond London, and a range of projects formed around student and/or academic collaborations with the creative & cultural industries.
• Developing a refreshed brand identity for King’s Culture as a knowledge exchange institute for creative & cultural innovation
• Oversee the development & delivery of a clear communications & marketing strategy and framework for effective PR, media, government, and stakeholder relations, for King’s Culture.
• Develop and deliver an internal communications plan across King’s Culture, wider university, and with associated academic partners, artists, contractors, suppliers and freelance staff.
• Design, build and manage the delivery of all campaigns, as part of an overall communications, marketing and engagement strategy that builds profile and shows year on year progress both through traditional and online/digital environments.
• Oversee the development of an integrated digital strategy and manage the maintenance of the Culture web pages, social media and other digital channels, ensuring they are kept up to date.
• Build and manage media relations for Culture, promoting the programme – including international, national, regional and local media in print, on air and digital – to deliver extensive and good quality coverage of King’s cultural activity.
• Use and support development of CRM to build and expand the contacts database for all audiences.
• Develop digital skills competency within the Culture team to enhance engagement approaches for maximum impact across King’s and the cultural sector.
• Regularly monitor and evaluate the value and effectiveness of marketing, communications, and digital activity.
• Be an active member of King’s External & Internal Engagement Network.
• Develop and manage King’s Culture’s communications & marketing budget.
• Manage external suppliers such as PR agencies, copywriters and graphic designers and work within King’s brand and copy style guidelines.

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Skills, knowledge, and experience 

Essential criteria

First degree & professional communications/marketing qualification, or demonstrable equivalent experience

Experience of working in communications/marketing roles in both higher education and the creative & cultural industries sector

Significant experience of communications & marketing at a responsible level

Ability to understand and translate complex themes and messages for internal and external audiences and expertise in how to create and communicate those messages in credible & impactful ways

Excellent creative writing, ability to adapt to multiple styles and uses, editing and proofing skills with an eye for detail

Experience of working cross-organisationally in a complex environment with competing priorities

Demonstrates strong interpersonal, leadership, facilitation and negotiation  skills and uses these at own initiative to positively influence and drive the right outcomes

Advanced digital skills including experience in managing social media channels and working with website/newsletter/contact databases, CMS and CRM systems, video & podcasting technology

Experience of measuring reach/impact of communications & marketing and of using the data to inform activities

A compelling personal statement detailing the candidate’s suitability for the role