The work

This is a strategic and hands-on role, from shaping the communications approach through to delivery and measurement. Set the purpose, editorial standards and approval routes for internal channels, reducing message congestion for colleagues in schools, and plan an integrated calendar with the Learning & Innovation Comms lead across campaigns, programmes, the employee value proposition (EVP) and external moments, sequenced around the school year. Audiences range from central and regional teams to school leaders, teachers and support colleagues. Create content across formats and establish two-way listening that closes the loop with colleagues.

Help establish ISP’s external voice on learning, education and innovation, translating activity in its schools into media stories. Guide media strategy and agency relationships, including budgets and performance, while developing the PR Manager. Build senior leaders’ visibility through content, commentary and speaking opportunities, and help regional teams adapt messages and stories for their markets.

Apply SEO to owned content to improve discoverability and demand generation. Monitor reputational risk, report monthly on key metrics, and review alignment across internal and external narratives.

Transformation is a significant and recurring part of the role. Lead communications for major change programmes, explaining the rationale for change, equipping regions and divisions to communicate locally, and tracking adoption and sentiment. With other functions, lead the launch and embedding of ISP’s employee value proposition. Crisis work includes maintaining protocols and out-of-hours arrangements, running preparedness training and exercises for regional and school leaders with the Head of Global Communications and Marketing, and partnering on live issues.

Qualifications

Requirements

• Substantial corporate communications experience across internal communications and external reputation or media relations, with strong writing across formats and audiences.
• Experience communicating change to internal audiences, and crisis or issues communications, including preparedness planning.
• Experience managing or developing at least one team member, and managing agency relationships and budgets.
• Confidence advising and constructively challenging senior leaders, with sound judgement on sensitive and confidential matters.
• Working knowledge of SEO for written content, strong project management and a data-informed approach to strategy and performance.
• Comfort with project management, PR distribution and reputation or media monitoring tools.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience in a large, complex, multi-site or matrixed organisation.
• Experience communicating across countries, languages and time zones, including translation and localisation.
• Experience in employer brand or employee value proposition work.
• Familiarity with internal communications platforms, intranet analytics and employee listening tools.
• Additional languages.