Director Of Communications (Policy)

Focus of the Role

Are you excited by the prospect of communicating a bold and progressive policy programme? We are looking to appoint a Director of Communications to lead the communications work of the policy practice at the Tony Blair Institute. The Institute’s policy practice aims to equip leaders with the tools to create open, inclusive and  prosperous societies in a globalised world. Our work encompasses three broad areas: developing a bold and innovative domestic policy programme to help renew the centre ground of British politics; exploring the policy challenges and opportunities presented by the technological revolution; and solutions designed to tackle the threat of extremist ideologies in the UK and around the world.

We are looking for someone experienced in dealing with high-profile media stories and developing effective and influential communications strategies to lead a step change in the profile of our policy work particularly in the UK. They will represent TBI policy externally with journalists, opinion formers and other stakeholders. Other responsibilities include managing the policy content for our website and social media, running a high quality proactive and reactive media service for the policy side of the Institute and building strong relationships with press and media contacts. The post holder will assemble and manage a small team comprising people with relevant experience of the diverse audiences we are seeking to reach, working with the three policy directors and their teams to develop effective media strategies to maximise the influence of our work. They will be responsible for communicating all our policy work as well as leading personally on our UK domestic policy output. 

The role will work closely with the Executive Directors for each policy division on a day to day basis, and formally report into the Executive Director of External Affairs. The post holder will play a key role in the broader marketing and communications community at TBI, and collaborate closely with their peers within this function.

Job Introduction

We are looking for someone experienced in dealing with high-profile media stories and developing effective and influential communications strategies to lead a step change in the profile of our policy work particularly in the UK. They will represent TBI policy externally with journalists, opinion formers and other stakeholders. Other responsibilities include managing the policy content for our website and social media, running a high quality proactive and reactive media service for the policy side of the Institute and building strong relationships with press and media contacts. The post holder will assemble and manage a small team comprising people with relevant experience of the diverse audiences we are seeking to reach, working with the three policy directors and their teams to develop effective media strategies to maximise the influence of our work. They will be responsible for communicating all our policy work as well as leading personally on our UK domestic policy output. 

Key Responsibilities

Key elements of the role include:

·       Develop and lead the communications, press and media strategy for our policy work, ensuring we have a clear and deliverable plan to maximise our influence on the debate.

·       Responsible for web, press office, social media and digital communications relating to the policy work of the Institute.

·       Take an entrepreneurial approach to the creation of high quality and engaging policy content for web, social media, online, press and broadcast media, collaborating with communications and marketing colleagues to deliver the best overall impact.

·       Maintain strong relationships with media stakeholders, finding ways to maximise exposure opportunities for the Institute’s policy work.

·       Provide expert advice and assistance to policy colleagues to help them maximise the effectiveness of their work.

·       Engage closely with the content produced on the policy side, assisting with quality assurance from a communications perspective.

·       Develop media strategies for policy output as part of a wider influencing strategy for the work.

·       Use analytics and reporting tools to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of communications and inform future activities.

·       Lead and manage a small communications team with a UK and global focus.

·      The post holder and his/her team will be expected to play a key role in the broader marketing and communications community at TBI. They will be expected to build strong working relationships with: the Creative Director; Director of Engagement; Director of Marketing; Director of Communications (Press).

Person Specification

Thee successful candidate will:

·       Have significant media handling experience and will have dealt directly with national press and broadcast media to secure positive coverage of a high-profile policy agenda.

·       Have a good ‘nose’ for the story, the political environment in which we are operating, and the social media trends that should inform our activities.

·       Be keenly interested in the policy content of the work and willing to contribute to the thinking that goes into it.

·       Appreciate the importance of precision in communicating often complex analysis.

·       Have excellent communication skills and be able to clearly explain complex analysis and policy proposals with persuasiveness.

·       Maintain, or be able to develop, strong links to key journalists and opinion formers in the press and broadcast media.

·       Be skilled at building, managing and developing a team.

Applicants will only be considered if their application is accompanied by a detailed covering letter of why they are a great fit for this role.  

About The Institute

About the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change we are dedicated to making globalisation work for the many, not the few. We do this by helping countries, their people and their governments, address some of the most difficult challenges in the world today – beginning with those where we think we can break new ground, offering leaders new thinking and new approaches. Our staff – over 200 of them, based all over the world – are working on some of the most intractable problems around issues of co-existence, governance, the peace process in the Middle East and renewing the centre.