Communications Director (14 month FTC)

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Role Overview

BNP Paribas Real Estate and Strutt & Parker are seeking a dynamic and strategic External Communications Director to lead the development and delivery of our communication strategy.

This pivotal role will focus on increasing brand awareness, engagement, and lead generation while positioning the company as a thought leader in the real estate sector. The successful candidate will act as a strategic advisor to senior leadership, manage a high-performing PR & Communications team, and ensure best-in-class external communication practices across all channels.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Communications & Leadership

• Develop and execute a comprehensive external communications strategy to enhance brand visibility and reputation.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and entity leadership teams, providing strategic counsel on media engagement and corporate positioning.
• Lead, inspire, and develop the PR & Communications team, ensuring high performance, consistency, and professional excellence.
• Monitor industry trends and market developments, adapting communication strategies accordingly.

Content & Thought Leadership Strategy

• Develop and implement a strategic content framework that enhances brand positioning, strengthens thought leadership, and drives measurable engagement across all external channels.
• Oversee the creation of high-impact, data-driven content, including blogs and magazines, ensuring consistency in messaging and alignment with business priorities.
• Collaborate closely with the Research team to translate insights into compelling narratives that elevate the company's authority in the real estate sector and wider business landscape.
• Work with the digital to team to ensure all content is optimised for digital platforms, leveraging SEO, analytics, and audience insights to maximise visibility and engagement.
• Work with marketing and design teams to develop visually engaging digital assets, including infographics, interactive reports, and video storytelling, to create a mobile-first and social-first approach.
• Champion innovation in content formats, exploring emerging trends and data visualisation to enhance audience engagement.

Social Media

• Develop and deliver a robust social media communications strategy to enhance the company's online presence.
• Ensure brand profiles on all social media channels are optimised and aligned with the wider communication and content strategy.
• Leverage digital and social media platforms to interact with key stakeholders and influencers, driving engagement and brand credibility.
• Promote employee advocacy by equipping our people with corporate content and encouraging them to amplify the company's voice on social platforms.
• Use data-driven insights through social listening tools and analytics to optimise content performance, enhance engagement, and inform strategic decision-making.

Media Relations & Public Relations

• Develop and implement proactive PR strategies that align with business and marketing objectives.
• Lead a proactive media engagement strategy, maintaining direct relationships with top-tier media outlets.
• Oversee and drive media activity, securing high-impact coverage that boosts brand credibility.
• Act as the key spokesperson where necessary, supporting interviews, media engagements, and crisis communication efforts.
• Develop and execute PR campaigns to support key business initiatives, corporate deals, and brand positioning.
• Work with HR and Legal teams to manage sensitive media issues and crisis communications.

Experience & Skills Required

• Extensive experience in PR and external communications, with a proven track record in media relations and brand positioning.
• Strong leadership experience, with a history of managing high-performing teams.
• Expertise in multichannel communications, including traditional, digital, and social media.
• Proven ability to develop and implement strategic communication plans that drive brand awareness and thought leadership.
• Strong understanding of marketing and branding principles, with the ability to align PR and communications within an overall corporate strategy.
• Background in the real estate and property sector is desirable but not essential.

Personal Attributes

• Self-starter with strong strategic thinking and a clear vision.
• Confident and collaborative, able to engage with senior stakeholders and cross-functional teams.
• Resilient, able to perform under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
• Results-driven, with a passion for delivering high-impact communications.
• Smart, insightful, and knowledgeable about current affairs, politics, and industry trends.
• Willing to work flexibly, including outside standard working hours, when necessary.

Why Join Us?

This is an exciting opportunity to shape the external communications strategy for one of the leading real estate businesses in the UK and Europe. If you are a strategic communicator with a passion for brand storytelling, thought leadership and media engagement, we want to hear from you.

We are proud to offer award-winning benefits to support and reward our employees:

• Health & Leisure: Private medical cover, 30 days annual leave + public holidays (the option of purchasing up to 5 additional days via flex benefits), health screening, gym discounts, wellbeing support, volunteering opportunities, cycle to work scheme, eye care voucher, travel & retail discounts, travel insurance, concierge service, kids pass, open fairways golf card, great company culture and social events (including sports teams, charity events, art pass), perks at work
• Financial: Pension, company car allowance, life assurance at 8 x basic salary, group income protection (long term disability insurance), interest free season ticket loan, bonus scheme - you will be eligible to participate in the Company's Bonus Scheme, share incentive plan, financial and mortgage advice

BNP Paribas Real Estate is committed to providing a work environment that fosters diversity, inclusion, and equal employment opportunity without regard to race, colour, gender, age, creed, sex, religion, national origin, disability (physical or mental), marital status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, or any other legally protected status.