Head of Marketing Communications

The role

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Head of Marketing Communications to join our team and build on all the good work achieved to date.

The Business Development (BD) and Marketing team at Howard Kennedy is comprised of the BD team, who support our sector and other specialist go-to-market groups, the Digital Marketing team, responsible for the optimisation of the various platforms we employ and the Marketing Communications team, who design and implement all aspects of our brand and communications strategy.

This seeks to address two critical success factors identified in the firm's strategy: 

1. To ensure an engaged and committed staff motivated by the Firm’s Vision through effective and clear communication.

2. To ensure a focused and consistent approach to reputation management in each of the Firm’s key markets and within its various spheres of influence including:

• In target sectors and sub-sectors both with existing and potential clients and influencers, intermediaries and media.
• Among key sources of recruits, candidates and recruitment agents.

This role will help achieve these objectives through a focus on the following areas:

• Building the firm's brand by reinforcing the firm's strategy, messaging, values and visual identity in every touchpoint.
• Enabling sales opportunities through the creation and distribution of relevant content demonstrating our expertise.
• Engaging our people so they feel aligned to the firm's strategy resulting in greater advocacy.

It is a high-profile role within an ambitious, entrepreneurial firm with the real opportunity to make things happen.  

Who you will work with:

The role will enjoy high exposure across the business and with key senior stakeholders. Reporting to the Director of Business Development & Marketing, the role will liaise closely with the Head of Digital Marketing and Head of Clients & Markets and there will be regular engagement with the go to market teams to assist them in the development of their content. The role will also work closely with the firm's Management Committee and other Business Services Heads on internal communications.

The role has line management responsibility for three people, as well as oversight and coordination of the whole team including the Digital team (seven people total).

Role responsibility

• Develop and implement the Marketing & Communications plan and associated budget.

Brand:

• Be the brand guardian for the firm, including our visual identity, tone of voice, the experience we create in our office and tangible items such as brochures and merchandise.
• Continually review and reinforce the firm’s brand proposition for clients and prospects.
• Develop central campaigns, events and thought leadership.
• Manage our retainer with our PR agency and proactively work with them on our corporate communications.  
• Work closely with the HR team on the deployment of our Employer Brand programme.
• Work closely with the Director of Business Development & Marketing and General Counsel to manage any potential reputational risk.
• Manage external supplier relationships such as design, print, and merchandise.

  Enabling sales:

• Utilise PR and broader communications tactics to achieve maximum impact and position the firm as an expert in its areas of expertise.
• Provide copywriting and editorial expertise and guidance in support of firm and go-to-market group's business goals.
• Advise and support the BD team on go to market group campaigns, events and thought leadership.

Engaging our people:  

• Work closely with the Management Committee to cascade and communicate their strategic communications.
• Oversight and development of our innovative and engaging internal communications plan, coordinating all our internal events and initiatives delivered by our Internal Communications Executive.

About you

Ideally you will be able to demonstrate:

• Proven experience of successfully developing and delivering communications strategies within a professional services environment, ideally in the legal sector.
• Enthusiasm, energy, and commitment and the ability to gain the respect and trust of Partners and business services colleagues at all levels of seniority.
• Confidence and gravitas to encourage doing the right thing.
• A creative, proactive and enthusiastic approach, bringing new ideas to the table.
• Flexibility and adaptability with exceptional oral and written communication skills and a high level of attention to detail.
• A proactive team player, who is analytical, tenacious, adaptable and self-motivated and who thrives when working under pressure and to tight deadlines.
• Great team leadership skills, including the ability to get the most from your team through coaching and mentoring. 

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• 25 days annual holiday
• Permanent Health Insurance
• Life Assurance
• Interest free Season Ticket Loan
• Private Healthcare
• Pension Scheme
• Staff Introductory Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme

About us

We are a London based, full-service law firm, specialising in providing straightforward advice to entrepreneurial businesses and individuals on domestic and international matters.

We have grown substantially in recent years, including two mergers and an office move. We’ve also matured in terms of our approach to providing advice to our clients, seeking to simplify and improve the experience of working with a modern, independent law firm.

We’re proud of our journey. Without losing sight of where we’ve come from, we are focused on where we’re going. We are evolving and growing every day. And just like our clients, we are ambitious and moving forward. Many of our clients are entrepreneurial, ambitious enterprises who are often privately or family owned, or private equity backed. We are one of the only London based law firms with a large private wealth offering alongside significant business law capability.

The firm also advises major corporates on particular specialist legal matters who find our straightforward approach a compelling alternative to larger, less personal firms.