Head of Campaigns and Strategic Communications

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

Are you a strategic and creative thinker who is passionate about making a difference? Would you like to make an impact in a fast-moving, high-profile international environment? The UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT) is now looking for a Head of Campaigns and Strategic Communications to join our team based at the British Embassy in Berlin.

DIT’s mission in Germany is to improve market access for businesses, champion free and fair trade, and encourage trade and investment between the UK and Germany. This is critical to our economies, supporting millions of jobs, driving economic growth, raising wages and improving living standard across the globe, whilst at the same time promoting wider goals - e.g. tackling climate change and improving economic security. For more information about DIT’s objectives, see here.

As Head of Campaigns and Strategic Communications, this newly created position will play a crucial role planning and delivering a communications strategy to support this work in Germany. You will develop clear strategic messaging, maximise our impact, and energise our stakeholder network and audience engagement through impactful campaigns. These will be delivered through a mixture of events, strategic partnerships with business/multipliers, engagement with economic/trade press and digital communications activity.

As with all roles in the Germany Network, there will be a focus on working collaboratively, both in Germany and with colleagues and stakeholders across Europe. You will have the chance to work closely with teams from different government departments leading on a variety of policies and sectors, from global health challenges to climate change, from diversity and inclusion to cyber security. As such, this role offers plenty of scope for development and building contact networks.

You will be expected to develop an understanding of the broader operating context in the UK and Germany (media, bilateral, economic, political, cultural), using insight and evaluation to understand relevant audiences, identify opportunities and messaging, and to develop, implement and evaluate campaign plans with your team.

**What will the jobholder be expected to achieve?**:
Campaign Strategy & Delivery:

- Work closely with senior leadership to shape, plan and deliver a campaign strategy to promote the UK-Germany economic relationship and in support of DIT objectives;
- Actively build relationships with teams across the Germany Network and in the UK to shape a joined up communications narrative, working closely together with the Embassy’s communications team;
- Lead with clarity and purpose: Provide line management to two Marketing and Communications Managers and oversee the team’s activities, as well as supporting regional / global campaigns (e.g. GREAT), to ensure these are adequately adapted to German business audiences.

Strategic Communications & Content:

- Provide high-level strategic communications advice to the Ambassador and other senior officials (including Ministers and VIP visits) in line with priority campaigns, including briefing, interviews, speeches;
- Create up-to-date and compelling content, including writing articles, op-eds and digital content;
- Ensure a pipeline of key messages, success stories and focal points for activity / milestones across priority campaigns;

Engagement:

- Lead internal capacity building through sharing expertise and knowledge to improve awareness and capability amongst colleagues with regards to communications and campaign best practice;
- Develop strategic partnerships and maintain a network of stakeholders to ensure a clear understanding of the activity at the heart of your campaigns. This might include journalists, policy and comms officials in industry or think tanks, and other multipliers and partners.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience
- Proficiency in English and German (both written and spoken, minimum of C2 level for CEFR framework*);
- 5+ years professional communications experience and a strong understanding of German media/wider communications environment;
- Strong digital content and marketing skills;
- Degree and/or professional background in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Journalism, Political Science, International Relations, Economics/Business;
- Ability to effectively and credibly engage with stakeholders, including the ability to communicate effectively at the most senior level of government, business, media;
- Excellent writing skills, to provide clear, concise briefing and proven ability to draft articles and op-eds;
- Leadership/management experience;
- Ability to work across multiple teams and with partners based in different locations;
- Evidence of strong relationship and account management skills and a demonstrated ability to think strategically;
- Strong organisational and time management skills;
- Self-Starter - proactive with the ability to work we