Head of External Communications

Head of External Communications – London (UK)

National Gas is securing Britain’s energy. We transport gas throughout Great Britain, repair and maintain gas pipelines, and manage the meters that allow millions of homes and businesses to access the energy they need. We are the national gas network, providing secure energy to power Britain, achieve net zero, and maintain our industrial competitiveness.

This is a critical role in a dynamic and diverse team. The corporate affairs team lead our external engagement, presence, and reputation – working closely with the CEO, wider Executive, and our investors. You will be a member of the corporate affairs leadership team and will be responsible for managing a small team, engaging with external agencies and partners, and delivering high-profile activity including our crisis communications, digital channels, and media engagement.

As a relatively new business, we are looking for an individual excited by the prospect of shaping the brand using their creativity, and managing the reputation of an organisation at the heart of our nation’s energy security. You may work within the sector, within government, or perhaps in house in a completely different sector. We are looking for someone to join our team who is passionate about our industry, and we don’t expect you to be an expert in gas!

The individual for this role will bring ideas, creativity, resilience, and a comfort dealing with a variety of complex and uncertain situations. You will have excellent attention to detail and will ensure that multiple workstreams remain on track. You will be enabled by a business full of passion for what we do and will work within the supportive environment of a purpose-led corporate affairs team.

We do not expect an applicant to have experience across all the competencies listed, and we are therefore seeking an individual with the combination of relevant strengths and experiences to perform in this role. Gas, alongside technologies including hydrogen, will play an important role in the journey to net zero – and our external communications will be critical to our success. We look forward to receiving your application.

Join us, and help be the energy behind the change.

About the role:

You will take a leading role in our crisis communications.

• Act as the central point of contact for crisis communications, providing strategic direction to internal teams and senior leadership.
• Manage the crisis communications aspect of a business-wide crisis response plan, working effectively with resilience teams across the business.
• Collaborate with the wider energy sector, including trade bodies and other gas networks, to develop sector-wide crisis response plans.
• Lead internal crisis scenarios to test communications plans and feed into business crisis scenarios to demonstrate communications plans.
• Chair the Corporate Affairs Response Team during exercises and real events, which can be out of hours and require flexibility.

You will curate an impactful digital presence for the business.

• Oversee company-wide communication plans which align external and internal communications strategies, approach and content.
• Oversee social media channels and ensure an effective content plan which increases engagement and enhances reputation.
• Own our brand and ensure brand compliance across the business through effective deployment of our brand guidelines.
• Lead the management of our external website, delivering updates in line with business areas and ensuring regulatory compliance.
• Oversee the website content to reflect business updates and publish media activity to align with social media channel communications.
• Create high quality content for the Executive team social media channels, in addition to opinion pieces and quotes.

You will engage with the media on items of national significance.

• Oversee the press rota and 24/7 response to media engagement, working with the wider team and external media agencies.
• Lead engagement with the media on enquiries and proactively placement, working closely with the business’ external media agency.
• Act as the spokesperson for the business, effectively briefing the media on the company’s position and providing background.
• Lead the release of corporate announcements and publications, including media briefings, communications plan, and reaction.
• Draft press releases and manage engagement with media contacts, working with external media agencies.
• Ensure there is an effective media training plan in place which prepares the leadership for general and crisis media engagement.
• Maintain effective relationships with priority media stakeholders and identify opportunities to position National Gas.

About you:

• Strong experience working collaboratively with external teams such as media outlets, industry groups, and external media agencies.
• Proven experience in leading high-stakes crisis communication plans, including managing external stakeholders across industry and the media.

• Experience managing media relations, either in house or an agency, including media briefings and press conferences.
• Knowledge of a regulated utility, or another highly-scrutinsed sector, and the nature of matters encountered in the sector.
• Excellent writing skills and an exceptional attention to detail, producing and approving external material which is right first time.
• Appreciation of social media content plans and creativity to enable the next level of impactful engagement for National Gas.

• Ability to work flexible hours, responding to the needs of the business and situations, working effectively with stakeholders.

What we can offer you:

• Salary dependent on experience.
• Annual bonus of 15% based on personal and company performance.
• 28 days’ holiday plus 8 statutory holidays – plus option to buy 5 additional days.
• Double-match pension scheme - for every £1 you put in, we'll add £2 (max company contribution 12%).
• Opt-In flexible benefit scheme, including salary sacrifice private healthcare, dental insurance, technology plans and more.
• Financial protection with 10x salary death in service and financial support if you're unable to work due to long term illness or injury.
• Excellent family friendly provisions - maternity/paternity/adoption/surrogacy/ shared parental leave.
• Career progression, professional training and development.
• Employee assistance programme offering free confidential professional counselling 24/7.
• Financial support to cover the cost of professional membership subscriptions relevant to your role.

Good to know:

• Based in our London office in the heart of St James’s.
• Expectation to be in our London office minimum 3 days a week.
• Requirement to travel to Warwick and operational sites as necessary.

About us:

National Gas is securing Britain’s energy. Gas is an essential part of a secure energy supply in Britain, and will continue to play a vital role for decades to come. More than ever, we need the security that gas brings to keep the lights on, businesses running, and to protect jobs. National Gas provides that security.

National Gas is responsible for transporting gas to power stations, major industries, storage facilities, more than 500,000 businesses, and 23 million homes through nearly 5,000 miles of pipes across Britain.

National Gas is also proud to lead the way in transforming the energy network for a net zero future. Gas provides the energy security to support renewable electricity generation, and we are developing our infrastructure to transport hydrogen and carbon dioxide across the country. 

Further information:

At National Gas, we are disability confident, and we are signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant, committed to building a workforce that represents the communities we serve. We celebrate the different experiences our colleagues bring to our organisation, and strongly encourage applicants of all backgrounds to apply.

• Advert close: Friday 24th January 2025
• Interviews: February 2025

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