Communications Manager - Sustainability - Heriot-Watt University

Fixed term - 18 months
Grade and Salary: Grade 7 (£36,023-£44,263)
Contract Type: Full Time (1 FTE), Fixed Term (18 Months)
Rewards and Benefits: 33 days annual leave, plus 9 buildings closed days for all full time staff (Part time workers should pro rata this by their FTE). Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University

Detailed Description 
This is an exciting opportunity to join Heriot-Watt to support the university in delivering its sustainability commitments and to help grow our reach to expand the work we do and the impact we can have both on our global campuses and in the wider community. 

We are looking for an experienced communications professional who has the passion and energy to drive the dissemination of our sustainability achievements and priorities. You will work as part of a team and individually, whilst being adaptable to respond to new strategic directions and priorities. You will play a key role in driving forward, promoting, and engaging people in our sustainability priorities, generating positive impact and behavioural change.
This role will be managed by line management to Associate Director in Communications and Engagement. 

Key Duties and Responsibilities 
The Communications Manager – Sustainability will develop and drive key communications activities to support our strategy. They will be responsible for developing key content, messages and campaigns that advance our commitments via appropriate channels.

• Develop and deliver the communications strategy, creating associated content to build and enhance recognition and reputation of our commitment to, and attainment of, the UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) within the overall Heriot Watt brand.
• Lead development and implementation of campaigns to coincide with key milestones and events.
• Plan, source, and produce required digital content, creating content and managing relevant social media channels thereby sharing the development and sustainability successes both internally and externally across our global campuses and communities. 
• Oversee the delivery of a systematic programme of communications for students, including email, web presence, mobile apps, social media, digital screens and printed materials. Work with other teams across the University to utilise their channels of communications to enhance engagement with current students 
• Create content and be responsible for delivery of an annual review.
• Build and maintain close working relationships with staff and students across our global campuses, proactively identifying, building and communicating compelling stories of the progress, development and success of our sustainability work, its impact at the university and in the wider community to a range of stakeholders. 
• Develop the Sustainability web pages and setup an internal Sharepoint site to ensure regular communication
• Have an understanding of wider University communications plans and messages to align both the content and timing of sustainability communications.
• Working with the relevant team members and leads, identifying and agreeing key communication priorities for the year ahead, and on a rolling basis, ensuring a strong and consistent narrative that will drive the reputation of the Sustainability work the university is doing and showcase our successes.
• Create and manage regular external and internal communications across traditional and digital channels, with particular focus on developing and maintaining an effective web presence to increase engagement and understanding with key audiences.
• Work with colleagues in the Marketing and Communications Directorate to develop best practice to ensure all communications are on message, use appropriate tone, language and channels and reflect the University’s brand values and guidelines
• Identify new opportunities for enhancement; develop and implement initiatives and campaigns to support the opportunities.

Essential and Desirable Criteria
Essential

• A degree or relevant professional qualifications or significant relevant professional experience.
• Substantial Marketing experience, delivering highly effective inspiring campaigns that deliver ambitious outcomes.
• Skilled in the use of the latest digital tools and techniques to engage stakeholders, including web content management and Adobe Creative Cloud.
• Demonstrable experience in developing and delivering communication plans and campaigns.
• Experienced networker, skilled at building and maintaining relationships and influencing outcomes.
• Professionalism, tact and discretion is essential.
• Demonstrate exceptional written, verbal, and digital communication skills.
• Craft and amplify accessible content to support University brand and campaigns.
• A flexible and adaptable approach, coupled with the ability to prioritise workload to meet deadlines.
• Analytical problem-solving mindset, quick to recognise emerging opportunities and able to manage multiple priorities.
• Ability to operate under pressure to strict deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal and presentation skills, able to understand and communicate complex issues effectively.

Desirable 

• Previous experience of communicating to range of stakeholders from students to external communities.
• Interest or previous experience in Sustainability.
• Previous experience of working within, or with if part of an agency, a large-scale global organisation.
• Ability to multi-function as part of a busy professional team.
• Experience of working in Higher Education and knowledge of the sector.
• Experience working with global brands.
• Global Environmental Sustainability

The Global Environmental Sustainability team are currently based across Estates, Planning, Research and Public Engagement and are responsible for delivery of one of the key Strategic Performance Indicators for the university. This includes activities to meet the sustainability commitments and delivery of statutory environmental requirements, enhancing sustainability outcomes across the full breadth of the University's activities, including embedding the objectives of the UN Sustainability Development Goals in our learning, research and institutional operations. The team are developing globally relevant targets for our emissions; our organisation practises and behaviours; and co-developing a sustainability engagement programme with our communities.
Marketing, Recruitment and Communications (MRAC)

The Communications Team leads on both internal and external communications, working closely with colleagues across our campuses in Scotland, Dubai and Malaysia to support, protect and enhance the reputation of the University. Using a variety of digital and traditional channels, this includes public relations, social media management and content creation, public affairs, colleague and student engagement and research communications.

For full details, click here.