Social network you want to login/join with:

Lead a highly talented and creative media team for one of the biggest technological and infrastructural investments of our time and ensure a favourable media environment to facilitate the smart meter rollout.

The opportunity:

Smart Energy’s task is to engage everyone across the whole of Great Britain with the national rollout of smart meters. Every British home and microbusiness has the opportunity to upgrade to digital gas and electricity smart meters, utterly transforming the way we buy and use energy and paving the way to a smarter, more energy efficient future, which will be fundamental to Britain reaching its net zero carbon emissions goals.

One of the biggest technological and infrastructural investments of our time, the smart meter rollout has already converted around 50 per cent of British households and it is vital that consumers who are harder to reach or need greater support are not left behind.

The Director of Public Relations is a newly created position, as a key member of the senior leadership team and reporting to the Chief Executive Officer you will perform a vital role in the national campaign to support the rollout of smart meters. You will lead the company’s delivery of high-quality PR to ensure the media environment best facilitates the adoption of smart meters across the country. This will include overseeing the delivery of proactive PR campaigns that encourage people to get a smart meter and the management of (and fast-paced response to) the news agenda surrounding smart meters and the smart meter rollout.

Main responsibilities include:

• Lead the PR Team based in London, & Edinburgh, providing strong, positive, and inclusive leadership and strategic direction for their activity.
• Ensure the high-quality delivery of excellent management of and/or fast paced response to the news agenda surrounding smart meters and the smart meter rollout, including by serving as a senior spokesperson.
• Oversee the delivery of proactive PR campaigns that communicate the benefits of smart meters and help convert customers to get a smart meter.
• Report to the board on PR activity, including securing board support for strategy, activity, and budget.
• Work collectively across teams internally and with external stakeholders such as BEIS and energy suppliers.

Skills, experience, and competencies include:

• The ability to drive and deliver national communications that successfully cuts through, in areas of high-profile policy and/or controversial policy.
• Experience of overseeing a corporate comms or reactive news team that is prepared, professional and works effectively with other teams in the company.
• The ability to lead the development of sophisticated communications strategies and oversee their implementation using strong evidenced argument.
• Strategic thinker but comfortable with overseeing and, where necessary, directly managing and delivering tactical communications activity from inception to completion.
• Appreciate the diversity of the people and communities of Great Britain and embrace this diversity in your approach to work.

The rollout of smart meters is the key to achieving a low-carbon, efficient and reliable way of providing gas and electricity to Great Britain. Therefore, the positive impact the successful candidate can have will be tangible and will afford them an outstanding career opportunity.