Director of Strategy and Communications
Sheffield is England’s fourth largest city, the birthplace of UK electronica, and the greenest city in the UK. It’s also Time Out’s pick for the no. 2 City Break destination in Europe. We’ve got an amazing heritage of inventing, making and grafting, plus all the food, theatre, street art, gigs, bars, clubs and festivals you could wish for. So Sheffield’s already firmly on the radar for connoisseurs and influencers. But there are still some people who don’t know the story of our city’s remarkable past and astonishing future – and your job is to make sure our name stays in lights.
This vital role is going to make Sheffield shine brighter. You’ll oversee exceptional strategic communications and policy activity, advising and supporting elected members, senior managers and colleagues across the council. Under your guidance, we’ll develop a compelling shared narrative, and then make sure that we have the capacity and resources to engage and influence the full range of audiences, both within and beyond the city. We’ll look to you to scan the horizon, identify evolving opportunities and new ideas, and bring the best of them back home to Sheffield. This senior, visible role is integral to our longer-term policy development and planning, and you must relish the opportunity to operate at the highest level (including occasionally deputising for the COO).
We’re looking for candidates with an exceptional track record through the line, lots of ideas to try out, and the admiration of their peers. Experience of crisis management and an exceptional professional repertoire (writing, planning, delivery) are essential, and strong candidates will additionally hold a relevant professional qualification or membership. Your preference will be to operate at the leading edge of events, so that we’re consistently well-placed to maximise opportunities and maintain the excellent reputation of the council. Highly organised and able to manage priorities in parallel, you’ll be the engine of a confident, open and inclusive story of Sheffield.
We are investing in our workforce and are promoting opportunities to our under-represented groups. We value equality, diversity and inclusion and are focused on increasing the diversity of our workforce, particularly the number of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, Disabled and LGBTQ+ people, so that our teams reflect the communities in the city we serve. We are also supporting staff with unpaid caring responsibilities to work flexibly.
For a confidential discussion about the role please contact:
Helen Sawbridge
Email: hsawbridge@faerfield.co.uk
Tel: 0121 312 3755Martin Tucker
Email: mtucker@faerfield.co.uk
Tel: 0121 312 3755
Indicative timetable:
Closing date for applications: Midnight Monday 20 January 2025
Preliminary/Technical Interviews: w/c 3 February 2025
Final panel interviews (Presentation and Interview): w/c 17 February 2025 and w/c 24 February 2025
To apply:
To apply for this job please click on the Apply button below and fill out the requested information. When prompted, please submit your CV and a Supporting Statement (no more than four sides of A4 each).
With your CV, please also provide the names and contact details of two referees, one of whom should be your current or most recent employer. Referees will only be contacted if you reach the final stages, and we will not contact referees without your permission.
Your supporting statement should express why you are interested in this role and what experience you can bring to the organisation. The statement should tackle the specific requirements of the role; outlining examples and outcomes showing how you meet those requirements.
