BBC Career Opportunities Group Director, Corporate Affairs

Band: ExCo
Contract type: 1 x continuing (permanent) role
Location: Belfast Birmingham Cardiff Glasgow London Salford

Important - Application Process

The BBC has engaged an executive search firm Egon Zehnder to manage the selection process for this role. Please be aware that your application will be managed by Egon Zehnder who will have access to your CV and personal details for the purpose of this vacancy only.

The BBC is seeking an exceptional leader to join its Executive team as Group Director Corporate Affairs. At a pivotal moment for public service media this role will shape and protect the reputation of one of the worlds most recognised and trusted organisations leading the BBCs communications policy and engagement strategy.

This includes external and internal communications all aspects of government relations stakeholder engagement across the UK and globally policy development economic analysis and the BBCs regulatory relationships with Ofcom and other bodies.

Leading a joined-up strategic approach to internal and external communications strategy the Group Director will ensure the BBC speaks with clarity consistency and impact to staff media audiences stakeholders and decision-makers. The role is central to making the case for the BBC strengthening trust in the organisation shaping policy and the regulatory environment and ensuring the Corporation is well-positioned to anticipate and respond to rapid political regulatory media and societal change. The role is responsible for high stakes high scrutiny corporate communications.

The role also provides Executive oversight of the BBCs charities BBC Children in Need and BBC Media Action helping to ensure they continue to deliver meaningful impact in the UK and around the world.

Key responsibilities will include:

Develops and delivers the BBCs group Corporate Affairs strategy ensuring close coordination across policy and public affairs corporate communications internal communications programme publicity and digital engagement channels to make the BBCs case.

Sets and oversees the BBCs communications strategy leading the development of the corporate story ensuring consistency and discipline of messaging across external communications internal communications and digital engagement channels as well as all government political stakeholder and regulatory audiences.

Leads the BBCs approach to reputation management and crisis communications ensuring rapid coordinated and effective approaches to significant issues and events.

Provides executive oversight of the BBCs legislative regulatory and public policy strategy and positions leading engagement with government regulators and policymakers across the UK and internationally and providing leadership on long-term policy matters to strengthen the BBCs influence and reputation.

Leads the BBCs strategic approach to staff media industry political and stakeholder engagement using insight research and real-time feedback to develop effective campaigns that make the case for the organisation.

Anticipates emerging reputational political and regulatory risks and opportunities ensuring the BBC is proactive in its engagement influencing and communications.

Advises the BBCs senior leadership on reputational opportunity and risk.

Drives a coordinated approach to executive organisational and strategic communications identifying opportunities to promote the BBCs impact value and strategic priorities through industry forums events and external platforms.

As a member of the Executive Committee helps foster a high-performing informed and engaged culture driving organisational alignment on key priorities and ensuring coordinated engagement with audiences stakeholders and key decision-makers.

Key Experience

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Exceptional communication influencing and relationship-building skills with the credibility judgement and professionalism to engage advise and influence senior leaders governments regulators stakeholders and partners.
• Industry-recognised leader in corporate affairs public affairs strategic communications and reputation management with experience leading integrated engagement and communications strategies in complex highly scrutinised environments.
• Exceptional judgement and decision-making in complex high-profile and often ambiguous situations balancing audience stakeholder editorial organisational and political considerations.
• Strong understanding of the media sector the BBCs competitive environment and the economic political and technological factors shaping the future of public service media.
• Outstanding leadership skills with proven experience of leading large multi-disciplinary teams managing complex change programmes hiring and developing new talent and showing the flexibility to adapt and adopt new ways of working.

Desirable:

• Understanding of the UK political regulatory and public policy landscape with significant experience of operating at the interface of government and regulation.
• Understanding of the BBCs editorial ambitions standards and wider responsibilities as a public service broadcaster.

Key Behaviours and Characteristics

• Exceptional judgement and sound instincts able to navigate complex sensitive and fast-moving situations balance competing considerations and make clear decisions under pressure and intense scrutiny.
• Highly credible and influential able to build trusted relationships while having the confidence and courage to provide clear independent advice challenge constructively and tell senior leaders what they need to hear.
• Politically and organisationally astute able to read the external environment understand different perspectives and anticipate how decisions and events are likely to land with audiences staff stakeholders and decision-makers.
• Strategic forward-looking and enterprise-minded able to anticipate emerging reputational political and regulatory risks and opportunities connect issues across the organisation and translate insight into clear priorities and action.
• Calm resilient and collaborative leader bringing clarity and leadership in high-stakes situations building alignment across organisational boundaries and maintaining trust and effectiveness under sustained public political and media scrutiny.