Local Communications Manager - Scotland & Wales

We're looking for a talented Local Communications Manager to promote and protect the M&S brand across Scotland and Wales. This is a pivotal role that works at the heart of our communities, shaping our regional reputation, driving advocacy with politicians, media and local business partners and ensuring our communications reach deep into the places where our customers and colleagues live and work.

If you're passionate about great storytelling, thrive in fast paced environments, and have the credibility to work with senior business partners across government, media and retail, we'd love to hear from you.

This is a remote role based primarily in either Scotland or Wales, but with regular time spent in our London Support Centre to support collaboration with the wider team.

What you'll do

Your key accountabilities will include:

• Lead and deliver the regional communications strategy by developing and managing an integrated plan for Scotland and Wales, working closely with colleagues in retail, external and internal communications, public affairs, marketing, and ESG to ensure a fully joined up approach aligned with commercial priorities and national campaigns.
• Act as a spokesperson for M&S, representing the business across Scotland and Wales; managing relationships with Scottish and Welsh Governments, local authorities, MPs/MSPs/AMs and wider business and community groups; delivering high impact media relations across print, broadcast and social; and representing the business at local events, meetings and speaker platforms.
• Manage sensitive and reputation related issues, including owning and resolving correspondence from political and community partners, advising Customer Services on cases that may escalate publicly, supporting Store Managers on local reputation challenges, and driving proactive communications around store reshape activity, including closures, planning matters and major developments.
• Deliver regional campaigns and support community engagement, promoting investment programmes and partnerships, ensuring effective local activation of our wider campaigns, building strong relationships with Store Managers and Regional Teams through regular store time, and equipping them with the tools, guidance and advocacy skills to represent M&S positively within their communities.

Who you are

Your skills and experience will include:

• Extensive experience in a similar communications role, ideally within retail.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong digital savvy and excellent news judgement with first rate media handling experience.
• A proven track record delivering regional communications and advocacy programmes that build and protect reputation, including issues and crisis management.
• Experience working with Scottish/Welsh Governments, local authorities, and political partners.

What's in it for you?

Working at M&S means being part of something bigger - helping to deliver quality, value and service to millions of customers every day. We're inclusive, fast moving and always evolving, with a strong sense of purpose and a focus on doing the right thing.

Here are just a few of the benefits that make working here even more rewarding:

• 20% colleague discount on all M&S products and many third party brands for you and someone in your household, available once you've completed your probation
• Competitive holiday allowance with the option to buy more
• Discretionary bonus schemes linked to your performance and ours
• Strong pension and life assurance to help plan for the future
• Tailored induction and training to support your development from day one
• Exclusive perks and savings through our M&S Choices portal
• Market leading family policies, including parental, adoption and neonatal leave
• 24/7 wellbeing support, including virtual GP access and mental health services
• One paid volunteer day a year to support a cause that matters to you

Everyone's welcome

We are ambitious about the future of retail. We're disrupting, innovating and leading the industry into a more conscientious, inspiring digital era. We're transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make change happen.

We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together.

If you feel you'd benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don't hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process.