Communications Manager (Re-advertisement)

Role purpose

To lead the development and delivery of a successful communications strategy for the British Council in Lebanon and work as part of the wider MENA communications team.

The post holder will have a successful track record of working within the corporate communications environment, specialising in either corporate communications and/or PR.  S/he will drive communications initiatives across the portfolio, will be responsible for Lebanon media relations; coordinate country digital presence working to a defined Lebanon strategy. 

The post holder will be a member of the Country Leadership Team (CLT) and will report to the Country Director in the first instance, later to the Regional or Levant Cluster Communications Manager.

About us

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. We do this by making a positive contribution to the UK and the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust.

We work with over 100 countries across the world in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Each year we reach over 20 million people face-to-face and more than 500 million people online, via broadcasts and publications. Founded in 1934, we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body.

We have been in Lebanon since 1946 and have 50 staff, including colleagues from our regional and Syria teams. Our activities are broad based, including a growing Exams business and a substantial portfolio of grant, partnership and externally funded programmes and projects across our English, Education, Arts and Society sectors.

Geopolitical/SBU/Function overview:

In everything we do we are seeking to strengthen relationships between people and institutions in Lebanon and in the UK and to create opportunities for them through our programmes and services. We work with many UK and Lebanon partners to deliver our objectives, ranging from governments, NGOs, examinations boards, universities and school networks, arts organisations and the wider private sector.

Main opportunities/challenges for this role:

• Our Marketing and Communications functions are part of a global change programme to ensure the rapidly changing needs of the British Council are supported effectively. With this, a vital part of this role will embed any new structure and process.
• This role will require adaptability and durability to change, and will often have to support senior leaders in driving change.
• Unsocial/evening working hours and weekend work may be required.
• Overnight business trips may be occasionally required.
• Visits to UK and other MENA countries may be required.

Main Accountabilities:

• Work effectively as part of the Lebanon leadership team providing strategic communication advice to senior managers.
• Plan communications objectives and delivery for British Council events and activities in Lebanon across our programmes and exams services and, where required, in coordination with wider regional activity.
• Work with Programmes and Exams/UK qualifications teams to ensure communication plans are integrated within programme/project and exams delivery plans.
• Develop media pitches and craft stories that profile our work both externally and internally.
• Ensure that British Council Lebanon is well represented in all internal British Council communications efforts regionally and globally.
• Oversee the production of external communication materials including Annual Country Review, quarterly e-Newsletters etc...
• Ensure that the British Council Lebanon digital presence is targeted and content is relevant to our target audiences.
• Develop suitable promotional materials to support our partnerships and business development objectives.
• Develop and maintain relationships on behalf of the British Council with key media stakeholders in Lebanon.
• Manage service agreements with local vendors and service providers for marketing communication needs, i.e. advertising agencies, publications, associations etc…

Key Relationships:

Internal

• Country Director Lebanon  
• Lebanon Programmes and Exams teams
• Levant Communications Managers and wider marketing and communications team
• Senior Communications Manager, MENA

External

• Journalists, media editors and contacts in Lebanon
• PR and design companies (including digital), media agencies
• Programme/project stakeholders
• Partners, donors, sponsors
• British Embassy and UK stakeholders
• Marketing and communications professionals.

Role Requirements:

Passport requirements/ Right to work in country: Capacity to travel freely throughout the MENA region & to the UK

Language requirements - Minimum / essential

• Fluent level of written and spoken English
• Fluent level of written and spoken Arabic

Desirable

• Fluent level of written and spoken French

Qualifications - Minimum / essential

• University degree and other relevant qualifications/ experience

Desirable

• Post-graduate qualification  in a related field

Role Specific Knowledge & Experience - Minimum / essential

• Experience of working in Lebanon and/or MENA
• At least 5 years’ experience working in a corporate communications role in- house or with an agency
• Direct knowledge and experience of Lebanon media networks
• A well-developed network of local media agents and service providers.
• Experience of working in a matrix management structure
• Excellent presentation abilities
• Excellent project management skills
• Fluency in Arabic and English

Desirable

• Line management experience desirable

Role Specific Skills (if any)

• Evidence of success in implementing, results-orientated communications campaigns

British Council Core Skills

Communicating and influencing (level 4): uses influencing techniques. Uses formal and informal negotiating and motivation techniques to influence others’ behaviour and persuade them to think and act differently, while respecting difference of view and culture.

Planning and organising (level 3): develops and reviews the implementation of annual plans. Develops and reviews the implementation of annual plans for a work group or function, taking account of business and customer requirements and reconciling competing demands.

Analysing data and problems (level 4): solves complex problems. Able to apply or devise specialised concepts and methods of analysis – or commission them from others.  Understands the output and uses the results to make clear and / or solve complex business, market or policy problems.

Using technology (level 2): operates as an advanced user.

Works as an advanced practitioner in the use of office software and/or British Council standard and social media platforms and trains or coaches others in their use.

British Council Behaviours

Being accountable (more demanding): putting the needs of the team or British Council ahead of my own

Making it happen (more demanding): challenging myself and others to deliver and measure better results

Shaping the future (more demanding): exploring ways in which we can add more value

Connecting with others (more demanding): actively appreciating the needs and concerns

of myself and others

Creating shared purpose (more demanding): creating energy and clarity so that people want to work purposefully together (Required for the role but not assessed at the Recruitment stage)

Working together (more demanding): ensuring that others benefit as well as me (Required for the role but not assessed at the Recruitment stage)