Associate Director, Communities

THE OPPORTUNITY

We're looking for an engaged, intelligent and practical individual to join us to lead our work with developers and local authorities.

Supported by our established team of directors and associates , our new Associate Director will be responsible for developing and delivering Cratus's communications offer across our relationships with housebuilders.

The right candidate will be proactive, collegiate and enjoy working with broad teams from across Cratus, as well as living and breathing the world of housebuilding.

ABOUT US

Local government sits at the heart of our society and shapes the world around us. That's why, since 2009, we have supported private and public sector organisations to work hand-in-hand in partnership. With in-depth insight and links into local government, our expertise includes planning communications, advisory support for local authorities, community engagement, public affairs, public relations, and much, much more.

So what sets Cratus apart from other agencies?

Quite simply, it's our people. In past lives, we have led councils, shaped housing policy, edited national newspapers, rolled out high-profile campaigns, transformed communities, and worked at the highest levels in the Civil Service. And it's this first-hand experience and unmatched expertise that delivers real success for our many clients.

We have a good base of business across the Communities team and we want this to continue to grow into a sustainable business for the long term.

WHO'S RIGHT FOR THE JOB?

A great communicator and enthusiastic leader. Someone who is driven to build the team and our ever-growing client base.

On any given day, you will be running projects, managing the team and driving business development. You will be engaging with clients, politicians, residents and community groups - and you will need to be able to build effective relationships at every level, providing superb service at all times.

You must be well-organised, comfortable working with others and have the ability to think fast and deliver high quality advice. You will be responsible for ensuring the delivery of all project work for clients in the region, supported by your team, other directors and sector specialists.

More than a third of your time should be spent on developing your network, finding new business leads and organising / holding client events with our Business Development Director and events team.

You will be adept at managing workloads and prioritising tasks, putting together and delivering the communication and engagement strategies and ensuring your team is operating to its potential. As the team grows, you will be responsible for recruiting new team members, as well as building the profile of Cratus.

SKILLS WE NEED

• Ability to lead a team Excellent verbal, written and presentation skills Ability to engage effectively with a wide range of people in different environments Self-starter with motivation and enthusiasm to work on own initiative Great team player keen to pitch in when needed Good negotiation and influencing skills

APPLICATION DETAILS

To find out more contact Gemma Gallant by emailing: by close of business Friday 17th December. We reserve the right to appoint against the role prior to the closing date as advertised.

Job description

Overview

Associate Directors (ASDs) are able to run their own projects, setting the strategy and taking the lead with the client. ASDs also play a significant role in running the company, managing the team and bringing in new business on a regular basis. The main changes are additional management and business development responsibilities. The main activities of the role are captured below, and there may be other elements to the job which are not included.

The main strands of work are as follows:

• Account handling and direction
• Political engagement
• Social media
• Research
• Team
• Business development

Company responsibilities

Roles and responsibilities

Element 1 - Account handling and direction

• Outlining strategy with client
• Owning relationship with client
• Directing delivery of project and ensuring quality
• Commissioning work from junior members of the team
• Drafting or signing off high quality public facing materials with no need for amendment
• Running client meetings
• Managing budgets and chasing debts
• Producing or signing off client activity reports

Element 2 - Community engagement and community development

• Building community relationships and stakeholder networks
• Preparing and implementing in-depth community development strategies
• Drafting communications to support increased levels of community involvement and inclusion
• Meeting with community stakeholders and adjusting strategies and communications programmes based on community needs and feedback

Element 3 - Supporting planning consultation engagement

• Supporting our Planning colleagues and clients with ongoing engagement and communication activity which complements the formal consultation process
• Advising on stakeholder management and community engagement avenues to conduct effective engagement initiatives
• Drafting / signing off communications to support consultation, ensuring a consistent tone of voice with other resident communications
• Recognising opportunities to cross-sell different Cratus services and share learning and resources across the business

Element 4 - Research and social media

• Directing and managing social media campaigning
• Content planning and development
• Advertising strategies and implementation
• Overseeing and producing community mapping / stakeholder audits
• Managing and contributing to weekly media monitoring / social media research

Drafting entire proposals for sign off

Element 5 - Team

• Line management responsibilities
• Supporting team members
• Developing skills
• Running reviews and setting development objectives
• Providing direct on the job training and tips on specific tasks
• Building trust and confidence

Element 6 - Business development / marketing

• Owning client relationships and building them to bring in additional projects
• Identifying new business opportunities and pursuing them
• Developing own contact network
• Potentially developing a new geographical area or property market sector
• Drafting proposals for sign off
• Attending networking events
• Keeping up to date with local and sector press
• Writing marketing materials and newsletters
• Responsibility for delivery of content for marketing
• Developing and supporting team initiatives

Element 7 - Company

• Reporting responsibilities, including more financial responsibility when service area is developed
• Presenting to management team and Board as requested
• Accurate forecasting on a weekly basis
• Chasing client debts
• Office administration as required
• Supporting the intern and training programme