Head of Marketing and Communications

Job Description

We are seeking to appoint a Head of Marketing and Communications on a permanent basis. The position can be based in our Nairobi, New Delhi or Oxford offices. 

We are an international development consultancy working to improve lives through sustainable policy change in low- and middle-income countries. Our vision is for fair public policy that benefits both people and the planet.

Through our global network of offices, we work in partnership with national stakeholders and decision makers to research, design, implement and evaluate impactful public policy. We draw on our local and international sector experts to provide the very best evidence-based support. We deliver projects with expert knowledge and experience, and can be relied upon for excellence in all aspects of project delivery. We work collaboratively, with ambition, to help deliver impactful public policy that will bring about lasting change.

The international development sector has experienced a fundamental shift, but the work of global development remains urgent and vital. Harnessing our global footprint and reputation as trusted advisor, we are uniquely well positioned to help resolve some of today’s biggest development challenges on issues such as climate and nature, social protection, health, and governance. Strengthening engagement with our thought leadership and cutting-edge technical approaches technical approaches government stakeholders, to the communities we work with – ensures we are able to grow the impact our work achieves, which remains central to our mission. 

Position Summary

The Head of Marketing and Communications plays a pivotal role in designing and implementing a strategic communications approach that positions OPM as the leading partner of choice in international development consulting. They ensure that our narrative remains compelling and enhances our reputation amongst new and existing audiences through high-impact campaigns, innovative brand and digital strategy, and strategic media relationships. Leading our communications and marketing team, the position provides stewardship of strategic communications resources, ensuring budget is deployed and resources effectively managed to achieve maximum return on investment.

The Marketing and Communications function works closely with our Senior Leadership, Acquisition team, and Consulting community. The team works closely with business development functions to track developments across the international development funding landscape, leveraging this in the development of communications and marketing strategies and initiatives. Managing our brand, editorial and content, and digital engagement, the team provides the wider business with toolkits and frameworks that communicate our value-proposition, technical thought leadership, and excellent track record on programme management with all external audiences. In addition to organisation-wide external communications and marketing management, the team provides strategic oversight for communications delivered on individual projects, ensuring outputs provided by our delivery partners are high-quality, impactful, and aligned with programmatic objectives. 

Leveraging deep expertise in strategic communications, the Head of Marketing and Communications is a leadership position that contributes towards the development of OPM’s overarching organisational strategy. The position works with presence and gravitas to inform opportunities for growth and steers pro-active, engaging, and influential management of all aspects of external communications.

Working closely with country teams, senior technical experts and SMT to identify and prioritise audiences, providing clear direction on how to refine communications and marketing materials to support external engagement across varied sector, market and geographic contexts. The Head of Marketing and Communications harnesses a deep contextual understanding of the work that we deliver, its impact, and the international development sector, to ensure our brand, reputation, and offer remain current, relevant, and future proof.

As Head of Marketing and Communications at OPM, you will: 

Strategic Leadership 

• Develop and implement the global communications strategy, ensuring alignment with business priorities, reputational goals, and thought leadership positioning. 
• Advise leadership on key narratives, messaging, and engagement opportunities. 
• Leverage data-driven insights to inform the design of organisational business development strategy, regularly reporting to the Board and Senior Leadership on significant market developments and audience engagement.

Editorial and Content Management 

• Lead editorial strategy and high-impact content initiatives, ensuring OPM is recognised as an expert voice. 
• Oversee and approve major publications, campaigns, and multi-format content, providing guidance on innovative formats and strategic messaging. 
• Lead proactive media relations management; directly supporting opportunities for external engagement that positions OPM’s thought leadership with a broad range of audiences.

Brand and Reputation Management 

• Build and maintain strategic media relationships and partnerships. 
• Pitch high-value media opportunities and advise senior leaders on media engagement and spokesperson activities. 
• Act as guardian of OPM’s brand, voice, and identity across all communications. 
• Ensure consistency and quality of messaging and advise teams on best practice. 
• Develop and guide OPM’s digital presence, ensuring our company website and engagement across social media platforms delivers maximum impact and engagement. 
• Lead and directly support the management of critical incident and crisis communications. 

Marketing 

• Build and utilise a well-informed understanding of the distinct objectives and modes of engagement of OPM’s existing and potential client partners; bilateral, multilateral, private sector, and philanthropic funders. 
• Capture and embed audience insights within marketing and communications strategy,  globally. 
• Liaise closely with teams involved in monitoring market trends, funder and competitor developments, aligning marketing of our unique value proposition with target audiences. 

Budget and Resource Management 

• Manage communications and marketing budget, ensuring spend on suppliers, marketing tools, and other resources delivers maximum impact. 
• Lead and develop a communications and marketing team spanning multiple locations, providing coaching, mentoring, and professional development to enhance capabilities and ensure high performance.
• Work in partnership with business development functions to cultivate opportunities to strengthen relationships with funders, foundations, impact investors, partners, and other strategic stakeholders through communications initiatives, events, and relationship-building activities. 
• Ensure value-for-money and effective allocation of internal and external resources. 

Key Qualifications / Experience / Skills / Behaviours’

• Bachelor’s degree in communications or a related discipline; or equivalent professional experience. 
• Significant experience in strategic communications, including experience in a senior management/leadership role. 
• Demonstrable track record in increasing audience engagement through strategic communications design. 
• Experience in working closely with internal stakeholders at Senior Leadership and Board level and with development of and reporting on strategic marketing and communications KPIs. 
• Extensive experience in partnering with business development functions to drive sustainable income development opportunities with new and existing clients. 
• Experience in the planning, execution, and evaluation of marketing and communications strategies within a global business environment. 
• Experienced in the development of communications frameworks and knowledge assets for global adoption. 
• Experience in the hands-on leadership of crisis communications and reputational risk management. 
• Excellent communication, editorial, and copywriting skills with the ability to create and help shape impactful and compelling narratives. 
• Experience in the management of marketing and communications budgets, with the proven ability to steward resources that deliver high-level impact. 
• Familiarity with the international development funding landscape, and understanding of the differing modalities of bilateral, multilateral, private sector, and philanthropic funders. 
• Deep personal and evident professional commitment to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. 
• Excellent people leadership skills, with a track record of coaching, mentoring, and strengthening the professional capabilities of teams. 

Our Offer

• We enable colleagues’ capacity to grow professionally through enhanced learning resources, opportunities to work cross functionally, and space to engage with a range of internal and external industry events.
• Our non-hierarchical culture values support, collaboration, intellectual curiosity, and a rich diversity of perspectives.
• We provide an exceptionally generous annual leave entitlement and a hybrid working model to encourage and enable healthy work/life balance.
• Wellbeing resources including a global Employee Assistance Programme and access to the UnMind app.
• Competitive salary and contributory pension scheme.

We are strengthened by the diversity of colleagues across our global business and are committed to being an equal opportunities employer, promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace for all.

Our recruitment practices reflect our ambition to make the international development sector more inclusive and firm belief that our work delivers the best outcomes when we actively include a diversity of perspectives and experiences.

Application

If you share our vision for fair public policy that benefits both people and planet, we would love to hear from you.

Please submit your application through our careers’ site by Wednesday 11th March.

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role and candidates must have a pre-existing right to work in India, Kenya or the UK for their application to be considered.

About the Organization

OPM provides evidence-based policy research, advice and implementation support on international development issues and major issues of public policy in developing countries. Our aim is to contribute in innovative ways to enhancing economic and social outcomes in developing economies. Our work aims, directly or indirectly, to reduce poverty through: · More effective macroeconomic management and sector policies and programmes. · Improving access to, and the efficiency of, key services for the poor (including health, education and safety nets). · Better management of public expenditure. · Governance reform.