UK Communications Manager

Agency : Havas Media Group

Job Description : We are looking for someone who has the ambition and drive to deliver excellence for themselves, for this role and for HMN UK. The successful candidate will have a proactive, can-do attitude and a point of view. S/he will be a natural storyteller and PR planner, equally comfortable with building relationships with key stakeholders (internally and externally) right through to crafting thoughtful copy for our SLT or successful award submissions.

UK COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

HAVAS MEDIA NETWORK UK

Overview

Havas Media Network UK is one of the largest media agencies in the advertising industry. Since 2020, we have doubled our headcount to around 1000 people spread across our three offices (London, Manchester, Leeds and Edinburgh) and we now have over 400 clients. Leading industry magazine labelled us one of eight key media agencies to watch in 2025.

Against this backdrop, we are recruiting a communications manager to join Havas Media Network’s growing UK PR team. Working closely with another communications manager and the wider growth team (consisting of marketing, new biz and prospecting), you will report into HMN UK’s head of communications.

You will play a key and influential role in driving reputational and commercial growth of HMN. You will be in charge of two of HMN’s key agencies, namely Havas Media, Arena Media, Havas Play, Ledger Bennett and Havas Market, providing you with the opportunity to be integrated into some exciting businesses at the forefront of advertising/media and to work with senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities will cover: PR planning & execution, media relations, copywriting, crisis communications, social media, press releases, award writing.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for someone who has the ambition and drive to deliver excellence for themselves, for this role and for HMN UK. The successful candidate will have a proactive, can-do attitude and a point of view. S/he will be a natural storyteller and PR planner, equally comfortable with building relationships with key stakeholders (internally and externally) right through to crafting thoughtful copy for our SLT or successful award submissions.

Essentials:

• 3+ years’ experience in a PR or in-house communications role, ideally (but not necessarily) within an advertising agency or PR agency that services this industry.
• Excellent writing (and editing) skills and adapting writing styles to different channels and communications platforms.
• Strong eye for a story that tells a joined-up narrative over the long-term, with a focus on quality not quantity in its delivery and in toe with the PR strategy.
• The ability to juggle multiple workstreams and seeing actions through to completion – including managing internal and external stakeholders along the way.

Nice-to-haves:

• Knowledge of social media and platforms, and how they can be used effectively.
• Demonstrable existing journalist relationships within and/or interest in the advertising/creative sector is preferred.
• Basic design skills would be an added bonus – but is absolutely not necessary as design members belong to our team.

Core comms function

• Manage comms for your agencies – including news announcements (drafting, managing approvals, selling in), thought leadership (including ghost writing for agency leadership as required), profile-raising, feature opportunities and internal comms.
• Develops communications strategy, messaging, plan, KPIs and programme execution
• Works with agency leadership to craft compelling long-term narratives for them and their agency.
• Grows relationships with senior clients and other key partners to help promote the work we produce.
• Develop and maintain a proactive PR ‘pipeline’ – including being the first port of call for inbound media enquiries and on top of the editorial pipeline.

Awards

• Support on award entries for your agencies and people in them, i.e. Campaign Agency of the Year, Media Week, The Media Leader Awards, School Reports, 40 Over 40, Ad Net Zero Awards, etc.

Social

• Work closely with relevant stakeholders to share content, amplification and best practice across divisional channels.

Events

• Investigate and secure speaking opportunities for HMN leadership and the agencies’ clients.
• Assess and advise on paid-for opportunities (i.e. sponsorship).
• Support the wider new business team on owned events, i.e. in-person events, webinars, podcasts, etc.

Content

• Create and deliver material for other internal and external communications, i.e. newsletters, presentations, etc.
• Work with the wider new business and marketing teams to maximise content and marketing opportunities within paid, non-media partnerships i.e., Adforum, Oystercatchers.

Team

• Work with the wider growth team to ensure PR is joined up and supporting those functions and vice versa.

Admin

• Internal reporting of reputational growth and success, among other such reporting, are important.

What’s in it for you?

HMN UK is headed up by CEO Patrick Affleck who since 2020, has transformed the business into a sustainable, modern and future-facing communications agency fit for our clients, industry and people. In 2022, we turbocharged our capabilities in performance marketing, content, commerce and B2B. We are now an award-winning and influential business, and the only way is up.

We have made Campaign’s Best Places to work list seven out of the last eight years consecutively, helped by our enhanced employee schemes such as our parental leave policy into an ambitious, inclusive, industry-leading parenthood package that provides four months’ and six-months\’ fully-paid parenthood leave for all new fathers and mothers. We also allow anyone to work from anywhere in the world for 4 weeks a year. Our programmes HKX Campus, Havas Equalise and Havas Level Up also all help ensure everyone has equal and fair opportunity in our business.

We also have a superb office and canteen in St Pancras where you’ll work.

Meanwhile, the launch of our ‘Meaningfully Daring Side Hustle’ programme accessible to anyone in the business that helps our people to develop other skillsets outside of media and foster an entrepreneurial culture in Havas. And we’re especially proud of our Havas Boost programme, which supports underrepresented businesses, made its first investment since launching late 2021. These are among a handful of ways we want to demonstrate that advertising can be a force for good beyond our industry.

Application process

• Submit your CV and a covering letter for how you fit the role
• Successful candidates will be brought to interview 2 weeks following closing of the application date.
• First interview: a get to know you a bit more
• If you’re taken to second interview, you’ll be given a written task which you will do with the hiring manager
• Second interview: to dig a bit deeper into your experience and run through your task
• We’ll aim to confirm successful candidate two weeks of completion of the interview process.

All candidates brought to interview will be given feedback and will have the opportunity to speak about their application.

Havas is committed to offering equal opportunities to all potential employees and has zero tolerance for discrimination. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applicants irrespective of age, sex, race, ethnicity, disability and other factors that have no bearing on an individual’s ability to perform their job.