Residents Communications & Engagement Manager

As the home of cultural innovators, Somerset House connects creativity and the arts with wider society. By merging worlds, minds and talent, it intensifies creativity and multiplies opportunity, driving artistic and social innovation at once. Our creative community is at the heart of our mission, with over 600 organisations based in the building (known as Residents). The Residents Team manage part of this dynamic, expansive creative network. We foster a mutually supportive community through resident collaboration, digital engagement and facilitated opportunities within our ecosystem and wider networks, our charitable mission, and the wider cultural programme. This ongoing cycle of collaboration and innovation takes young businesses and developing creatives in ever new directions.

The Residents Communications & Engagement Manager will lead on the communications and digital strategy for Somerset House’s internal resident community of creative businesses, improving internal cross-community engagement and information sharing, as well as working with our Marketing Team to ensure external visibility, promoting Somerset House as a creative workplace.

A key part of the role is delivering the internal communications framework, a critical part of a wider project to transform an internal community platform to build and maintain relationships with members, facilitate communications within the community and addressing their needs. This project will generate a content plan, in collaboration with our Marketing team and aligned with wider organisational communications strategies, to be executed across various formats, including operational guides, newsletters, blog posts and editorial content that will be shared both internally and externally on our website and socials to promote our creative workspaces. Alongside delivering key projects, this role is responsible for communicating essential information to our resident community, including operational and urgent updates, opportunities and sharing what’s happening in the cultural programme. Liaising with other key departments and contractors, this is a highly collaborative role, ensuring that all information is relayed to our onsite community in the right tone and on brand with SH guidelines. Acting as a community manager, this role will also build and manage relationships with our residents and be a key contact for general enquiries and feedback.

This is a fixed term maternity cover for 3 - 6 months

Key Responsibilities

• Lead on developing the communication and engagement framework, in line with wider organisational strategies, for our online community platform, overseeing content of handbooks, blog posts and digital storytelling so the platform is used as an essential tool to both unite and connect the community and Somerset House.
• Develop a digital strategy, liaising with our Marketing & Digital Teams, to publicly promote creative workspace opportunities, highlight the resident community within the Somerset House narrative, building brand awareness as the Home of Cultural Innovators and attracting new members.
• Work closely with internal teams to implement an aligned tone of voice for internal communications across all formats, external assets and promotional materials.
• Establish, monitor and analyse communication metrics to assess effectiveness and make data-driven decisions.
• Draft and publish all internal communications to our onsite resident community (e.g. operational and emergency updates), liaising with the relevant Trust departments and key contractors for information.
• Oversee the production of the weekly Residents’ Newsletter, communicating what’s happening at Somerset House and news and opportunities from Somerset House, our community and local businesses.
• Support all general operational and logistical changes and processes through communications with the Residents team, Estates team and contractors.
• Identify any activity that will impact residents and work with other departments to minimise disruption.

Relationship Management

• Build relationships with residents, considering how each organisation can best contribute to Somerset House’s creative purpose in a way that is mutually beneficial, alongside other Community Managers and members of the Residents Team.
• Lead on internal client services, overseeing centralised inboxes, advising the team and responding to resident needs, concerns, and aspirations, communicating with members of Somerset House Trust or contractors where relevant.
• Conduct and support with content for ‘New Crew’ to ensure all new residents are orientated around the building, understand what to expect as part of the community, including the benefits and facilities available and more about the core objectives of Somerset House Trust.
• Act as an ambassador for the Trust, as well as an advocate of the community and its aims.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Experience

• Successfully creating and updating content, ensuring it is both informative and engaging.
• Demonstrable success at leading on internal communications for a community or membership group.
• Building and managing relationships with clients, meeting customer needs and managing difficult conversations when needed.
• Successful delivery of a communications project in line with schedules and budget.
• Developing various content formats, such as blog posts, newsletters, and videos, to promote a community or workspace.

Skills

• Excellent written communication skills - with awareness of required tone and attention to detail.
• Problem solving skills, with ability to identify and address issues before they arise.
• Self-motivated, with ability to meet deadlines and take personal ownership to achieve team goals.
• Good PR skills, the ability to find a good angle and storytelling capabilities.
• Ability to understand and communicate operational processes within a workspace environment (desirable).

Benefits

• Mental Health & Wellbeing - Access to our external Employee Assistance Programme (CiC) for free 24/7 confidential advice and support, including up to 6 free counselling sessions per year where needed.
• Mental health support and guidance from our in-house trained Mental Health First Aiders.
• Hybrid working based on having 3 days in the office per week (pro rata if part-time)*.
• Contribution towards eye tests and glasses.
• Trust life insurance scheme.
• We offer winter flu vaccination vouchers.

* dependent on the needs of the role

• Holiday - Enhanced annual leave – 25 days plus bank holidays (pro rata).
• Birthday leave - additional day leave.
• Celebration day - to celebrate anything of your choice.

• Other Leave - Sick leave – 20 days full pay, followed by 20 days half pay (pro rata & following 3 months service).
• Emergency dependent care – option to use 25% of paid sick leave for emergency care of a dependent (pro rata & following 3 months of service).
• Enhanced maternity pay.

• Benefits - 8% employer pension contributions, no employee contribution required*.
• Option for salary sacrifice.
• Season ticket loan.
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• Discounts, offers and free stuff - The list is endless and includes tickets to Somerset House events and entrance to other London Heritage sites.
• Discounts in Somerset House cafes and restaurants.
• Discounts with various high street retailers and restaurants.
• Discounts to local leisure centres.