Freelance External Communications Manager

Craft Agency Ltd.; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Ad hoc travel

Job summary

Craft Agency Ltd. is seeking a seasoned external communications professional to take ownership of the press office and manage crisis communications for a UK-regulated infrastructure client.

The role involves leading multi-channel campaign planning across press, digital and social channels while coordinating with MPs and regulators. The position is a six-month fixed-term contract with an ASAP start, offering hybrid working (3 days in the office) and ad hoc travel across the network footprint.

Qualifications

• Seasoned external comms professional with in-house energy/utility/regulatory experience.
• Experience running a press office and crisis communications.
• Able to plan campaigns and create digital/social content independently.

Responsibilities

• Own the press office and manage reactive media inquiries.
• Lead proactive crisis communications and issue management.
• Plan and execute cross-channel campaigns across press, digital, social, customer and stakeholder channels.
• Prepare MPs and regulators materials in collaboration with specialist teams.

Skills

Press office

Crisis comms

Campaign planning

Media relations

Stakeholder comms

Job description

This is a six-month contract holding together the external comms function for one of the UK’s regulated infrastructure businesses that delivers gas to millions of people across the UK.

You’d be walking in at the year’s most critical operating period for a gas distribution network. Up until now, the team has been absorbing the external comms workload internally and needs someone experienced enough to pick it up and run it end-to-end with skill.

The Role

You’ll own the press office – reactive media enquiries and proactive crisis comms – and lead campaign planning across press, digital, social, customer and stakeholder channels. The immediate priority is getting the winter campaign finished and out the door, but alongside this, you’ll also prepare materials for MPs and regulators, working alongside a dedicated two-person corporate affairs team and a separate regulatory function who bring the specialist insight.

The Package

£300 – £350 per day
Hybrid working: 3 days in the office
Six-month fixed-term contract, ASAP start
Ad hoc travel across the network footprint

The Person

You’re a seasoned external comms professional, most likely working in-house at an energy, utility or other regulated infrastructure business. You’ve run a press office, handled crisis comms, and advised leadership on reputational risk.

You plan campaigns and generate content across digital and social, and you’re comfortable working entirely self-sufficiently, with no one to delegate to. You have enough grasp of energy regulation and the political landscape to craft MP-ready messaging while leaning on specialist colleagues for detail.