Senior Manager Brand Communications

About the position

As a Senior Manager Brand Communications, you’ll be at the forefront working behind the integration of our creative, media, PR, and social media agencies to hit those ROI-specific brand awareness and objectives. You’ll work closely with the UK and Ireland strategy team to understand business objectives for marketing communications across the Specsavers brand, optics, and audiology activities. By diving into previous learnings, industry data, and key audience insights, you’ll develop annual brand comms briefs and audience-centric responses (RTBs). Then, you’ll bring these plans to life with the help of agencies and wider teams. Working closely with all agencies (creative, social, PR, media) and the UK Brand Comms team, you’ll make sure all responses (RTBs) are not just engaging but also innovative and industry leading. Keeping everything aligned with the brand's tone of voice, you’ll meet specific objectives with clearly defined KPIs. Your plans will be fully integrated and through the line, maximizing broadcast, PR, and social assets. You’ll set and manage the budgets for all Ireland production activities across broadcast, partnership, social, and PR, working with finance and other marketing teams. You’ll take full ownership of briefing output requirements to agencies, setting key deadlines and expectations, and acting as the final sign-off (with clinical support when required) on content once the plan is agreed. You’ll drive excellence by continually feeding key learnings and insights into planning, activation, and media strategy. Managing third party agencies will also be part of your role, conducting business reviews, setting targets, and defining objectives. You’ll make sure agencies deliver against SOW, working with the wider team to run regular QBRs. You’ll lead key calls, including weekly WIP calls and bi-weekly scrums, keeping everything on track. You’ll put effective systems in place for continuous sharing of content and plans. Signing off all local content for brand campaigns and activities for individual stores and hubs in Ireland will be your responsibility. Managing stakeholders will be a breeze as you make sure everyone is clear on your team’s role in achieving overall business objectives and proactively updating them on success. You’ll bring loads of experience in marketing communications, digital and social media expertise, and a talent for telling great stories. Your background with third party agencies will be essential. You’ll excel in stakeholder management, project management, have a good understanding on data and always be looking to improve. Your approach to commercial and business impacts will be top-notch as you deliver innovative and impactful marketing campaigns for Ireland. This role involves frequent travel across the UK, ROI and Guernsey for team meetings, shoots and working with partners.

Responsibilities

• Integrate creative, media, PR, and social media agencies to achieve brand awareness objectives.
• Collaborate with UK and Ireland strategy team to align marketing communications with business objectives.
• Develop annual brand communications briefs and audience-centric responses.
• Manage budgets for production activities across broadcast, partnership, social, and PR.
• Brief agencies on output requirements and set key deadlines.
• Conduct business reviews with third-party agencies and set performance targets.
• Lead weekly WIP calls and bi-weekly scrums to ensure project timelines are met.
• Sign off on local content for brand campaigns and activities.
• Manage stakeholder communications and updates on team performance.

Requirements

• Extensive experience in marketing communications.
• Expertise in digital and social media.
• Strong storytelling skills.
• Experience managing third-party agencies.
• Excellent stakeholder management and project management skills.
• Good understanding of data and analytics.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in the optics or audiology industry.
• Familiarity with ROI-specific marketing strategies.