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Southbank Centre is a place that unites people through the exchange of ideas, the power of creativity and the imagination and through freedom of expression.  We passionately believe in the power of art, ideas and creativity to inspire, educate and effect change.  Born out of the Festival of Britain in 1951, we are proud to be the UK’s only permanent festival site and a place where people experience world-class art and culture. The festival spirit is the very heart of Southbank Centre and inspires everything that we do.  Our employees are at the centre of delivering our mission, which is ‘to create a permanent sense of festival where the world meets to celebrate the power of the imagination’.

We are looking for an experienced external affairs professional with first class analytical skills to join our Marketing and Communications team on a one-year fixed term maternity cover contract. This post plays a vital role increasing Southbank Centre’s external brand profile and reputation by raising better awareness and understanding of our artistic, corporate and educational priorities and achievements.

As Senior Manager, External Affairs, you will lead our external affairs team and work closely with our Head of Communications and External Affairs, and the wider team, to implement the communications and external affairs strategy and support wider business objectives. You will secure positive media coverage around Southbank Centre’s corporate priorities, fundraising programmes and wide ranging festivals and events. You’ll also build Southbank Centre’s corporate narrative by proactively identifying and creating opportunities to lead debate and position us as a thought leader and centre for open, honest and rigorous discussion.

With substantial public affairs and corporate communications experience, and a sound grasp of UK politics; the ideal candidate will thrive working for a fast-paced, busy organisation with a strong issues-based agenda. You will have solid management experience and a flair for developing ambitious public affairs and communications strategies that meet organisational objectives. An excellent communicator, with strong writing skills, you will be confident in your ability to work well and communicate with a wide range of people, as well as being able to present and explain information in a logical, engaging way.

You will have a proven track record of influencing opinion at a senior level, building partnerships with other organisations and networks in the political sphere and creative and media industries. You’ll also have a thorough working knowledge of the UK national, regional and local media, and a bank of strong media contacts. Sharing Southbank Centre’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, you will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the role this plays in the activity of Southbank Centre as a whole and the work of the Marketing and Communications teams in particular. Finally, you will be ready to combine your past skills and experience with a keen interest in the arts and culture sector and join our Marketing and Communications team in telling Southbank Centre’s story to the world.

Southbank Centre is a place where everyone is welcomed. We believe that art must be available to the many and not just the few, and our staff deliver a programme that celebrates the diverse experiences of people and cultures. We present work for everyone and we welcome applications from everyone. By attracting people to work for us from a broad range of backgrounds with diverse attitudes, opinions and beliefs we can continue to look at the world with fresh eyes and find new ways of doing things.

We offer a stimulating and professional environment in which to work - the pace and scale of which can be breathtaking. We welcome millions of visitors each year, provide a unique educational offer to thousands of schools, young people and adults, and have a network of world-class artists from every genre who regard Southbank Centre as their home, including our four outstanding resident orchestras. We put on over 2500 new artistic productions, installations and performances each year, and our entrepreneurial drive supports our artistic ambition through the sensitive integration of commercial activity across our site. This is a remarkable place to work and our people require the ability to work in The Southbank Centre Way - to think, act and learn with speed and agility.

Closing date

Applications for this post closed 11:45pm on Sunday 15th January 2017