Senior Management,Corporate Affairs
Head of Corporate Affairs
Job ID: 009800
Location: Leeds, UK, LS1 8EQ
Job type: Permanent - Full Time
Salary: £Competitive + Bonus & Benefits
Apply now
Make a difference to our reputation, purpose and impact
We’re looking for an experienced Corporate Affairs & Communications leader to shape, protect and advance the Society’s reputation. In this exciting new role for the Society, you’ll be a strategic adviser to our CEO, Executive team and Board, ensuring our internal and external communications tell a consistent story about our purpose, strategy and longterm goals.
What you’ll be doing
Own and deliver a comprehensive corporate communications strategy aligned to the Society’s strategy and business modeldeveloping our strategic narrative, thought leadership, and positioning.
Lead Societylevel messaging across channels (press releases, speeches, publications and digital content) and ensure consistency everywhere our brand shows up.
Build and manage strong media relationships; act as a senior spokesperson; lead our public affairs agenda with Westminster/Whitehall and regional stakeholders.
Monitor policy and regulatory developments, advising leaders on implications; lead our advocacy with internal partners.
Design and run crisis and issues managementscenario planning, protocols and media training for senior leaders; coordinate crossfunctional responses.
Lead stakeholder and community engagement (trade bodies, Government, NGOs, community groups) and communicate our purpose and sustainability proof points.
Set the internal communications strategyleadership comms, town halls, announcements and employee campaigns that strengthen alignment, culture and engagement.
Build and develop a highperforming Corporate Affairs & Communications team; manage agencies; own budgets, KPIs and performance metrics; provide counsel to senior leadership and the Board on reputation matters.
About you
Thorough experience in corporate communications / public affairs (with strong experience at senior leadership level), with a track record managing corporate reputation in complex or highprofile contexts.
Proven media relations experience (including acting as organisational spokesperson) and depth in crisis communications and issues management.
Experience in regulated or politically sensitive environments is advantageous, alongside leadership of internal and change communications.
Exceptional written and verbal skills; strategic thinker with strong business and political acumen; advanced stakeholder engagement and relationshipbuilding.
High EQ, sound judgement, calm under pressure; a collaborative leader who builds teams and partners crossfunctionally.
Confident with digital communications, social media strategy and analytics.
Values & ways of working
Integrity, discretion and trustworthiness when handling sensitive information.
Credible adviser to senior leaders; proactive, adaptable and solutionsoriented.
A strong commitment to diversity, inclusion and ethical communication.
Our Head Office teams are known as Enabling Functions. They're open, innovative, collaborative and always focused on doing what’s right.
And they’re here to support our colleagues by providing a range of high quality, head office services, including risk, HR, finance and marketing. Whatever team you join, you’ll discover that it’s a welcoming, supportive and inclusive place to be, with all the flexibility you need to make work a rewarding part of your life.
About Our Benefits
Everyone’s different. That’s why we offer a wide range of benefits and rewards that we think you’ll love – whatever’s important to you, and whatever stage of life you’re at. Such as…
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Our pension scheme (where you can get up to 11% from us)
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Competitive bonus package
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Access to brilliant health benefits
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Life assurance at 6 times your salary
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25 days’ holiday (and the option to buy more)
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Cycle to work or an interest-free loan for an annual ticket
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Wellbeing resources and tools
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Retail and Leisure discounts
Learning & Development
Everyone can build a career path they love here. And that’s because we offer a wide range of programmes, opportunities and more to help you learn, grow, and develop – and reach your full potential.
These include...
- Personal Growth Toolkits - a range of materials that help you discover your strengths, identify your goals, and your next steps.
- Secondment and Stretch opportunities – helping you gain experience in different areas of our business and new ways of working.
- Learning Champion Network – opportunities to work outside of your immediate area and build new skills.
- Apprenticeships and Professional Qualifications – a range of brilliant apprenticeships and programmes available to everyone.
- REACH Diverse Leadership Programme – helping our Black, Asian and Ethnically Diverse leaders progress into senior leadership roles.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
You’ll find people from all walks of life here, with different cultures, beliefs, ages, outlooks and more. And we’re proud of our differences. So we’re dedicated to creating a workplace where everyone feels welcome, supported, and empowered to be their whole self at work.
Our five Colleague Networks play an important role in helping that happen – and have a real impact on our everyday working life here. Each is closely linked to our Inclusion and Diversity committee, and sponsored by a member of our Senior Leadership Team.
And we also have other colleague groups, such as ManKind and Family Foundations, where colleagues can connect, and start conversations that can be taken into the Networks.
Community and Charity
Ever since we started back in 1864, we’ve had a clear purpose – to do some good in our communities through helping people keep their savings safe. And helping everyone have a place to call home. Today, that purpose is still a huge part of who we are. And every one of our colleagues helps that happen.
We’re committed to volunteering our time, resources, skills and knowledge – more than 50% of colleagues contribute to thousands of volunteer hours every year. And our Charitable Foundation has now donated over £9 million to charities and good causes across the country.
Hear from some of our people about what working at Yorkshire Building Society is like, and what it means for them…
Our ways of working and flexibility
We know there’s no single right way of working that fits everyone. That’s why we’re not trying to find one. Instead, we’re doing everything we can to make sure that when we’re working flexibly, together and apart, we’re working at our best. We help our colleagues get the most out of work, and take care of themselves, wherever they’re working.
We offer a range of flexible working options without unsocial hours, which can help you find a healthy work-life balance. Whether it’s finishing early for an appointment or fitting your studies and hobbies in around your working hours, we can help make it work for you. We’re happy to talk flexible working and you can reach out to us anytime during the recruitment process to discuss this.
Find out more about our Ways of WorkingMeet the Recruiter(s)
Jessica Wilkinson
Executive Resourcing Specialist
Connect with Jessica WilkinsonSince being at YBS I have been fortunate enough to have gained experience recruiting in most of our head office functions including People, Rick, Finance, Commercial and Audit.
I am currently working in our Exec Resourcing team working on senior level recruitment in Risk, Commercial and Internal Audit and would love to hear from you if you are interested in senior opportunities in these areas!
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