Head of Marketing and Communications

This is a strategic role working in the senior management team, setting priorities and supporting organisational decision making. Using audience insights and a ‘big picture’ approach, you will deliver sector leading, ambitious marketing strategies. Your work will make a major contribution to growing income, increasing loyalty, having an impact with our communities, and enhancing our brand and reputation.

The Octagon is a thriving and award-winning regional producing theatre that makes work for local and national audiences and engages our diverse communities in a wide range of creative, life enhancing opportunities. We are known for being a friendly, welcoming theatre and have a track record of nourishing careers on and off-stage. You will ensure the audience is at the heart of all our decision making and that our brand identity shines through constantly.

It's a pivotal time to take up this role. We’ve recently reviewed our marketing team structure and skills and you’ll be leading a new team. Working closely with your team, colleagues and external partners, you’ll be making sure that the Octagon delivers creative and data-driven strategies across all our marketing and communications. As a key member of our leadership, you’ll be working with other senior colleagues to define and achieve shared objectives for our future success.

Our ideal candidate will be experienced in arts and cultural marketing. You’ll have worked on a range of strategies for both existing and new audiences. You’ll think creatively as well as using data, insights and evaluation to make sound decisions. Working in a small, busy organisation, you’ll know when to jump in and when to delegate and coach others. Collaborative working is essential: you’ll need to be a trusted partner and enabler for other colleagues so that we achieve our objectives together. You’ll be self-motivated and self-organised and able to meet multiple priorities and deadlines.

As the major independent cultural organisation in a large and diverse borough we have a responsibility to lead and champion culture for everyone. With that in mind, we especially welcome applications from people whose backgrounds are currently under-represented in cultural leadership positions.

Key responsibilities are:

• Work with the Senior Management Team to create a robust business plan and develop and deliver marketing strategies that will enable that plan. This includes financial and reputational resilience and impact as an arts charity.
• Lead the marketing department to ensure plans are successfully delivered, resources are well managed, and people thrive in their roles.
• Provide the rigour that marketing budgets are well managed and that we achieve our marketing results and objectives.
• Develop meaningful partnerships with internal teams, stakeholders, press, sector leaders and community partners to enhance our reputation.
• Develop research, evaluation and segmentation frameworks that use data and insights to inform strategic decision making, impact reporting, and that our audiences are considered at every step.
• Provide creative and insight-informed leadership to ensure our brand is audience focused, and our identity shines through all our communications and decision making.

Please see below for the Head of Marketing & Communications Job Pack.