Job Description
Location: Hybrid with regular travel to Warrington office for key meetings
The Company
Village Hotels is a dynamic UK-based hotel brand with soon-to-be 34 sites, offering a unique mid-market hotel, a high-quality fitness club, and diverse food and beverage options, including a Starbucks coffee retail unit, all under one roof. Our successful, all-in-one concept often leads the market in revenue, and we are currently in a period of exciting growth with several new hotels and extensions planned for 2025.
The Role
As our Head of Communications and External Affairs, you will hold a pivotal leadership role, responsible for developing and managing the entire internal and external communications strategy for Village Hotel Club. You will be the guardian of our brand, proactively protecting the business’s reputation and ensuring all communications align with our strategic goals.
This role is a strategic partner to the leadership team, focused on managing high-level relationships with key stakeholders, including investors, the media, regulatory bodies & Government, our employees, and other relevant business partners. You will be the single point of contact driving our communications agenda across all areas of the business.
Key Responsibilities
Corporate Communications & PR
* Develop and execute a robust communications strategy focused on corporate communications and brand reputation.
* Create a compelling corporate narrative and messaging for use across all channels, supporting our commercial objectives.
* Oversee all core communications activities, supported by our PR agency, including creating and approving external materials (press releases, media briefings, corporate social media, etc.).
* Act as the primary point of contact for all media engagement and nurture relationships with key media outlets.
* Identify and secure executive thought leadership opportunities and speaking engagements.
* Ensure Village spokespeople are fully trained and prepared for proactive and reactive media engagement.
Internal Relations
* Develop and implement an internal communications strategy that ensures employees are informed, engaged, and aligned with our brand values.
* Partner with the People team to develop and distribute compelling internal communications on performance, new initiatives, policies, rewards, and L&D to raise awareness of “Village Life.”
* Support change management, employee wellness, and D&I communications initiatives.
Crisis and Issues Management
* Protect the reputation of the business through effective crisis and issues communications management, assisting in developing and executing internal plans during sensitive situations.
* Identify and track potential reputational risks proactively, working with leadership to shape behaviours that mitigate them at the earliest opportunity.
Stakeholder Collaboration
* Develop and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including investors (Blackstone and Revantage), regulatory bodies, and internal senior leadership (Operations and Legal).
* Manage the flow of communications with investors, acting as the main point of contact for key business updates.
* Ensure consistency by working with brand marketing teams to align communications tone of voice across all internal and external channels.
Experience & Skills
* Extensive experience and a proven track record in strategic communications leadership, high-level stakeholder engagement, and cross-functional collaboration.
* Proven experience delivering high-profile communications, providing expert counsel to senior leaders, and managing complex, sensitive issues.
* Strong media handling skills, including running a press office and leading crisis communications.
* Resilient and able to exercise sound judgement under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
* Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence and build trust at all levels.
* Strong influencing skills to quickly assess scenarios and shape internal decision-making.
* Solid understanding of the UK media and business landscape.
Work, Grow, Play!
Here at Village Hotels, we're all about embracing personality, individualism, and fun. Forget stuffy hotels built on formality; we create lively, modern spaces for our guests and our teams to work, eat, relax, play, and exercise. We have hotels and leisure clubs from Aberdeen to Bournemouth and more opening soon.
Join us and we can offer you amazing benefits*, such as:
* Complementary Health and Wellness Membership at your home club for you and a family member/friend, worth £1,500 a year.
* Significant discounts on hotel stays and food & drink at all our locations.
* Excellent training and development programs.
* A fun, supportive, and inclusive work environment with regular team events.
* Excellent Reward and Recognition incentive schemes.
* Have your birthday off, guaranteed.
* Electric car salary sacrifice scheme.
* Enhanced maternity and paternity benefits and pay.
* Financial wellbeing support, including salary drawdown via Wagestream.
* Access to our Employee Assistance Programme and up to 2 mental health days annually.
*T&C’s apply based on your contract.