Head of Reputation Communications
Exclusive opportunity for a Head of Reputation Communications to play a pivotal role in anticipating, managing, and mitigating reputational and communication risks for a global FMCG organisation. Operating as a senior specialist within Corporate Affairs, this role identifies emerging issues, drives crisis preparedness and response, and safeguards both corporate and brand reputation. Highly cross‑functional, it provides expert counsel to senior leaders on sensitive topics, public sentiment, and communication strategy.
Reputational Risk Management
- Advise on positioning and messaging for sensitive topics, ensuring alignment with brand and corporate priorities.
- Partner with Legal, Marketing, HR, and Sustainability to assess potential issues and maintain a reputational risk register.
- Monitor media, social sentiment, and emerging risks, setting up and managing relevant tools and dashboards (team support available).
- Develop and maintain issues‑management playbooks, scenarios, and escalation processes.
- Lead training and simulation exercises to embed a reputation‑aware culture across the business.
- Support governance and review of advertising and communication assets from a reputational perspective.
Crisis Response
- Act as coordination lead during issues or crises, providing clear recommendations on actions and communications.
- Shape crisis communication strategies and ensure consistent messaging across internal and external channels.
- Conduct real‑time monitoring, assess impact, and advise on recovery strategies.
- Provide expert counsel on sensitive topics, cultural trends, and societal shifts relevant to brand and corporate risk.
- Draft and evolve communication policies and guidelines, partnering with teams to ensure organisation‑wide adoption.
- Deliver regular reputational landscape and risk insight reports to senior leadership and global teams.
Cross‑Functional Collaboration
- Partner with External Communications on media strategy and reactive response.
- Align with Public Affairs on issues involving political or regulatory dimensions.
- Support Internal Communications on sensitive employee messaging and protocols for business continuity scenarios.
- Work closely with brand, legal, scientific, HR and operational teams to ensure facts, actions and communications are aligned.
Skills & Experience
- Significant experience in issues management, crisis communications, and reputational advisory.
- Strong understanding of UK media, consumer sentiment, and digital/social media landscapes.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to distil complexity quickly.
- Highly analytical with hands‑on experience using social listening and monitoring tools.
- Proven ability to influence and collaborate across a matrix organisation.
- Composed, resilient, and decisive under pressure, with strong strategic judgement.
- Experience in fast‑paced and reputation‑sensitive sectors such as consumer goods or FMCG is preferred.
Benefits
- Performance bonus
- Hybrid working (4 days in office, 1 from home)
- Highly flexible working options
- Wide range of other benefits
Contact
If you have the experience and are interested in discussing further, please get in touch ASAP with your current CV: gcharles@vmagroup.com
Due to a high volume of applicants, we are unable to respond to everyone. We will get in touch if you are successful in your application.
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