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Key Accountabilities

M&S is the UK’s most trusted – and talked about – brand. The Corporate Affairs team is a critical function that is accountable for managing M&S’s reputation and building and maintaining trust and relevance in the M&S business and brand. We’re proudly ‘not’ corporate and definitely not just any corporate affairs team – we’re the M&S corporate affairs team and we set ourselves the goal of being the best in the market. Rated #1 by the media and consistently leading on sentiment and message penetration, as well as being seen as a trusted partner by NGOs and rated by customers as the market leader on ESG issues, this is a strong team that is high performing and a great place to work. We make the news, and we make things happen, and we need people who thrive in that environment and can think differently.

Key Capabilities

What’s in it for you

Being a part of M&S is exactly that – becoming a part and playing your part. We’re an inclusive, dynamic, exciting, and always evolving business built on core values.

Here are some of the benefits we offer that make working for M&S just that little bit more special…

• 20% Colleague discount on most things from furniture, fashion and food.
• A first-class welcome to M&S with a tailored induction and a wide range of training schemes to help with your learning and development. Having options to progress is something we’re proud of at M&S.
• Attractive annual bonus, based on company performance and personal objectives.
• Competitive holiday entitlement!
• Amazing perks and discounts via our M&S Choices website. Including GymSave – that offers up to 25% off Gym Memberships and the option to become an M&S Shareholder using our ShareSave & ShareBuy Schemes
• Charity Volunteer Day – A paid day away from work to support your chosen charity.
• A very generous Defined Contribution Pension Scheme and Life Assurance
• Every colleague at M&S has access to a fantastic range of wellbeing support – this includes access to our 24/7 Virtual GP, PAM Assist to support you & your family & free access to the UnMind App as well as many other schemes

What you’ll do

Your key accountabilities will include:

• Support the Corporate Affairs Director, Strategic Planning Manager and Head of Content and Channels to ensure activity – from planning to evaluation – is consistent, comprehensive, fosters a culture of continuous improvement, and is acted upon.
• Provide strategic support to the Corporate Affairs Director and ensure the Corporate Affairs team has the right meeting cadence and touch points.
• Manage scale contracts and ensure suppliers/contracts are reviewed annually to ensure value for money.

Provide Executive support to the Corporate Affairs Director as follows:

• Complex diary management – Long term scheduling as well as day to day management and ensuring preparedness for all meetings/events/trips. Being aware of deadlines, priorities, objectives and external business commitments, reacting to change as required. Ensuring director’s time is used wisely and time spent aligns with strategic priorities.
• Engage with senior stakeholders in and outside of the business effectively and positively at all levels; always mindful that the team manages the business’s reputation
• Pull together briefs and flag key information ahead of all major meetings
• Expenses as required / managing use of P-card across the team
• Act as first point of contact for new starters and ensure all inductions are first class
• Providing support for events (Prelims, Interims, AGM, Live Events, Conferences etc)
• Ensure all People admin is up to date – sickness, holiday, personal contact info, birthdays etc

Who you are

Your skills and experience will include:

• Project management; ability to handle competing priorities, time-sensitive projects and potential conflicts, demonstrating sound judgement in a corporate communications environment
• Ability to work at pace with ambiguity.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to engage with all levels both inside and outside the company.
• Good analytical and planning skills; comfortable working with data and analytics.
• Experience of managing and tracking budgets.

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