International Press Officer (Food)

Job description

Job Description:

We’re looking for a talented, self-starter Food & Wine Press Officer to help us tell the story about M&S food internationally. A new role within this business, this represents an opportunity to support the growth of the M&S food business globally.

With more than 32 million customers around the world, thousands of much-loved and innovative food products across both owned and franchise businesses, no two days are ever the same….

The role will include getting involved in supporting key markets to grow the food and hospitality business, whether its chilled food launches into new markets, supporting markets with key local events, developing localised PR campaigns, creation of global PR toolkits or profiling our food experts. The role will have a focus of building awareness of the food brand in key markets across Europe, Middle East and Asia

The role will be fast paced and challenging but rewarding and fun. It’s ideally suited to someone with experience in building brand awareness, with a passion for international markets and cultural learning who has the knowledge of the food market, an eye for an interesting story and entrepreneurial spirit

Key accountabilities and measures

• Building and developing an International Food PR function within the business, including defining brand positioning within key markets

• Setting global PR plans and developing international in-market plans for new product launches, seasonal launches and campaigns

• Developing international toolkits including press materials and Q&As to brief markets with ahead of media outreach

• Act as the central point of contact for all local market teams for food, wine and hospitality offering strategic counsel and reviewing PR plans

• Building key relationships across the business and senior stakeholder management to develop plans to support business objectives

• Support in-market PR activity to ensure they are relevant and on brand

• Guidance and management of markets in responding to issues within food PR space

• Development of best in class influencer activity across key markets

• Support in building spokesperson and expert profiling program for international markets

• Creation of PR plans and assets to support key trading moments and seasonal campaigns

• Supporting localised campaigns to develop business internationally

• Coverage reporting and evaluation of PR back into business

• Working collaboratively within marketing team to maximise campaigns and asset creation

• Potential travel to support key markets

• Deputise for Senior PR Manager to represent team across the business

Key skills

·  This role requires someone with an entrepenriual spirit looking to develop a new function within the international business, much of the role will involve working to define PR positioning in markets and tool kitting. This role is not press facing and suitable candidates may come from a PR, editorial, branding or copy writing background
·  Possess very strong written and presentation skills
·  Have confidence and ability to deal with a number of different stakeholders at different levels
·  Experience of dealing with issues management
·  A passion for international work
·  Experience of working on or with global teams extremely desirable; experience of Middle East / Asia markets would be a huge advantage
·  Experience of working with influencers and within digital space
·  Be a self-starter and creative thinker with strong attention to detail
·  Excellent project management skills including the ability to manage a campaign
·  Show a passion for the food, wine and hospitality market
·  Have excellent organisation skills
·  Languages preferred but not essential

About Marks & Spencer International

Marks & Spencer is an iconic brand – we’re constantly evolving and have our sights set on the future. Serving over 32 million customers in over 50 markets outside the UK with growing online & offline propositions, we are now a cluster of closely aligned functional teams relentlessly trying to innovate. We experiment, we make big and small changes, and we enjoy the fact that everything we do has the potential to impact and delight over 32 million customers around the world daily.

Our International business is now being invested in heavily and the results are starting to show as we outgrow competitors. We have a central International Marketing & PR team, who share some impressive brand & international experience, and have created a clear strategy which will help our local market teams deliver their ambitious goals. We have the benefits of being a smaller team, we’ve removed unnecessary rules and we want entrepreneurial, customer first thinking. Over the next 2 years we will introduce M&S to another 2bn customers worldwide, increase our presence in our current market portfolio, enable Dotcom for our retail markets and work to create a best in class globally consistent, yet locally relevant, brand and customer experience. There is a lot to do and we’d like your help. Therefore, we will continue to hire like-minded individuals from high growth start-ups and big business alike alongside our talented M&S team who bring the right DNA, positive attitude and brand expertise to M&S

here .
-->