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Further Particulars
This document includes information about the role for which you are applying and the
information you will need to provide with the application.
1. Role details
Vacancy reference:
6501
Job title:
Group Programme Communications Manager
Reports to:
Head of Marketing Communications
Salary:
£46,510 – £52,347
Terms and conditions:
Academic Related
Grade:
Duration of post:
9
Fixed term contract until September 2011
Working hours:
Full Time
Location:
Milton Keynes
Closing date:
12 noon, Thursday 8th July 2010
Type of application form accepted:
Covering Letter, OU Application form and CV
Number of referees required:
Three
Unit recruitment contact:
Wendy Austen
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January 2010
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Main Purpose of the Post:
2. Summary of duties
The core purpose of this role is to lead the planning, development and execution of marketing
programs and campaigns to generate the most efficient and value-adding mix of appropriate
high quality enquiries from potential students, (or employers on behalf of potential students) in
order to meet the University’s new student targets- by Faculty and key subject cluster.
The post holder will be required to work collaboratively with all Marketing & Sales personnel
within the University and at the University’s appointed agencies and suppliers, to ensure that
the most high value, appealing, high-quality, cutting-edge marketing solutions can be
implemented. The post holder will be required to offer expert opinion and demonstrate proactive, continuous- improvement philosophies on all aspects of marketing communications
initiatives, production methods, media-channel choices, budgeting implications, most
appropriate creative designs and messages, by segmented target audience and provide
guidance on required legal and compliance aspects of marketing communications.
The post holder will be required to manage a number of colleagues as well as working to
agreed service level agreements with internal and external agencies to ensure the agreed
outputs of marketing programs and campaigns of all types.
The post holder is a member of the Marketing Communications Leadership Team and will be
required to play a pro-active role in that team, balancing the needs and recommendations of
their own area of responsibility with the wider needs and priorities of the University in
developing strategy, setting priorities and allocating resources across the Sub-unit.
As one of the senior members of the team, the post holder will on occasion and as agreed,
deputise for the Sub-unit Head on all marketing, staff and financial matters in the head’s
absence.
Description of Duties of the Post:
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Program Strategy 15%
Commercial Management- including supplier/ Agency Management 25%
Program and Campaign Planning and Delivery 30%
Internal Communications 20%
Leadership 10%
Program Strategy 15%
1. Ensure the development and integration of the consumer segmentation and development
of annual programs and campaigns of marketing activity, within the marketing strategy and
its embedding within the plan for the Program area.
2. Contribute to the collective prioritisation and resource allocation of sub-unit resources and
its continuous assessment for appropriateness in changing market environments.
3. Carry out regular reappraisal of segmentation policy for the Program area with a view to
increasing market share in high yield segments.
4. Deputise for the Head of Marketing Communications in his / her absence for all matters as
directed. In this role they have delegated authority for financial, program /campaign and all
related issues.
5. With other members of the MC Leadership team, take collective responsibility for the
marketing and sales offer and its appropriateness / fit to the agreed brand, strategies and
operating plans, identifying areas of underperformance, investigating the cause and
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January 2010
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6. Contribute to collective responsibility for activities to deliver the Unit KPIs in the areas of
 Enquiry conversion rates
 Student Numbers (joint with Sales)
 Customer Satisfaction
Leadership 10%
1. Personally provide leadership for the staff and agency resources in the Program area,
creating a clear and positive internal profile for the area . Identify and propose innovative
approaches to the Sub-Unit to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of student
acquisition and retention.
2. Develop effective relationships and influence with appropriate University staff including
Heads and Managers for all areas of communications.
3. Contribute to the development and widespread adoption of Customer Communication,
Customer Relationship Management and the widespread adoption of channel
management, including the discipline of executing well planned programs and campaigns
across the University, working with Student Services, LTS and Academic Units in the
development and maintenance of relationships with individual students and maintaining
relationships with agencies and other suppliers.
4. Contribute to the optimisation of services of external marketing staff in a matrixmanagement style, utilising appropriate levels of management and administration staff
input from Marketing Agencies.
5. Lead the drive for excellence in marketing within the Program area- including
communications planning and briefing processes, maintaining the overall communications
schedule for each market segment and reviewing its effectiveness and proposing
improvements.
6. Ensure the development and delivery of high quality communications and materials for the
Program area.
Program and Campaign Planning and Delivery 30%
1. Contribute to the establishment / long-term maintenance and development of the customer
segmentation of the University and the identification, justification and gaining of agreement
to the target customer market segments and their product and service requirements.
2. Ensure the identification of relevant competitors and their strategies for the Program area
and oversee the design and delivery of the core acquisition and retention strategies.
3. Direct the strategy of Program and Campaign development and delivery to most effectively
and efficiently deliver the University student numbers, (or matching objectives in the
Program area,) determining and directing the optimum channel mix and promotional
spend, taking specific responsibility for defining targets and desired outcomes and the
allocation of resources to the programs.
4. Contribute to the establishment and maintenance of methodology and infrastructure to
manage the whole student lifetime relationship on a segmented basis, leading to an
improvement of retention levels (completion & progression) and maximising the lifetime
value of students in the University.
5. Direct the process for managing the planning, development, integration, optimisation and
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delivery to time and budget agreed of all marketing & sales campaigns and media
expenditure for the Program area.
Internal Communications 20%
1. Lead and direct for the Program area, with other Sub-unit colleagues, the development
and implementation of processes for the planning, development and implementation of
marketing campaigns and materials , working with other colleagues across the University
and external suppliers, in response to changing university requirements.
2. Influence peers and colleagues in the wider University to adapt to Program Management
approaches to student communication activities.
Commercial Management- including supplier/ Agency Management 25%
1. Propose the necessary resources for the delivery of the Program area’s Communications
Marketing Plan including the development and orchestration of “virtual teams” of experts in
outsourced Marketing Agencies, Student Services, PR and LTS.
2. Contribute to the development of a skilled and motivated team of OU Marketing and
Marketing Agency staff.
3. Budget for approval and control all expenditures within the Program area, with accurate
and timely reconciliation (supported by the unit Directorate team).
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3. Person specification
All Marketing Communications Management Team members
Evidence of Strong leadership skills
 Ability to see big picture and section’s place within it
 Ability to set objectives and to evaluate and manage performance
 Collaborative style in team based decision making
 Ability to motivate, supervise and develop staff
 Ability to work within, and successfully manage, virtual teams
Evidence of ability to set priorities and exercise judgement within the area of responsibility
and of the ability to implement strategies once developed.
Evidence of ability to drive for maximum value and maximum returns in all activities. i.e. a
commercial mind-set
Influencing skills – the ability to persuade wide range of staff to work harmoniously with
marketing unit
Ability to manage complex budgets
A demonstrable personal commitment to the collective success of the vision for the team
Role Specific
Essential
1. A relevant business / marketing degree or equivalent.
2. Demonstrable commitment to Continuing Professional Development- such as proactive desire to attend relevant courses and conferences, home-based business study
and /or OUBS study.
3. A high level of experience and ability for managing multi-thousand or million pound
marketing communication budgets .
4. Proven experience of previously working in a varied and complex B2B sales and
marketing environment
5. Proven experience of the briefing and production of marketing collateral either working
for an agency or client. Specifically including;
a. Selecting, appointing, managing and leading planning, design, print/production
and media agency relationships.
i. Briefing and managing direct mail, e-mail and print houses for a broad
range of printed materials.
ii. Successful delivery of required results; enquiry, customer numbers,
cost-per-sale targets and so on.
b. Managing a high-value budget ensuring expenditure is managed, across a
broad range of channels and campaigns, including, but not restricted to
i. TV and Radio advertising
ii. Outdoor advertising and events
iii. National/ Regional/Trade Newspaper and all forms of consumer and
business Magazine advertising and publicity.
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iv. Direct Mail packs and inserts, door to door
v. Online advertising in all forms- including content-driven and podcasting campaigns
vi. Leaflets, brochures, sales aids
vii. Exhibition panels and show materials
viii. Above and below the line list broking and media buying
6. Evidence of ability to promote role of department and work well with other units i.e.
work in cross unit teams and lead projects where there is no formal line management
of staff involved
7. Evidence of strong influencing, negotiating and interpersonal skills including the ability
to present effectively and influence key decision making forums and the ability to
identify, develop, nurture and successfully operate working partnerships
8. Innovative, self reliant and determined approach to duties and an ability to work well
under pressure
Desirable
1. Marketing or a professional post-graduate qualification e.g. Chartered Institute of
Marketing Diploma; or working towards that or a similar qualification within the next
three years.
2. Direct, personal experience of the Open University Business and Management
courses
3. Experience in public sector, particularly higher education
4. Evidence of ability to adapt style to suit a large diffuse public sector organisation
4. Role specific requirements e.g. Shift working
5. About the unit/department
MARKETING AND SALES
In 2003 Marketing and Sales re-organised into an integrated centralised marketing function.
This marked a move away from the previous faculty-by-faculty approach to marketing, to an
integrated Marketing and Sales team. In early 2006, the Marketing and Sales (M&S) unit
carried out a business change process. This involved an extensive review of M&S objectives
and activities in order to determine the key processes required for future success. To support
the delivery of these new processes, the organizational structure for the Marketing and Sales
unit changed. Details of the sub-units are detailed below.
The most fundamental development is a robust campaign planning and campaign
management capability that enables the separate requirements of faculties, subject clusters
and OU business units to be integrated into a holistic set of segmented, customer focused
campaigns, (where the whole is greater that the sum of the parts), where the university can be
assured of efficiency of spend and return on investment.
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The medium to long term aim is to create a cadre of experienced M&S professionals to enable
a move away from “mass marketing” to a more targeted, segmented approach in support of
subject areas; that will harness expertise elsewhere in OU when organised within integrated
campaigns.
The Market and Sales Unit is split into 6 sub-units, supported by the Directorate. These are:
Market, Customer and Competitor Insight, Product and Service Development, Marketing
Management, Marketing Communications, Sales, and Regional Marketing.
Directorate
The Directorate is made of three teams: Finance and Planning, Staffing and Business Change
& Project Management. The Directorate’s role is to provide direction and support/facilitation
services to the rest of the unit. This includes leading the Marketing and Sales planning
processes including development of the university’s Marketing strategy and the annual unit
plan; overseeing the unit finances; performance review; managing internal reviews; staff
recruitment and development; IT resources and support; professional project management
across marketing, pan-OU and business change projects.
Market, Customer and Competitor Information
The aim of the Market, Customer & Competitor Insight (MCCI) team is to provide useable and
accurate market, customer and competitor insight in order to inform strategy and decisionmaking within M&S and around the University. It is anticipated that around 50 market research
projects will be managed each year by the team with a budget from M&S which is currently
c.£1m. From time to time the team will work with funds from other units within the University.
The MCCI team will work closely with colleagues across the Marketing & Sales unit
(particularly the Marketing Management and Product & Service Development sub-units) and
will also be required to develop strong working relationships with colleagues in units outside of
M&S (such as the Planning Office and Student Services) in order to maximize the impact of
MCCI and influence a more customer-centric view across the organisation.
The activities of the MCCI sub-unit will be organised around four key areas – markets,
competitors, customer journey and product & pricing.
Product and Service Development
The Product and Service Development sub-unit’s role is to work collaboratively across the
University to develop and enhance products (inc. pricing), services and affinities to meet the
changing needs of the customer and the internal and external environments. The sub-unit will
take a lead role in the gathering, analysis, interpretation, and onward dissemination and
utilisation of intelligence related to product and service developments in an integrated and
effective manner across the University.
The sub-unit will also be responsible for the scoping and development of new opportunities
within the area of marketing affinities (partnerships, schemes and initiatives). Once the
affinities are set-up, the team will be responsible for embedding these new initiatives into
marketing’s business as usual.
Marketing Planning and Data Management
This sub unit has been constructed to assist the University to develop its marketing capacity so
that challenging targets can be met. It will be essential for the team to work to harness the
energies of staff in the University's academic units, service units and regions to develop a
more effective marketing strategy and champion the development and widespread use of
marketing management models as key business tools for new and continuing students.
The sub-unit will take a lead role in the development and implementation of marketing and
sales activities for each subject, faculty and business unit in an integrated and effective
manner. The team will co-ordinate marketing planning and project management for all OU
units and provide the evidence base and analysis required to lead focused and robust
business cases for key strategic decisions on marketing activity.
Working collaboratively with all business units, they will act as the focus for the marketing and
sales unit, leading an ongoing comprehensive review of marketing plans, campaigns and
operational procedures to achieve target student numbers for current and potential students.
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The Campaign Planning and Data team is also part of the Marketing Planning and Data
Management team. This team will work closely with the Marketing Planning and Data
Management and Marketing Communications sub-units in developing and using database
tools and propensity models to plan and evaluate campaigns.
Marketing Communications
The Marketing Communications unit will combine planning, design and implementation of
campaigns within the responsibilities of a range of individuals for the first time. Working closely
with the Marketing Management team, the Marketing Communications Campaign Managers
will devise the most effective and cost efficient campaigns to achieve new and continuing
student numbers, drawing heavily upon management information from the Campaign Planning
& Data team. Marketing Communications will develop broad campaign experience across all
communication channels, ensuring that the most appropriate channels and creative media are
used for each campaign.
The new Online Marketing team will develop digital campaigns and initiatives in order to
ensure that the University increases its utilisation of digital media, developing best practise and
efficient use of new electronic media channels. Over the coming moths, more printed
publications will be modified to be appropriate for digital media with the intention of providing
as many user-friendly materials in electronic formats as possible.
Sales: Corporate and Employer Services
The Role of Sales: Corporate & Employer Services (CES) is to provide an identifiable (but not
necessarily singular) interface for employers and the OU and thereby co-ordinate and manage
internal and external relationships
To create market responsive and innovative offerings (particularly by listening to our clients
and researching our marketplaces with a view to developing products and services that have a
ready market and can be broadly classified as CPD
To identify and articulate business opportunities pan-OU. This continues to be a
fundamental function for CES as does co-ordination and implementation of subsequent
campaigns account penetration and development
Nations/Regions Marketing
Regional Marketing is designed to be a two-way process to enable regions to better
understand, access and influence the campaign planning process.
More campaigns will be delivered through local media channels, aligned to national campaigns
but with additional 'localness' messages. These campaigns will respond to each region's
unique competitive environment, addressing its specific student/course targets and market
opportunities, and supporting regional outreach programmes such as Younger Students and
Widening Participation.
6. How to obtain more information about the role or application process
If you would like to discuss the particulars of this role before making an application please
contact Wendy Austen on +44(0)1908 659140 or email [email protected].
If you have any questions regarding the application process please contact Wendy Austen on
+44(0)1908 659140 or email [email protected].
7. Where to send completed applications
Please ensure that your application reaches the University by: 12 noon Thursday 8th
July 2010
Post it to:
Human Resources HRG158 Issue 2
January 2010
Page 8 of 9
Name/Job title:
Wendy Austen/ Staffing Administrator
Department/Unit: Marketing & Sales
Address:
Level 2 South
Berrill Building
Walton Hall
Milton Keynes
Post Code:
MK7 6AA
Or e-mail your application to: [email protected]
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January 2010
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