Head of Communications

Job description

Role: Head of Communications

Reports to: Communications and Marketing Director

Location: Hybrid, with a minimum of two days a week at one of the MCS Group offices near Warrington (Daresbury) or in central London. Regular travel between offices and within the UK will be required.

Contract: 37.5 hours per week; permanent, full-time.

About us

There has never been a more exciting time to work in renewable energy, and the MCS Group has big ambitions. Our aim is to ensure every UK home benefits from being carbon free, by transforming the way our homes are heated, cooled and powered and giving everyone confidence in home-grown energy. With energy costs rising and climate change affecting us all, low-carbon technology has a big role to play in the future of UK energy.

The MCS Group is comprised of The MCS Foundation, a charitable foundation, and MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme), the UK’s quality mark for renewable energy systems like solar panels and heat pumps. The Scheme sets standards for installations, products and provides consumer protection. Over 5,600 installers, 369,000 annual installations and 100,000 low-carbon technology products are certified to MCS Standards.

MCS is owned by The MCS Foundation as its only shareholder. The Foundation works to accelerate the adoption of low-carbon solutions through research, advocacy, grants and action-oriented programmes.

Our dynamic Communications and Marketing function is integral to the Group’s success, responsible for managing media relations, organising impactful industry, stakeholder, and internal events, and overseeing our digital presence. They develop and execute communication plans and strategies that reinforce our brands and messages. At the heart of our business, the team creates compelling content, harnessing the power of our rich data and insights to tell engaging stories that resonate with our diverse stakeholders.

Websites:  https://mcs.210hosting.com/  and https://mcscertified.com/  

Why you’ll love working for MCS

Aside from an exciting and challenging role, the people, our culture, and our mission, we have some amazing benefits that make MCS a pretty great place to work. Here’s a few favourites among our team:

• Our Team: We are an energetic, sociable and talented bunch who are super passionate about what we do, and we are determined to make a difference. We are friendly, supportive, collaborative and we learn from each other every day.
• Holiday: 25 days’ annual leave per annum (plus UK bank holidays) – increasing to 28 days with three years’ service, and to 30 days with five years’ service.
• Social Events: Summer socials, Christmas party, regular events in the office, dress-down Fridays, and more.
• Wellbeing: All employees have access to an Employee Assistance Programme, optional access to Medicash – a healthcare plan with the highest level of cover. Access to Mental Health First Aider, up to 8 counselling sessions, helping to ensure that every team member feels supported.
• Supportive HR Policies: Enhanced Maternity, Paternity leave, sick leave, and emergency paid leave, life assurance 5 x your salary.
• Grow with MCS: Access to and support with continuous professional development.
• Professional Membership: Funding for one annual professional membership aligned to your role or professional discipline.
• New Starters: Welcome lunch with the Managing Director.
• Company Pension: 8% company contribution.
• Working week: 5 hours Monday – Friday with flexible working options.
• Salary Sacrifice Schemes: Cycle to work and additional annual leave purchase – subject to individual eligibility criteria.
• Free Parking: when working from the Daresbury office.
• EV charging facilities: when working from the Daresbury office.

About the role

This is an exciting, newly created role, leading a team of high-performing communications and media relations specialists. You will be responsible for overseeing the development, implementation and evaluation of integrated communications campaigns, media and stakeholder engagement activity that meet the Group’s objectives.

You will be part of the Senior Management Team and support the Group Communications and Marketing Director with strategic planning. You’ll work alongside passionate colleagues committed to driving real change and helping our people develop their careers.

What you’ll do

• Oversee strategy, planning and delivery for all communications campaigns, in line with organisational and functional objectives, ensuring all activity is well coordinated.
• Play a leadership role within the Communications and Marketing Directorate and the wider Group, helping to ensure functional and organisational objectives are achieved.
• Implement a cross-functional communications planning process, ensuring digital marketing, events and internal communications skills and expertise are leveraged, and the right channels and tactics are used to reach target audiences.
• Manage the strategic communications and media team, line managing three communications and media managers.
• Develop value propositions and messaging frameworks tailored to a wide range of audiences across two brands.
• Develop an integrated media strategy, working with the communications and media managers to maximise opportunities and increase media coverage for both MCS and The MCS Foundation.
• Grow our media contacts, building strong relationships with key journalists across print, online and broadcast.
• Provide guidance and support to Senior Leadership Team on events, media, messaging and communications best practice.
• Securing proactive media profiling and speaking opportunities for CEO and Senior Leadership Team.
• Help build scalable processes, reporting and measurement frameworks to understand and improve communications impact.
• Create, monitor and manage communications and media budget and financial performance.
• Represent the Communications and Marketing Function on the company’s Senior Management Team.
• Support and deputise for the Group Communications and Marketing Director as required, providing support and leadership for the wider Communications and Marketing Team.

What we’re looking for

• At least eight years’ experience in communications within both commercial and non-profit environments.
• Experience in a senior communications role, and communications and/or media strategy.
• Experience managing a high-performing team across locations.
• A strong track record of developing integrated, impactful strategic communication strategies and campaigns that have driven tangible outcomes.
• A strong understanding of the UK energy landscape, including the challenges and opportunities associated with increasing the uptake of low-carbon technologies.
• Extensive experience translating organisational objectives and complex subject matter into compelling and structured key messages for a wide variety of audiences.
• Excellent communicator with strong verbal, written and interpersonal skills.
• Exceptional organisation skills and an ability to juggle multiple workstreams and prioritise and deliver accordingly.
• Strong track record managing multiple priorities, projects and stakeholders in a fast-moving environment.
• Creative thinking skills, with a proven ability to motivate teams to develop ambitious, innovative, impactful plans.
• A collaborative and inclusive leadership style and a commitment to developing others.

To apply, please send a CV and covering letter outlining how you meet the person specification and what you’d bring to the MCS Group.

Email: [email protected]

The closing date is Friday 31st August 2026, 9.00am

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.