About the role

We’re a lean, agile and highly valued team within the business that is dedicated in supporting our clients’ corporate communications and public affairs needs. As one of the sectors largest independent communications agencies for the built environment, we support clients across the space, helping to manage their reputations, raise their profiles and communicate with a range of stakeholders.

We’re looking for a passionate, experienced and organised Account Director, someone who can help to lead and shape client programmes, respond to new business briefs, monitor and provide political intelligence and help to guide our client offer. This is a senior role within our team and we’re looking for someone with good experience who in time would be looking to push up towards Associate Director level, helping to drive our offer and generate new business income.

We work with a range of exciting clients across the built environment, from public sector local authorities who need help communicating their property and housing ambitions, to corporates needing help engaging with industry and political stakeholders through to large, listed companies acquiring assets and progressing development proposals.

Your duties will include, but will not be limited to:

• Policy advice: on key issues impacting clients in the built environment, offering relevant insights and guidance to clients together with other senior team members
• Undertaking stakeholder mapping and relationship building engagement programmes – local, regional and central government focus including the GLA
• Media relations: being an informed and knowledgeable advisor, consistently securing coverage in the relevant nationals and trade publications for clients as well as guiding on how to stay out of the news
• Developing strategic programmes for clients that leverage a variety of tools and tactics to target stakeholders, including arranging roundtable events, leveraging research, one-to-one relationship building programmes, organising events and more
• Offering relevant reputation management and political stakeholder advice to clients, together with other senior team members
• Developing messaging and narratives to help with overarching corporate and political engagement strategies
• Supporting and driving our new business strategy by developing industry networks and leading pitches
• Together with our Director of Insights and Director of Strategic Communications, developing a robust and clear thought leadership position for the agency around political insights and expertise

• Overseeing strategies for targeted, engaging and effective content (press releases, blogs and social media posts, thought leadership articles) on behalf of clients
• Develop and implement creative, integrated engagement strategies and communications campaigns, working collaboratively and effectively with our in-house studio, planning, placemaking and political insights functions
• Identify opportunities for clients and Kanda to build their profile at industry and political events, conferences etc (UK REiiF, Labour Party Conference, LGA Conference and more)
• Strategies to capitalise on local and central government opportunities as part of our wider new business approach
• Managing up and down to ensure that projects are completed to a high standard and in a timely fashion
• Line manage junior team members, supporting their work and career progression
• Supporting Kanda’s marketing and new business strategy through event participation, digital content delivery and other outputs
• Participation within our Senior Management Team monthly meetings

Key Attributes and Skills:

• 6+ years in communications / agency environment
• Experience working with government and managing political stakeholder relationships, with broad experience of engagement across local, regional and central Government including the GLA

• A good understanding of political structures within central government/parliament
• Proven delivery of public affairs, media relations and corporate reputation management
• Extensive B2B experience
• Entrepreneurial work ethic – unafraid to voice opinions and progress ideas, and a keen eye for new business leads
• Works collaboratively; good team player
• Excellent communication (written and oral) skills including an ability to advise at a senior level
• Excellent time management and ability to work in fast paced and varied environments

About Kanda

Kanda is the fastest growing independent communications consultancy working in the UK property industry. We are a multi-disciplinary agency that is passionate about and dedicated to property and place-making – helping built environment creators, agents and operators to navigate

change, tell their story and connect with customers, communities and influencers.

We use our breadth and depth of experience to help our clients navigate external factors and internal business challenges, crafting robust multi-channel communications and branding programmes that align with strategic business objectives and which speak to multiple stakeholders. Our strength in planning consultation means that we understand the nuances of the sector and are intimately acquainted with the challenges and opportunities facing our clients and their businesses.

With more than 50 built environment experts, we work with our clients to understand, navigate and respond to the commercial drivers impacting the real estate sector, including government

legislature, local issues, consumer trends and confidence as well as macro-economic factors.

Since launching in 2017, we have secured over 200 planning consents and developed a unique and bespoke consultation toolkit for the property sector underpinned by political knowledge and networks at all levels of local government. Our current client list includes developers, international investors, local authorities, housing associations, Great Estates, housebuilders, supermarkets, high street retailers and NHS trusts.

We have developed five company values that govern how we work with each other and with our clients, these are Integrity, Openness, Inclusive, Creative and Collaborative.

What we offer

We believe our people are our biggest asset and have developed an industry leading benefits package based around financial rewards, wellbeing and social rewards and physical rewards to ensure that our employees feel fully supported in all areas of their professional lives. In addition to the usual perks like fruit bowls, company drinks etc, we offer the following to all employees:

Financial:

• Life assurance (3x salary) and income protection scheme (75% of salary)
• Discretionary bonus
• 5% company pension contributions
• Interest free season ticket loan
• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay for those becoming parents

Wellbeing and social:

• Formal time off in lieu policy
• Length of service rewards at 5, 7 and 10 years
• 2x company social days per year including our Kandie Staykation overnighter
• 25 days holiday plus 3 days over Christmas, as well as a birthday day
• 3:2 hybrid work policy (Minimum 3 days in the office including Monday’s)

Physical:

• BUPA private medical cover
• Access to Health Assured, our Employee Assistance Programme which offers free access to counselling, legal advice, health support and more

Equal opportunities

Kanda is an equal opportunities employer; we encourage applications from candidates from underrepresented backgrounds to attract a diverse and inclusive workforce.

We welcome applications from candidates regardless of their ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender, disability, religious beliefs or age.