The Capita Institute works with thought leaders inside and outside Capita to analyse macro trends, provide practical insights and stimulate original thinking which will build Capita’s reputation and help our clients make better decisions.

The Head of Thought Leadership, Capita Institute will be a key member of the Corporate Affairs & Marketing team, responsible for directing and driving the Institute’s research agenda. This role also sits at the heart of delivering a refreshed, strategic approach to thought leadership across the entire organisation. Reporting to the Group Head of Strategic Communications and Planning, you’ll build relationships across the business to embed a robust approach to shaping and sharing our points of view.

You’ll be able to simplify complexity and advise on key external trends, issues and debates, combining first-rate research skills with experience of developing policy and sharp points of view. You will actively horizon-scan to identify opportunities for Capita to engage in wider debates of interest to our stakeholder groups and to establish thought leadership in areas where we have unique skills and achievements.

With responsibility for developing and delivering a research-led strategy, the post-holder will act as a champion of integrated thought leadership across Capita. They will support the wider team to deliver creative campaigns and create compelling content which has impact with a wide range of audiences – including our colleagues, clients, media and political stakeholders. As such, there will be a requirement to understand our audiences and work closely with all teams within the function to execute campaigns - in addition to engaging with a wide range of senior stakeholders in the business.

To be successful in this role you need to be a team player, passionate about thought leadership and an expert at producing high quality research, commentary and content to enhance reputation.

Job title:

Head of Thought Leadership, Capita Institute

Job Description:

What you’ll be doing:

• Be the evangelist for the Institute vision both within and outside the organisation, clearly communicating what the Institute is and the value it brings – and aligning expectations around the role it plays in building the business
• Lead development of a clear thought leadership strategy to build a distinctive and authentic voice for Capita; and delivers original and innovative thinking and points of view
• Champion thought leadership across the organisation, ensuring robust governance over all our external communications and aligning points of view with our narrative and operations 
• Establishing and chairing the cross-functional Thought Leadership forum to drive consistency and an integrated approach with colleagues across Corporate Affairs & Marketing
• Active horizon-scanning to identify and develop credible policy interventions which leverage timely external debates to positively impact Capita’s reputation
• Building a network of stakeholders within the business to shape and help refine our messaging and points of view
• Working with Corporate Affairs, Marketing and Growth colleagues, and with Capita’s divisions, to develop and plan integrated campaign activity
• Develop strong links with key external partners, high-profile institutions, and leading thinkers to amplify and elevate the Institute research
• Creating demonstrable impact from thought leadership content (with evidence of media coverage, social media buzz and other quant and qual measures of impact), measuring and reporting on outcomes

What we’re looking for:

• Gravitas, and ability to, confidently, provide strategic advice to C-suite stakeholders
• Demonstrable experience of creating compelling thought leadership content for media, political and stakeholder audiences
• Ability to build trust quickly and confident in advising senior leaders in the business
• Ability to navigate a complex organisation, establish networks, with excellent stakeholder management
• Track-record of briefing and overseeing quantitative and qualitative research and presenting findings in creative, compelling ways
• Demonstrable experience of writing and editing high-quality written content
• Intellectually curious, analytical and capable of exploring complex themes with the intention of communicating insights clearly and concisely
• Creative and confident in putting forward and discussing new ideas
• Attention to detail and quality in all outputs
• Strong interviewing skills and the ability to work with specialist subject matter experts to get to a clear, compelling and evidenced point of view
• Enthusiastic and confident in guiding junior members of the team; collaborative and keen to play a contributing role in creative discussions and processes
• A sound understanding of business issues, technology trends and current affairs

Desirable skills and experience

• Experience working within or closely with a thinktank or other research-led institution
• A background in policy / think tank / political influencing would be advantageous.

About Capita Group Corporate Affairs

Our Corporate Affairs Function is one of Capita’s central corporate functions and is protecting and enhancing Capita’s reputation for the future. We’re owning our Corporate narrative and creating consistent internal and external communications to engage with employees, media, politicians and more. Join us and discover better as you transform Capita’s Corporate image and help to build a stronger brand for tomorrow.

What’s in it for you?

• A competitive basic salary
• 23 days’ holiday (rising to 27) with the opportunity to buy extra leave
• The opportunity to take a paid day out of the office, volunteering for our charity partners or a cause of your choice
• Company matched pension, life assurance, a cycle2work scheme, 15 weeks’ fully paid maternity, adoption and shared parental leave, paternity pay of two weeks…and plenty more
• Voluntary benefits designed to suit your lifestyle – from discounts on retail and socialising, to health & wellbeing, travel and technology
• Access to our Employee Network Groups, which represent every strand of diversity and allow colleagues to connect and learn from each other on an open, inclusive platform

You’ll get the chance to follow your chosen career path anywhere in Capita. You’ll be joining a network of 63,000 experienced, innovative and dedicated individuals across multiple disciplines and sectors. There are countless opportunities to learn new skills and develop in your career, and we’ll provide the support you need to do just that. Our purpose is to create a better outcome for you.

What we hope you’ll do next:

Choose ‘Apply now’ to fill out our short application, so that we can find out more about you.

To view our Covid-19 and process adjustments information, please visit the Capita Careers site.

Equal Opportunities

We’re an equal opportunity employer, which means we’ll consider all suitably qualified applicants regardless of gender identity or expression, ethnic origin, nationality, religion or beliefs, age, sexual orientation, disability status or any other protected characteristic. We recruit and develop our people based on merit and their passion for creating better outcomes, and we’re committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. During the application process, you’ll be asked to share your personal characteristics and data with us. This helps us understand our audience so we can make sure we are doing everything we can to attract a diverse range of people and ensure our recruitment processes are fair and inclusive