Planning and Campaigns Manager

Business Area: Corporate Affairs

Place of Work: London

Contract Type: Permanent

When you join USS, the size and scale of our pension scheme means you will have numerous opportunities to learn and develop your career. Given our size you'll have real autonomy and influence as you collaborate closely with a wide-ranging team of experts.

Our office is a vibrant place to work, and we offer flexibility of office/homeworking due to our hybrid model.

About the role

In your role as Planning and Campaigns Manager, you will make a meaningful and valued contribution from the outset. This role will provide a great opportunity to support corporate strategic priorities and business needs which aim to influence, inform, and educate our media, policy maker, and internal audiences. As we continue to deliver our five-year Corporate Affairs strategy, this role will support the planning and project cycle across the Corporate Affairs team, reporting to the Head of Internal Communications and with a particular focus on strengthening the planning, coordination and delivery of internal communications activity.

The role will also project manage integrated campaigns for internal and external audiences, lead the delivery of our internal and external events programme, and work closely with team leads across different channels to ensure activity is coordinated, well-planned and effectively reported.

What you will be doing

As a trusted part of the Corporate Affairs team you will be responsible for:

• Supporting the Head of Internal Communications in the planning and delivery of the IC programme including content calendar management, channel coordination and campaign delivery.
• Project managing a series of campaigns, acting as the central coordinator of the input from colleagues across different channels and business areas – such as media, public affairs, social channels, internal communications, and member communications.
• Managing the planning and delivery of Corporate Affairs events including town halls, leadership briefings, external stakeholder events including the Institutions meeting.
• Supporting the development and implementation of our Corporate Affairs plans and managing tracking activity and progress against those plans.
• Supporting the design, planning, and delivery of the various strategic projects and processes across the Corporate Affairs department.
• Overseeing the team reporting/monitoring framework and lead on formal reporting to key stakeholders internally.

About you

We know that sometimes people can be put off applying for a job if they don't tick every box, if you're excited about working for us and have most of the skills or experience we're looking for, then please apply, regardless of whether you meet all the requirements outlined in this profile.

To be successful in the role you will have:

• The ability to effectively prioritise, plan and organise multiple deliverables at once
• Strong project management and planning skills
• Experience of managing external suppliers and agency relationships
• Experience in developing evaluation and reporting frameworks
• Events management experienc
• Strong coordination and administrative skills
• Experience of working within a large team, and balancing multiple different stakeholders within a fast-paced environment
• Experience in video editing is helpful but not essential
• Some experience of working with or within integrated communications functions, and / or a background in pensions/financial services, is seen as a positive but not essential

At USS, every individual contributes to building a secure financial future for our members and their families. We strive to create a work environment where everyone can thrive professionally while making a meaningful impact on the lives of others. We're also committed to helping you build your career by providing opportunities for development. We put a focus on recognising and supporting each individual's unique career path, driving this forward with the support of an engaged and proactive management team. Here at USS, we want you to thrive in and out of work with a friendly team, flexible culture and excellent range of benefits!

How we will reward you

• Great starting salary
• Generous annual leave package
• Access to a high quality pension scheme provided through Universities Superannuation Scheme
• Supportive people policies (including enhanced occupational sickness pay and family friendly pay)
• Financial contributions towards your personal development to help you maintain your physical and mental wellbeing
• Access to a range of health and wellbeing services i.e., private healthcare, discounted gym membership
• Learning and development opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and talent
• Employee Volunteer Day’s to support the communities where you work and live
• Cycle to Work Scheme

Our people are what makes us different. We work together to create a diverse and inclusive culture that embraces individuality, where people are welcomed and feel comfortable in the knowledge that they can be themselves. Our purpose firmly states the importance of members, putting them ‘front and centre’ of what we do. This is embedded through our values:

• Integrity
• Collaboration
• Excellence

Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) was established in 1974 as the principal pension scheme for universities and other higher education institutions in the UK. We work with around 330 employers to help build a secure financial future for almost 577,000 members and their families. We are one of the largest private defined benefit pension schemes in the UK, with total assets of around £76.8bn (at 31 March 2025). To find out more, please visit https://www.uss.co.uk

USSL is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We strive to ensure our recruitment process is as flexible and inclusive as possible so we can attract diverse candidates and recruit the best talent. We want all candidates to perform at their best during the recruitment process, so if you need any reasonable adjustments or if there is anything we can do to help support you through your recruitment journey please let us know by contacting resourcing@uss.co.uk.