Corporate Communications Manager

12 Month Fixed Term Contract

Up to £53,000 Pension + BUPA + ShareSave + 6.6 weeks holiday + Hybrid Working (2 days per week in the office)

Southampton, Store Support Office

We believe anyone can improve their home to make life better. From our Southampton Store Support office (SSO) we equip our stores, our people, and our whole business with everything it takes to help our millions of customers create a home they’ll love. Join us as a Corporate Communications Manager and you’ll be a big part of this. 

As our Corporate Communications & PR Manager, you’ll be the voice behind the B&Q brand—shaping how we’re seen, heard, and remembered. Sitting at the heart of our Marketing team, you’ll lead standout brand reputation campaigns that cut through the noise and position us as a true industry leader. From offering strategic guidance and managing high-profile media relations to driving compelling, content-led storytelling, you’ll play a pivotal role in building trust, sparking interest, and making sure everyone’s talking about B&Q for all the right reasons.

You’ll be the strategic connector and storyteller behind B&Q’s corporate narrative. Your day-to-day will be dynamic and collaborative, spanning everything from campaign creation and new store openings to crisis comms. Here’s what you’ll own:

• Spot & Shape Opportunities:
  Build strong internal networks across the business—including Responsible Business leads and programme owners—to identify comms opportunities and reputational risks. You’ll help manage the corporate comms calendar, ensuring the B&Q story is always coherent, compelling, and timely.
• Deliver Powerful Campaigns:
  Lead the creation and execution of Brand Reputation campaigns, working with our PR agency to develop content and media strategies. You'll oversee everything from press releases and media interviews to LinkedIn thought leadership and award entries. For smaller campaigns, you’ll pitch directly to media when needed.
• Engage Key Influencers:
  Develop trusted relationships with a wide range of external stakeholders—Kingfisher Group teams, NGOs, government bodies, trade media, and more—to represent and promote B&Q’s position on key issues.
• Protect Our Reputation:
  Act as a first line of defence in crisis situations. You’ll prepare Q&As, handle reactive media statements, and offer reputational advice to senior leaders, stepping in when the Senior PR Lead is unavailable.
• Lead Content Strategy:
  Partner with comms colleagues and agencies to plan and deliver fully integrated campaigns, with B&Q’s corporate pages on diy.com at the centre. You’ll draft, brief and manage content including articles, video, infographics, and more.
• Own Corporate Social Presence:
  Maintain consistency across all B&Q and TradePoint LinkedIn channels ensuring alignment with our wider brand narrative. Supporting LinkedIn content across senior leadership profiles.
• Keep Stakeholders Aligned:
  Regularly share new copy and assets with key internal and external teams, including the Press Office, Social Media, Recruitment, Internal Comms, Vendor Comms, Marketplace Marketing & Comms, and Kingfisher colleagues, ensuring alignment across all channels.
• Drive Innovation & Excellence:
  Stay ahead of trends and test new approaches to ensure our communications remain best-in-class and future-facing.
• Executing Budgets with Impact:
  Delivery of specific campaign and press office budgets up to £150,000, ensuring every pound spent supports and enhances B&Q’s media reputation and brand KPIs.

We’re looking for a confident communicator, skilled storyteller, and trusted advisor who thrives in a fast-paced, high-impact environment. To succeed in this role, you'll need:

• Media & Issues Management Expertise:
  At least 5 years’ hands-on experience in an in-house, B2C environment.
• Exceptional Writing Skills:
  A natural storyteller with a sharp editorial eye and the ability to craft compelling content across multiple formats and platforms.
• Integrity & Discretion:
  Proven experience managing sensitive, high-stakes information with absolute confidentiality and professionalism.
• Influential Communicator:
  Outstanding networking and relationship-building skills—with the credibility to engage and influence stakeholders at every level, from senior leadership to frontline teams.
• Calm Under Pressure:
  Comfortable navigating change and managing multiple priorities, often at pace. You’re highly organised, adaptable, and solution-focused.
• Integrated Corporate PR Experience:
  A background in PR that’s closely aligned with broader comms strategy—working hand-in-hand with marketing, digital, and social media teams to deliver unified campaigns.

As part of a great team, you’ll be valued for who you are. We’re committed to making B&Q more diverse and representative of the communities we serve, where everyone can feel they belong and have equal opportunities. You will have access to a range of networks that represent our colleagues and allies and help us to continue to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our business.

We also recognise that wellness means different things to different people, and we want to help colleagues be at their best and feel well by offering a range of benefits to help you. As well as a competitive salary, our benefits package includes an award-winning pension scheme, ShareSave options, 6.6 weeks holiday, payroll giving, an Employee Assistance Programme, shopping discounts, colleague wellbeing benefits and lots more! 

So we can support you during the application or interview process, please contact recruitment@b-and-q.co.uk for any recruitment adjustments.