Senior Corporate PR Manager at B&Q

About this role

About the role

Permanent

From 75,000 + Pension + PMI + ShareSave + 6.6 weeks holiday + Hybrid Working

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 Senior Corporate PR Manager and you’ll be a big part of this.

We’re looking for a Senior Corporate Communications Manager to define and drive how B&Q and TradePoint are seen, heard, and trusted in the world beyond our stores. This is a senior, strategic role at the heart of the business — shaping our corporate narrative, building our reputation, and making sure we show up with clarity and impact across media, industry and stakeholder channels. From major brand reputation campaigns to high-stakes issues management, you’ll lead the work that protects and enhances trust in B&Q and TradePoint. Working closely with the Board, senior leadership team, and Kingfisher Group, you’ll ensure our voice is consistent, confident, and aligned to the bigger picture.

Key responsibilities

You’ll be the strategic lead behind B&Q and TradePoint’s corporate reputation — balancing long-term brand building with fast-paced, reactive communications. Your day-to-day will span everything from Board-level advisory and agency leadership to campaign strategy and crisis management.

Here’s what you’ll own

Set the corporate narrative and strategy

Lead corporate comms strategy, ensuring clear, aligned messaging
Shape narrative across Responsible Business, growth and transformation
Deliver integrated PR plans aligned with marketing and brand
Produce key reports and thought leadership grounded in data
Ensure consistency across all external channels

Lead brand reputation & PR campaigns

Deliver impactful, insight-led corporate PR
Oversee agency-led reputation campaigns aligned to goals
Identify standout storytelling opportunities
Blend earned media, content and social amplification

Own agency & press office performance

Lead PR agency model, direction and KPIs
Oversee press office output (proactive and reactive)
Drive creativity, efficiency and measurable results

Act as senior advisor on reputation & issues

Advise senior leaders on reputation, risk and comms strategy
Lead crisis and issues management
Oversee messaging on sensitive topics
Support leaders through complex situations

Champion leadership visibility & thought leadership

Raise leadership profile through media and LinkedIn
Develop aligned thought leadership strategies
Create opportunities for industry and cultural engagement

Work across the business & senior forums

Align comms across teams and priorities
Partner across functions to shape narrative and manage risk
Embed comms into planning and change initiatives

Connect across Kingfisher & banners

Align with Group and other banners
Ensure consistent messaging on shared priorities
Identify collaboration and amplification opportunities

Manage budget & drive impact

Own PR and press office budget
Allocate spend based on priorities and effectiveness
Track performance and optimise impact

Keep us relevant & evolving

Spot trends and cultural opportunities
Integrate PR with social, content and marketing
Evolve formats and storytelling approaches

Required skills & experience

We’re looking for a confident senior communicator, strategic thinker, and trusted advisor who thrives in a high-profile, fast-moving environment. You’ll excel in this role if you’re passionate about shaping reputation and influencing how a brand shows up at the highest level. We are looking for :

Strategic Leadership

Proven experience developing and leading corporate PR or communications strategies

Senior Stakeholder Influence

Confidence working with Board and executive-level stakeholders

Reputation & Crisis Expertise

Strong experience managing issues, risk and high-profile communications

Agency & Budget Management

Experience leading agencies and managing significant budgets

Exceptional Storytelling

Ability to translate complex topics into clear, compelling narratives

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Experience working across large, complex organisations

Calm & Credibility

Able to operate with authority and composure under pressure

Modern PR Mindset

Understands how PR connects with social, content, and cultural relevance

What's in it for me?

As well as a competitive salary, our benefits package includes

Award-winning pension scheme
Bonus
ShareSave options
6.6 weeks holiday
Payroll giving
Employee Assistance Programme
Shopping discounts
Colleague wellbeing benefits

…and much more.

Equality and Inclusion

We want to ensure that all employees, future employees, and applicants to all Kingfisher companies are treated equally regardless of age, gender, marital or civil partnership status, colour, ethnic or national origin, culture, religious belief, philosophical belief, political opinion, disability, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation.

Find out more about us, including the benefits we offer and our community, sustainability, and inclusion projects at bandqcareers.com.

If you require any additional support or adjustments to help you make an application, please contact us at

ssorecruitment@b-and-q.co.uk
recruitment@b-and-q.co.uk

We want to ensure that all employees, future employees and applicants to all Kingfisher companies are treated equally regardless of age, gender, marital or civil partnership status, colour, ethnic or national origin, culture, religious belief, philosophical belief, political opinion, disability, gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation.

If you require any additional support or adjustments to help you make an application, please contact us at recruitment@b-and-q.co.uk.

Rewards & benefits

Discount card

The one we all love! Get 20% discount on your purchases at B&Q in-store and online, after you've been with us for 1 month.

Share schemes

Share in the success you help create. With our shareplans, from just £5 per month, you can build up a savings pot, or use what you save to be a Kingfisher share holder.

Life assurance

If the worst should happen, Life Assurance ensures those close to you have some protection.

Employee assistance programme

We offer free and confidential support and counselling to help you through matters such as wellbeing, divorce, legal, and financial management.

Salary/Bonus

We offer competitive salaries for all roles, and benchmark them, to ensure that we’re getting it right. And, as we value the contribution of all our colleagues equally, whether they are 17 or 70, our rates of pay for each job is the same.

Pension

You’ll have access to the award-winning Kingfisher Pension Scheme, and we’ll put money in alongside your savings too.

Medical

We have a number of medical benefits available depending on your role to help you and your family look after yourselves.

Leave

All work and no play is no fun! So, you can enjoy 6.6 weeks' leave, plus we'll reward you with additional leave and cash rewards to celebrate long service anniversaries and milestone years.

Flexible working

The chance to achieve more balance between work and your other commitments.

Shopping discounts

Take advantage of fantastic discounts on loads of products and services, just for being a B&Q colleague!

Gym discounts

We have a network of over 3,300 health clubs offering discounts to colleagues and their partners of up to 25% on self-paid gym memberships.

Eye care

If you use a computer regularly for work, then we pay for your eye test every two years. If you do require glasses, then you’ll also get £50/€70 towards single focal lenses and frames too.

Cycling to work scheme

Whether you are thinking green, trying to get fit or saving money, our cycle to work scheme helps colleagues spread the cost and save money on any bike and safety equipment through salary sacrifice.

Long service

Just like most families, we like to celebrate anniversaries and milestone years. For every 10 years up to 40 years’ service we give extra annual leave and a cash payment.

Training & development

Learn & Develop at B&Q

When you join B&Q, we want you to be all you can be. From the minute you walk through our doors to the exciting moment you make that next career move, we're here to help you make the most of every opportunity. Thanks to our friendly learning system, LEO, we make sure you always have the support you need to take on every challenge and fit your learning around your life. Here, we know that the best way to grow is together.

Flexible learning with Leo

LEO is your every day, on the go learning and development partner. Helping you build the knowledge you need now and in the future. With LEO, you can access training and content, anywhere, anytime and on any device. You can even influence the type of training on offer by rating and recommending content, and letting us know what we can do to improve. Award-winning and featuring over 500 different learning activities - like short videos, articles, workshops and webinars - think of LEO as your 24/7 training pal, designed to help you make the most of your B&Q career journey.

Developing in role

Learning never stops at B&Q. Whether you've been in your role for one day or five years, there's always something to be curious about. It's why we're always creating learning opportunities and experiences that'll give you the chance to develop your skills. Like our

First Line Manager programme

a course that helps our newest line managers build their confidence and management skills. Or our Leadership Development programme that challenges our more experienced leaders to reflect on and adapt their approach for our ever-evolving ways of working.

Building expertise and know-how

We believe anyone can learn the technical skills to do their job with excellence. It's all about attitude and behaviour here. So, if you're passionate about customer service and design, we'll teach you how to create beautiful kitchens. If you're someone who loves being outdoors, we'll help you learn about our garden ranges. And, if you're someone who just loves what we do but doesn't know where to start, we'll help you find the perfect role for you to grow into.

Accelerated Development Talent Programmes

Whatever goal you're working to at B&Q, we want to help you get there. We do this by designing a number of programmes which help you to practice your skills and learn new ones, gain valuable experiences, learn from others and jump on opportunities that are right for you. From leaders taking their first steps into management to those simply looking for a new challenge, we're there to make sure you achieve your ambitions.

Induction

At B&Q, we want every new colleague to understand our values, our customers, and how we work together to achieve our purpose. That’s why we’ve designed an induction programme that’ll give you real insight into our business, our culture and help you feel included from day one. For your first few weeks on the job you’ll work with your team and line manager, mixing online learning with practical tasks, to grow your knowledge a little every day.

A day in the life

Jade, Social Media Manager

We plan our content weeks in advance but social media is also very reactive, so there are days where we have to respond to things we aren't expecting. So, really normal days are very few and far between! But that's what keeps it exciting.

Take a tour around our office

Our Store Support Office sits within B&Q House and supports our colleagues and stores right across the UK and Ireland. In our bespoke, modern and eco-friendly building just north of Southampton, you’ll find a friendly team of talented people in a huge range of roles.

Explore our store support office

Facilities

In B&Q house, you’ll enjoy an onsite gym, a subsidised Costa, a canteen and restaurant, prayer room, plus open plan and cosy work spaces, an outdoor picnic area, and bike sheds for those who cycle in.

Sustainability

B&Q House has a biomass boiler, solar panels and a rainwater harvesting system. Our building also makes use of upcycled and recycled furniture and fittings, and features natural ventilation, heat retention and CO2 management, all via our very own weather station on the roof.

Why choose us?

Why Marketing & PR at B&Q?

With three million customers coming through our doors every single week we need to know how to excite and inspire them so they return to us time and time again. Luckily, our Marketing team know everything there is to know about how to deliver the best B&Q experience, offline and online too.

Ready to apply?

Step 1

Apply via bandqcareers.com

Step 2

We'll contact you for a phone interview

Step 3

We’ll carry out a face to face or online interview (and we may request a 2nd interview if the role you're applying for is more complex).

Step 4

We’ll contact you with feedback, and maybe even a job offer.

Check out our FAQs for more information about interviewing at B&Q.

Senior Corporate PR Manager

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