Senior Press Manager

Overview

Reports to: Head of Marketing and Communications

Direct Reports: Press Officer, Press Assistant

Our Values:

• Every day the energy, creativity and passion of Manolo permeates through our business.
• We believe in the artist and the artisan; we are innovative while still protecting our heritage.
• We strive for timeless beauty and quality craftmanship.
• We celebrate curiosity and believe in working proactively and being solution focused.
• We believe in upholding family values; we treat everyone with honesty, respect and kindness while nurturing our teams to deliver excellence.
• We believe in making people smile.

Purpose:

The Senior Press Manager plays a key leadership role within the Communications team, responsible for elevating and protecting the global brand image of Manolo Blahnik across press and VIP channels. This role will ensure excellence in global positioning through strategic press storytelling, impactful VIP engagement, and the execution of cohesive cross-market campaigns. Working closely with the Head of Communications and global partners, this role oversees the UK press office and global agency network, while fostering strong cross-functional alignment with other communications and brand functions. The Senior Press Manager is also responsible for maintaining a consistent brand tone of voice across all written communications and delivering high-quality reporting to support data-led decision-making. The role is responsible for running the smooth and efficient running of a busy press office, managing and controlling all elements of shoots, VIP loans, samples and budgets whilst overseeing the press team. Strong press and industry influencer relationships are required and must be maintained, ensuring that you act as a brand ambassador at all times.

Responsibilities

Global Communications & Press Strategy

• Support the Head of Communications in shaping and executing the global press and VIP strategy to align with business objectives and seasonal priorities.
• Develop compelling, brand-aligned editorial stories and media strategies for global use, in partnership with regional teams and agencies.
• Maintain Global ranking and support the brand’s global positioning goals across key media markets.
• Manage the execution of press moments including store openings, collaborations, brand activations and seasonal storytelling.

VIP Relations & Celebrity Dressing

• Manage Global VIP and talent strategy, identifying brand-aligned opportunities for dressing, partnerships, and placements.
• Manage relationships with stylists, publicists, talent agents and relevant industry stakeholders.
• Oversee all VIP sample requests, approvals and post-placement ROI tracking.
• Ensure all celebrity dressing and gifting activity is aligned with brand image and campaign strategy.
• Manage sample cupboard and archiving process, delivering regular team updates.

Management & Team Development

• Manage and develop the Press Officer and Press Assistant, setting clear objectives and expectations.
• Create a positive, collaborative, high-performance team culture that embodies the values of the brand.
• Represent the press function within the business and contribute to the execution of wider brand strategy and conversations.

Agency & Market Partner Management

• Oversee international PR and VIP agencies, defining KPIs and ensuring strategic alignment.
• Deliver global toolkits, assets and messaging guidelines for regional press execution.
• Coordinate global press day calendars, ensuring consistency in brand execution across markets.

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Work in close partnership with marketing, digital, retail, e-commerce and product teams to ensure integrated, 360° communications.
• Manages cross-functional communications projects from ideation to delivery, ensuring consistent messaging across all channels.
• Participate in seasonal campaign planning, providing key insights from the press and VIP perspective.

Brand Voice & Editorial Oversight

• Act as a guardian of the brand’s editorial tone of voice, writing and reviewing press releases, speeches, Q&As and key messaging documents.
• Ensure all communications output reflects the brand’s elegance, wit, and artistic spirit.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders and external writers to uphold editorial standards.

Measurement & Reporting

• Deliver clear and insightful reporting across earned media, VIP placements, social results and project success metrics.
• Monitor ROI on media spend, press events, gifting and VIP engagement.
• Track competitor activity and industry developments, providing regular updates and strategic recommendations to leadership.

Skills and Experience Required

• Extensive experience as a senior manager in a communications role ideally working within a head office environment.
• Menswear and womenswear experience in the luxury sector.
• Demonstrated management skills in high-performing teams and with external agencies.
• Proven ability to develop and execute global press and VIP strategies.
• Strong network of global media, stylists, publicists and influencer contacts.
• Exceptional written communication and copywriting skills with the ability to craft brand-aligned messaging.
• Deep understanding of the luxury market, industry trends, and media landscape.
• Strong reporting skills, including clear, detail-orientated written reports and the ability to effectively present results in public or team forums.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite and Launchmetrics.
• Agile, adaptable and collaborative, must thrives in a fast-paced, creative environment.
• Passionate ambassador of the Manolo Blahnik brand and its values.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equality and Inclusion

Manolo Blahnik is an equal opportunity employer and are committed to preserving a caring, diverse and inclusive culture with people who feel a real sense of belonging. We recruit and reward based on capability and performance. By joining Manolo Blahnik, you will be part of our 50 to 500 Commitment to “be a force for good” which seeks to create a lasting legacy and positively contributing to its continued expansion and success balancing our impact on people and the planet. Our diverse and multicultural teams ignite our creativity, and we celebrate the differences that we collectively bring. We are committed to equal employment and progression opportunities and the elimination of any form of discrimination. We all hold a responsibility to recognise and respect our diversity and to support this in our words and actions.

If you need reasonable adjustments at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know.

Benefits:

• 4 pairs of Ambassador Shoes per year.
• 50% Friends and Family Discount.
• 25 days holiday with an additional day off for your birthday, plus bank holidays.
• Option to buy an additional 5 days holiday.
• Pension Contribution.
• Private Medical Insurance.
• 2 Executive Coaching Sessions per year.
• Enhanced Family Friendly Policy.
• Workplace Nursery – salary sacrifice based childcare scheme.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Employment Engagement Calendar.

Seniority level

Not Applicable

Employment type

Full-time

Job function

Marketing

Industries

Retail Apparel and Fashion and Retail Luxury Goods and Jewelry

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