Strategic Campaign and Partnerships Specialist

About the Position

We're seeking a Strategic Campaign and Partnerships Specialist to lead public awareness campaigns in Galway, Mayo, Cork, or Dublin.

Responsibilities

• Campaign Strategy & Creative Development

  • Lead integrated behaviour-change campaigns across television, radio, outdoor, digital, social, experiential, and partnership channels.
  • Translate research findings, policy objectives, audience insights, and performance data into strategic campaign briefs.
  • Manage the creative development process from strategic concept through audience testing, refinement, production, and final implementation.
  • Present strategic recommendations and campaign concepts to senior stakeholders.

• Strategic Partnerships & Public Engagement

  • Identify, develop, negotiate, and manage partnerships that enhance campaign reach, engagement, and impact.
  • Build and maintain relationships with public bodies, media organisations, broadcasters, event organisers, sporting and cultural institutions, community organisations, commercial partners, ambassadors, and influencers.
  • Collaborate with internal education and engagement teams to support the planning and delivery of public awareness initiatives at major events and public gatherings.

• Research, Insight & Campaign Evaluation

  • Work closely with research teams and subject matter experts to ensure strategies and campaign activities are informed by credible evidence and insight.
  • Translate complex research into actionable recommendations for agencies, partners, senior stakeholders, and broader audiences.
  • Monitor campaign performance using attitudinal, behavioural, digital, media, and cost metrics to assess effectiveness and inform future planning.

• Agency, Supplier & Production Management

  • Lead agencies and supplier teams across strategy, creative, media, production, public relations, digital, experiential, and evaluation workstreams.
  • Establish clear project briefs, deliverables, timelines, budgets, and governance processes.
  • Review and challenge production estimates, agency scopes, supplier quotations, and third-party costs to ensure transparency and value for money.

• Media Planning & Budget Management

  • Work with media planning partners to develop effective channel strategies based on campaign objectives, audience insights, and available evidence.
  • Manage campaign and annual communications budgets within approved financial parameters.
  • Monitor campaign performance and lead optimisation and post-campaign evaluation processes.

• Governance & Stakeholder Management

  • Establish campaign objectives, KPIs, and reporting frameworks to measure reach, engagement, behavioural impact, and value delivered.
  • Collaborate with policy, education, communications, legal, procurement, finance, research, and operational teams to ensure campaigns are strategically aligned and appropriately governed.
  • Identify reputational, legal, operational, financial, and public-safety risks and implement suitable mitigation measures.

Requirements

• Essential Requirements

  • Significant senior-level experience in strategic marketing, communications, integrated campaigns, partnerships, brand management, or a related field.
  • Minimum five years' senior-level experience within a creative advertising, marketing, or integrated communications agency environment.
  • Proven track record of leading large-scale, multi-channel public awareness or behaviour-change campaigns from concept through evaluation.
  • Experience working within highly regulated, public-sector, or similarly accountable organisations.
  • Strong experience developing and managing strategic partnerships across media, events, public sector, commercial, and community environments.
  • Expertise in campaign strategy, creative evaluation, integrated production management, and production cost analysis.
  • Strong research and analytical skills, including interpretation of quantitative and qualitative research findings.
  • Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and external agencies to deliver high-quality outcomes.
  • Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, stakeholder management, and influencing skills.
  • Strong understanding of accessibility requirements, content governance, legal review processes, and public communications standards.
  • Excellent project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.

• Desirable Requirements

  • Knowledge of public sector communications, public awareness campaigns, transport, health, safety, or behavioural change environments.
  • Experience managing campaigns involving sensitive subject matter, vulnerable audiences, or significant public scrutiny.
  • Familiarity with public-sector procurement, governance, reporting, and approval processes.
  • Experience securing significant added value through partnership and sponsorship negotiations.
  • Professional training or certifications in behaviour change, research, evaluation, project management, procurement, or related disciplines.

We Offer

• Hybrid working

About the Company

Cpl is a leading recruitment and HR solutions provider in Ireland, dedicated to connecting talent with opportunity. We offer a dynamic work environment, professional growth opportunities, and a commitment to excellence in recruitment services.

For more information, please email [email protected]