Head of Internal and External Communications

Job Description

Company Description

We're ASOS, the online retailer for fashion lovers all around the world.

We exist to give our customers the confidence to be whoever they want to be, and that goes for our people too. At ASOS, you're free to be your true self without judgement, and channel your creativity into a platform used by millions.

Everyone needs some help showing up as their best self. We're Disability Confident Committed - let our Talent team know if you need any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

Job Description

Role purpose

The Head of Internal & External Communications is accountable for the strategic direction, quality and effectiveness of ASOS’ internal and external corporate communications, ensuring ASOS operates with clear priorities, sound strategic judgement and appropriate risk ownership.

What success looks like

This role is defined by judgement, ownership and influence. Success requires shaping direction, making trade‑offs, carrying organisational risk, and building systems that deliver consistent, repeatable impact.

Core capabilities

1. Strategic judgement & prioritisation

• Translates ASOS’ business strategy, leadership intent and operating context into clear internal and external communication priorities, and ensures those priorities are clearly understood and applied across the team.
• Makes informed trade‑offs when objectives conflict and owns the consequences of those decisions.
• Decides what not to do as clearly as what to progress.

2. Organisational risk ownership

• Acts as the senior decision‑maker on sensitive, ambiguous or high‑risk communications issues.
• Anticipates reputational, cultural and engagement risks and mitigates proactively.
• Leads the planning and communications response to crises and issues within remit, providing calm, credible leadership under pressure.

3. System design

• Designs and continuously improves how Internal & External Communications operates, ensuring ways of working support consistent, repeatable outcomes at scale.
• Clarifies roles, decision‑making and how the team works with adjacent functions.
• Champions the use of AI and other new technologies, to improve effectiveness, pace and quality, while managing risk appropriately.

4. Senior stakeholder influence

• Operates as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, providing clear, balanced counsel on communication risks and opportunities.
• Influences effectively at senior levels, shaping decisions and outcomes to protect impact, credibility and trust.
• Shapes corporate narrative and storytelling to support understanding, confidence and alignment.

5. Leadership and talent development

• Leads and develops the Internal & External Communications team, creating the clarity, trust and support needed for people to operate with confidence and autonomy at the right level.
• Sets and role‑models high performance standards centred on ownership, energy and alignment, ensuring accountability sits clearly and decisions are taken at the right level.
• Builds a culture of honest, direct and respectful communication, where issues are surfaced early, challenge is encouraged, and difficult conversations are navigated with confidence and care.

Key accountabilities

• Strengthen external stakeholder connection, trust, and endorsement via external corporate communications strategy and delivery, including media, partner and supplier engagement.
• Corporate reputation management and issues response.
• Works closely with Investor Relations to plan and deliver clear, consistent communications around financial results and other market‑sensitive moments.
• Crisis communications within remit.
• Develop brilliant brave leadership, and teams via internal communications strategy and delivery, including working closely with People & Culture to support engagement, change and culture.
• Leadership communications readiness, ensuring senior leaders are consistently well‑prepared for high‑profile moments, including financial results, media engagement, interviews, sensitive announcements and issues‑led communications.
• Development and performance of the Internal & External Communications team, ensuring the function continues to evolve its capability, including the effective use of AI and new technologies.
• External agency management
• Budget oversight.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading internal and external communications in a complex organisation.
• Proven track record of making and owning strategic communication decisions in ambiguous or high‑stakes environments.
• Experience advising senior leaders and operating credibly at executive level.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong teams and develop talent at all levels.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the judgement to adapt tone and approach to context.

Additional Information

BeneFITs:

• Employee discount (hello ASOS discount!)
• Employee sample sales
• 25 days paid annual leave + an extra celebration day for a special moment
• Private medical care scheme
• Discretionary bonus scheme
• Opportunity for personalised learning and in-the-moment experiences that enable you to thrive and excel in your role

We believe being together in person helps us move faster, connect more deeply, and achieve more as a team. Thats why our approach to working together includes spending at least 3 days a week in the office. Its a rhythm that speeds up decision-making, helps ASOSers learn from each other more quickly, and builds the kind of culture where people can grow, create, and succeed.

Why take our word for it? Search #InsideASOS on our socials to see what life at ASOS is like.