DHR Communications is expanding its services to one of our key clients: the Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA).  As such, we are recruiting a Client Services Manager to work as part of the Commercial Operations team at The Digital Hub.

The successful applicant will work closely with the DHDA’s Commercial Director to manage the relationship with companies located at The Digital Hub, and to identify opportunities for the growth of The Digital Hub’s enterprise cluster. 

At present, 70+ digital content and technology companies are located at The Digital Hub.  The successful applicant for this role will have responsibility for:

• Communications with tenant companies, conflict resolution, and compliance on deliverables and revenue.
• Reviewing all major deliverables (i.e. strategic brief, function spec, tech spec, etc.) to ensure quality standards and company expectations are met.
• Ensuring that any issues arising for companies are dealt with in an efficient manner; informing the Commercial Director of any problems that might arise. 
• Ensuring that all processes and procedures are completed, and quality standards are met.
• Being aware and in pursuit of opportunities for account growth and new business.
• Communicating companies’ goals and representing companies’ interests to the Commercial Operations team.
• Providing regular, two-way communications between companies and the Commercial Operations team, to provide strong team representation and set realistic expectations.
• Understanding the DHDA’s capabilities and service offerings, and effectively communicating all offerings to the companies located at The Digital Hub.
• Identifying potential new products and services that would benefit the companies located at the Hub.
• Providing regular input on all account activity and monthly updates to the DHDA Commercial Director. 
• Managing various ad hoc projects and some suppliers – ensuring that projects are within budget and delivered on time.
• Liaising with DHDA legal representatives on matters and issues that arise from time to time, and ensuring recommendations are implemented.
• Managing the issuing of Leases and Licence Agreements to companies.
• Providing back-up to the sales function – acting as a sounding board; providing advice and opinions on contract sales and renewals.

Requirements:

• Proven Customer Service Management skills; proven capacity to create, maintain and enhance customer relationships.
• Minimum three years of Account / Project Management experience.
• Extremely detail-oriented.
• Technical competence (understanding of software, hardware, networks, etc.).
• Motivated, goal-oriented, persistent and a skilled negotiator.
• High level of initiative and capacity to work well in a team environment.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to handle stressful situations and deadline pressures well.
• Self-motivation; ability to work on own initiative.
• Undergraduate degree.

This is a temporary position, and the successful applicant will be required to work 4-5 days per week.  An eight-month contract will be awarded to the successful applicant.

To apply for this role, please email a cover letter and CV to info@dhr.ie before 5pm on Friday, 4th May.   For further information, contact DHR Communications on 01-4200580 or by emailing info@dhr.ie.

As part of our ongoing internship programme, DHR Communications is currently recruiting an Events Intern for a two-month work placement to provide assistance with our work on Africa Day.   

This position would suit somebody looking to gain experience in event management, and who is interested in multiculturalism, arts and culture, entertainment, PR and public affairs. 

Duties will include:

• Working as part of a small Africa Day team within DHR Communications to ensure the successful promotion and execution of all Africa Day events. 
• Liaising with key Africa Day stakeholders, including: Irish Aid, the African embassies in Ireland, African representative NGOs, Dublin City Council, Cork City Council, Galway City Council and Limerick City Council.
• Assisting in the monitoring and updating of Africa Day’s online presence, including the www.africaday.ie website and Africa Day’s social media profiles (Facebook and Twitter).
• Liaising with participants in Africa Day events, in particular with participants in the flagship Africa Day Dublin event.
• Contributing to planning sessions on the layout, format and content for Africa Day events. 
• Assisting with the production of marketing materials for Africa Day. 
• Assisting with media relations around Africa Day, including developing basic press releases, event listings, press notices and photocall notices.
• Undertaking administrative roles associated with our work on Africa Day (including development and maintenance of databases; execution of mail-outs; minute-taking at multi-stakeholder meetings; etc.).
• Hands-on event management support at Africa Day events during the week of 21st to 27th May inclusive.

The following conditions apply to this internship:

• DHR Communications will provide an allowance to cover travel and subsistence expenses.
• The hours of work will be 9am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, with additional hours required on 25th, 26th and 27th May.
• Participants in our internship programme can avail of mentoring and training from other members of the DHR Communications team, and are assigned a designated supervisor / mentor for the duration of their engagement.
• Interested applicants should be available to commence their work placement with DHR Communications during the first two weeks of April 2012.

If you are interested in working as an intern with DHR Communications, please email a CV and cover letter, outlining your previous experience and suitability for this position, to info@dhr.ie by close of business (5.30pm) on Friday, 6th April.  For further information, contact DHR Communications on 01-4200580 or email info@dhr.ie.

Commemorating the Anniversary of the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan
To mark the one-year anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the North-East coast of Japan, the Music and Cultural Exchange Council (MCEC International) – a Japanese organisation dedicated to bringing Japanese music to the world stage, and developing links with musical and cultural organisations worldwide – brought a Tokyo choir to Dublin to perform Handel’s Messiah in the historic St. Patrick’s Cathedral. We worked with MCEC International to organise and promote this event, which generated a fantastic response: 300 people attended the free concert on Sunday, 11th March (marking one year to the day since the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan), and over €2,000 was raised for Harmony for Japan, a non-profit organisation that works to support those affected by the earthquake and tsunami, and raises funds through music performances.

In the past, MCEC has brought Japanese acts to some of the best-known auditoriums and festivals in the world, including New York’s Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House and the Beethoven Festival in Germany.  This marked the first time ever that the organisation brought a group to perform in Ireland, and they enjoyed the experience so much that they’re planning a return trip next year! You can view some amateur footage of the ‘Messiah Singers in Female Voices’ (Toyo Eiwa Jogakuin Choir) performing the famous ‘Hallelujah’ chorus from Handel’s Messiah here.

The 'Messiah Singers in Female Voices' choir turn the tables on our photographer during a photocall at St. Patrick's Cathedral to promote their free performance. Pic: Marc O'Sullivan

Hijabi Monologues
In the same week that we worked on the MCEC concert in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, we also worked with the Immigrant Council of Ireland, the British Council (Ireland) and the US production team behind the ‘Hijabi Monologues’ project to promote the European premiere of ‘Hijabi Monologues’ at the Peacock Theatre, Dublin.

‘Hijabi Monologues’ is a play telling the real-life stories of Muslim women.  It was developed by three University of Chicago students in 2007, and has been performed in cities across the United States.  The characters in each monologue in the play wear the hijab, the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women. 

Three members of the US team travelled to Dublin to perform the ‘Hijabi Monologues’ for the European premiere.  After their performance, they were joined by Muslim and non-Muslim women from across the EU, who participated in ‘Hijabi Monologues’ workshops in Dublin over the course of a weekend.  The aim of the workshops was to give participants the tools to replicate the ‘Hijabi Monologues’ in their own communities. 

To read a recent Irish Times article about the ‘Hijabi Monologues’, click here. 

UK Archives and Records Association
We’re also currently working with the UK Archives and Records Association on a media training programme, which sees us delivering training in media relations and social media skills to archivists and librarians throughout the UK.  To date, we have delivered one training session in Central London, and – over the coming months – we will be delivering additional sessions in a number of regional locations.

Family Reunification Project
Finally, we’re also currently working on public relations and event management for the Family Reunification Project, a research project funded under the Integration Fund Community Actions Programme, an EU funding programme aimed at promoting the integration in EU member states of people who are not citizens of the EU.  The Family Reunification Project features partners from Britain, the Netherlands, Portugal, Bulgaria, Austria and Germany, and is led by the Immigrant Council of Ireland.  Its aim is to conduct research on how admission laws and different patterns of migration impact on integration, and to promote admission policies that favour the effective integration of third-country nationals within EU member states.

For more regular updates on what we’re working on on a day-to-day basis, check out our Facebook page or Twitter feed.

We have extended the deadline for our current vacancy for an Enterprise Development Manager for our work with The Digital Hub.  The new deadline will be Friday, 16th March, at 5pm.

This is a really exciting opportunity for anyone who has experience in business development and a strong knowledge of – and passion for – the digital sector.  The role of the Enterprise Development Manager will be to promote the work of the 70+ digital companies based at The Digital Hub, and to facilitate strong relations between these companies and key target stakeholders. 

To download the full job spec for this role, please click here.

DHR Communications is currently seeking to recruit a PR Administrator to support our team and to contribute to the management of our office.

This is an entry-level position; however, some employment experience in a related role is desirable.  The ideal candidate will:

• Have an interest in public relations and an understanding of how the media operate.
• Be proficient in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and social media (including back-end updating of websites).
• Be highly organised and efficient, with strong administrative skills.
• Have an interest in the areas in which DHR Communications works.

Interested candidates should apply, with a CV and cover letter, to: info@dhr.ie.

This position will be offered for an initial four-month contract, and may be extended.

The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday, 24th February, at 5pm.  To download the full job description, please click here.

DHR Communications is currently seeking to strengthen our service to one of our key clients: the Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA). To this end, we’re seeking to recruit a ‘Cluster Development Manager’ to help support the 70+ companies based at The Digital Hub.

The Cluster Development Manager will be responsible for developing and managing relationships with internal clients, external partners and stakeholders of the DHDA.  Tasks will include initiating and managing enterprise development projects that enhance the collaboration, innovation and competitiveness of Digital Hub companies.  The Cluster Development Manager will work closely with the marketing, sales and operations teams at the DHDA, as well as with the team assigned to work with the DHDA at DHR Communications.

The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday, 2nd March, at 5pm.  To download the full job spec, please click here.

For her full biog, please click here.

Company:

DHR Communications is a full-service communications practice.  The services we offer can be classified under three main headings: public relations; public affairs; and project management.  For many of our clients, we provide an integrated service across all three areas.  We also offer training in media skills, advocacy techniques, crisis communications and social media skills.

Since the company was established, the focus has been on working with organisations that want to bring about positive change in society.  We try to make communications services more accessible and affordable to groups that, traditionally, wouldn’t have had a budget for PR.

Further information is available at www.dhr.ie and on our social media sites:
www.twitter.com/DHRComms; www.facebook.com/DHRCommunications; www.linkedin.com/company/dhr-communications.

Job Description:

Basically, my job is to raise the profile of the organisations with which we work.  This can involve straightforward PR tasks like developing and implementing media relations campaigns; organising media events, such as photocalls and press conferences; writing press materials; and liaising with journalists.   For clients with a public affairs focus, it can also involve arranging meetings with key politicians and policymakers; engaging with relevant stakeholder groups; and providing advice on how to strengthen relationships with target audiences.

We also deliver project management services for a number of clients.  Projects I work on range from nationwide student competitions to public consultations; music gigs, festivals and other large public events; funding schemes; marketing campaigns; and social media projects.  Because DHR Communications has a relatively small team, our work is very hands-on.  If we are running an event, I could be found assembling equipment, sweeping floors and cleaning up afterwards, in addition to managing the promotion and organisation of the event.

Social media is an increasingly important part of my work.  Many of our clients are charities or state-funded agencies, so their PR and marketing budgets are negligible.  Social media outlets provide a great, cost-effective way to promote their work.  I advise clients on establishing social media profiles – what sites will suit them best; how to build up a following; how to engage with followers.  If required, DHR Communications will also manage social media sites on behalf of clients – updating and monitoring their Facebook page and Twitter profile, for example, on a day-to-day basis.  We also manage websites on behalf of clients, or work with clients on the establishment of new sites – advising them on content and format, and engaging web developers on their behalf.  In 2011, we worked with an international energy company to develop its first ever corporate blog and to build its capacity to use social media to reach its target audiences.   Increasingly, we’ve been receiving requests from our existing client base and other organisations for training in social media skills.

Obviously, monitoring the media and the political environment is a hugely important part of my job.  Quite often, my work-plan for a day will go completely awry due to a breaking news story.  Clients can ring up at any time to ask us to draft a press release responding   to breaking news.  We’re also always available to clients to advise them on crisis communications.  Again, social media plays a significant role in both of these scenarios.  Emerging developments often come to our attention through social media sites.  Or negative comments left on a client’s Facebook page or Twitter profile can lead to them calling us for some crisis communications advice.

Likes:

What I like most about my job is working on projects that make a positive difference to Irish society.   It gives me a great sense of job satisfaction to think I’m helping make a difference – even if it’s in a very small way.  We work with organisations that tackle racism, homelessness, domestic violence, poverty, addiction, mental illness…

Another thing I really like is that no two days are the same.  Some days, I’m ensconced in my office, writing press releases or a tender proposal for new business; other days, I’m managing a photocall in a busy public location – or meeting clients to plan forthcoming events.  And the variety across our client-base is great so, in any given day, I could be working on topics as diverse as positive ageing, the digital economy, adult education, tourism, social innovation and international development.   In that sort of environment, I never get bored.

I also really like the growing focus on social media and online news outlets, which has impacted significantly on the PR industry.  The way people and organisations consume news; promote campaigns; and communicate with each other has changed – and will continue to change – hugely.  This is an exciting time for anyone involved in communications and the media.

Career Ladder:

I worked in Fine Gael National Headquarters when I finished college.  One of my duties there was to assist in overhauling the party’s website in advance of the 2004 local and European elections.  That was my first taste of working online on a day-to-day basis, and I really liked it – it was the first time I learned about content management systems, and saw how easy it can be to update websites and generate content online.  Since then, pretty much every job I’ve had has had a strong focus on using online tools.

I also worked as a journalist and editor with Public Affairs Ireland.  My duties were to write and edit content for a bi-monthly public affairs journal, and to produce a weekly email bulletin.  At the same time, I was doing freelance journalism work for a number of different sectoral publications, such as Council Review, Health & Safety Times and Emergency Services Ireland.

Before I joined DHR Communications, I was Communications Officer with AONTAS, the national adult learning charity.   In addition to managing media relations, I was responsible for the organisation’s online presence.

I joined DHR Communications as an Account Manager in 2007.  I was coming from a non-profit organisation, and a lot of DHR clients are not-for-profits, so it was a natural fit.  I never really expected to end up working in PR, but the mix of advocacy and media work that DHR Communications offers really appeals to me, as does the client-base.

Qualifications:

BA in Journalism from Dublin City University

Working Hours:

Working in PR means you have to be available to your clients pretty much all of the time.  My day starts at about 8.30am, when I check my emails on the way to work.  I’m usually in the office by 9am, and could be there quite late at night, depending on what’s happening in any given week.  We do some night-time events, and also a good bit of work at weekends.  And I need to be available to take calls or respond to urgent emails – from clients or from the media – pretty much at any time.

Breaktime:

My working day is busy, so I generally eat lunch at my desk and I’m not great for taking breaks throughout the day.  I try to be organised enough to bring my lunch into the office from home.  If that fails, I go to Manning’s on Thomas Street in Dublin 8, our local deli, for a take-away sandwich.  Occasionally, I’ll meet a friend in town, or go out for lunch with colleagues or clients.

Social media credentials:

First thing in the morning, I’ll check my emails on my iPhone & will glance at Facebook – and maybe Twitter.  Once I get to the office, the first websites I open are Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and I leave these sites open all day – I’ll keep an eye on them throughout the day to see if there’s any breaking news I should be aware of, or any other items of interest or of relevance to our clients.  I also use TweetDeck, and have apps on my phone for all of the main social media sites.  If I’m out of the office at a photocall or client event, I’ll live-tweet from the venue and upload photographs to the DHR Facebook page and Twitter account – and possibly to the client’s social media sites too.

I manage DHR Communications’ online presence, including the company’s website; Facebook page; Twitter account; and LinkedIn page.  One of the things on my ‘to do’ list this month is an overhaul of the company’s website.

I’m also responsible for developing and delivering our social media training modules, which means I need to keep well informed about new developments and trends.

In addition to managing DHR Communications’ own online presence, I also manage our work on social media profiles for many of our clients.  So, quite often at work, I’ll be flicking back and forth between a number of different Twitter profiles, Facebook pages, websites and blogs.

During the working day, I use Facebook and Twitter more to get a sense of what’s going on in the world than for ‘social’ purposes.  Outside of working hours, I’m relatively active on Facebook in a more conventional way – keeping up with friends, etc.   I’m not active in a personal capacity on Twitter (I tweet as @DHRComms), but I like to use Twitter outside of working hours to see what’s happening in the world – and also to follow commentary around certain events and activities.  Increasingly, I’m keeping an eye on Twitter while watching something major on TV (political debates, current affairs shows, etc.).  Seeing how people tweet about breaking news stories or current affairs developments helps to inform my work with clients.

I use LinkedIn for networking and also to find out sectoral news – I’m a member of lots of PR, communications and social media groups on LinkedIn.  I’ve also recently started to use Google+, and plan to become more acquainted with that in the coming months.

News sources:

I get a huge amount of my news through Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  I follow news sites like TheJournal.ie and Broadsheet.ie on Facebook, and frequently click through from my Facebook profile to their sites to find out more.  I particularly like TheJournal.ie’s ‘9 at 9’ and ‘The 5 at 5’.  I think the way that site has developed is symptomatic of the future of news – it’s a really good model of how media organisations can use social media to engage their audiences and deliver quality content.

I also follow lots of organisations of relevance to my work on Facebook (including clients), so I’ll come across news stories that way too and, obviously, Twitter is great for breaking news.  Through LinkedIn, I get lots of sectoral news – from the PR, social media and communications groups of which I’m a member.

I get the email versions of The Irish Times and Metro Herald delivered to my inbox each morning, so I’ll have a glance at the headlines on those, and I regularly refer to RTE.ie, IrishTimes.com, Examiner.ie and various other Irish news sites over the course of the day.  I also subscribe to a number of blogs that are of relevance to my work – and to the work of our clients.  Silicon Republic is great for Irish tech news, as are Digital Times and TechCentral.ie.  To keep up with international developments, I follow blogs like Spin Sucks, Social Media Examiner, PR News and PR at Sunrise.  And I also subscribe to a number of different bulletins from BrandRepublic.com.

Obviously, working in PR, it’s really important to keep up with traditional media too – I listen to morning current affairs shows on my way to work each morning – usually on Newstalk or RTÉ Radio 1.  The radio is always on in the background throughout the day and we have a selection of daily newspapers in the office, as well as magazines, specialist publications and local newspapers.

Onsite or offsite:

My job involves lots of meetings outside of the office, which I like.  I usually have a couple of off-site meetings every day.  There’s also a fair amount of travel involved in my role.  Lots of our clients have a nationwide remit.  So, even though their head office might be based in Dublin, they’ll have branches or members throughout the country, and will quite often ask us to travel for regional events or initiatives.  And, of course, some of our clients are based outside of Dublin, so – obviously – we travel to where they’re located for planning meetings and / or to organise events.   We also deliver training throughout the country, so I could be in Cork or Galway or Donegal for that.

Occasionally, this job involves overseas travel – I was in Brussels a couple of months back because one of our clients was presenting to a European Forum and meeting with MEPs to brief them on a particular initiative.  Lots of our clients are involved in transnational projects, so keeping an eye on what’s happening at EU level is important to our work.

Digital strategy/vision:

The PR and communications sectors will continue to become more and more influenced by digital media in the coming years.  So my main priority is to keep abreast of emerging trends and figure out how best to use new social media and online tools to promote our clients’ work.

I would also like to see more of our clients proactively embracing social media.  A surprising amount of organisations are still fearful about using Facebook or Twitter or other online tools.  Or they feel that, given their limited resources, they simply don’t have the staff available to maintain an effective social media presence.  Part of the training that DHR Communications offers is aimed at helping organisations overcome that fear – to understand the benefits of social media and plan how it can be incorporated into day-to-day work without any extra resources being required.

Apart from our clients, I also want to continue to enhance DHR Communications’ own online presence.  We have found social media to be extremely beneficial in terms of getting feedback about our work and developing our business.  But, with social media, you can’t afford to get complacent.  I know there’s more that we could be doing and that things are changing and developing all the time, so I want to make sure we keep pace with that.

I love Mondays because:

I love Mondays because, generally, I try to get any outstanding work cleared on a Friday evening or (if it has to be done!) over the weekend.  So, usually, come Monday morning, I feel I’m starting with a clean slate and a very manageable ‘to do’ list.  Unfortunately, though, this quite often doesn’t go to plan!

DHR Communications is a full-service public relations and public affairs agency, working primarily with not-for-profit organisations.  We are currently seeking to recruit an Account Executive to contribute to project delivery and to support our senior team.

The ideal candidate will have at least two years’ experience in the areas of public relations, public affairs or journalism.

S/he should enjoy working as part of a team; pay meticulous attention to detail; and offer:

• An understanding of the media and political systems in Ireland, and how they operate.
• Strong writing skills and an ability to develop and pitch media angles.
• Experience in monitoring and updating websites and social media profiles.
• Strong administration skills and experience of managing extensive contacts databases.
• Experience in planning and delivering projects.

Salary will be commensurate with experience.

Interested candidates should apply, with a CV and cover letter, to: info@dhr.ie.

The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday, 16th December 2011, at 5pm.

Catherine Heaney, one of the founding Directors of DHR Communications, has taken over the company as Managing Director.  Catherine – who has 20 years’ experience in public relations, public affairs and politics – will now focus primarily on business development and the provision of high-level strategic communications advice to clients. 

Expanded Team

Joining our team is Leinster House veteran Tony Heffernan, who – in recent months – served as Campaign Manager for Michael D. Higgins’ successful presidential election campaign.  Tony is one of the most experienced political communicators in Ireland, having worked in the Oireachtas for almost 30 years.  He served as Assistant Government Press Secretary with the Rainbow Coalition Government from 1994 to 1997, and was Press and Parliamentary Director for the Labour Party for the past 11 years, working closely with three Labour Party Leaders over that time: Eamon Gilmore, Pat Rabbitte and Ruairí Quinn.  At DHR Communications, Tony will be responsible for advising clients on public relations and public affairs strategies.

We have also appointed Martina Quinn as an Account Director.  Martina has worked with the firm for almost five years, delivering PR services across a range of client accounts.  She has particular expertise in social media campaigns and project management, and has played a lead role in managing major initiatives and events for clients such as ESB International, Irish Aid, Trócaire, the South-East Regional Authority and drinkaware.ie.  Prior to joining DHR Communications, Martina worked at Fine Gael National Headquarters and with AONTAS, the national adult learning organisation.

Other changes at DHR Communications include the promotion of Lydia Ishak to Senior Account Executive and the recruitment of Emily Kelly, also in the role of Senior Account Executive.  Lydia has worked with us for three years, while Emily joins the team from 98FM, where she served as a reporter and news-reader.

Our staff team is now comprised of seven communications professionals.  Our company is chaired by former ICTU General Secretary and incoming Executive Director of the Kennedy Centre for Conflict Intervention at NUI Maynooth, Peter Cassells.  Peter will continue to advise on key client accounts at DHR Communications.

New Business Wins

In the past two months, DHR Communications has successfully tendered to provide PR, public affairs and consultation management services to a number of high-profile public sector agencies, including the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, Irish Aid and Skillnets.  Other new business wins include contracts with Young Social Innovators, the Immigrant Council of Ireland, Philip Lee Solicitors, City & Guilds and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.