Reporting to head of comms Sally Osman, Dickie will oversee a team of more than 20.
The new corporate affairs department - effectively the BBC's merged public affairs and PR teams - will handle ‘PR research', events, publications and the corporation's interaction with parliament and politicians.
‘Public affairs was previously in the strategy department running separately from PR,' Dickie told PRWeek. ‘The PR team handles opinion-former events and relationships with organisations such as the CBI and pressure groups, so it makes sense that these departments work together.'
Dickie will also manage a group of senior PR project managers. He effectively takes over from Andrew Whyte, who led the PR team with the title head of corporate and public relations. Whyte left the BBC 14 months ago, and is now executive director of advocacy and comms at The Arts Council England (PRWeek, 16 February).
The BBC's four-strong PA function includes former Conservative Party head of broadcasting Andrew Scadding.
Dickie has been a key member of the corporation's Charter Review team. He helped convey the BBC's position on the latest Communications Act, and is a former public policy consultant with Prima and GPC.
Dickie joined the BBC in February 2003.
