The role
Reporting to the Senior External Communications Manager and drawing on the expertise of the Group’s wider Marketing team, the PR Manager – Corporate Platform will develop and manage the PR, media relations and press office activity across Gateley’s Corporate Platform. The PR Manager will work strategically and tactically to plan, deliver and manage proactive and reactive, value-added communications support working closely with the Senior New Business Manager for the Corporate Platform and ensuring key communications objectives for the corporate, banking, restructuring advisory and tax are delivered. In addition, they will develop and manage the PR for all consulting group businesses that sit within our Corporate Platform.
The PR Manager will work with Gateley Legal Partners and consulting group Directors across the Corporate Platform to agree communications activity that aligns with the relevant business plans and subsequently ensure the successful execution of all PR and communications within those plans as well as the measurement of results.
The role holder will produce high quality and engaging communications content across multiple channels in the corporate space and for a variety of audiences including internal stakeholders. They will build and maintain excellent contacts across the relevant media, within the legal and professional services sectors and with the relevant external and internal stakeholders, including third party suppliers.
The PR Manager will be tasked with co-ordinating activities to develop the profile of the Corporate Platform businesses; raise awareness through key titles and media platforms through positioning our spokespeople to comment on key issues in the corporate sector relating to the work we do and safeguard the reputation of the Gateley brand at all times.
Responsibilities include:
- Develop and manage the media relations strategy and plan and lead the press office work across the Group’s Corporate Platform.
- Manage reactive media requests and work with the Communications Director on any reputation/issues’ scenarios relating to the Platform.
- Proactively seek out news agenda driven opportunities, respond to planned media forward features and commentary opportunities and tap into Response Source opportunities linked to the target print and online media on a regional, national and trade sector basis. PR, media relations and press office work will specifically include:
- Developing and managing written content and commentary for the Corporate Platform by creating press releases, articles and thought leadership pieces.
- Developing a bank of case studies for the Corporate Platform, particularly showcasing our legal and professional services cross-selling capabilities so these can be used as collateral for PR, internal communications and investor relations activity.
- Creating engaging social media content to sit alongside the media relations work being undertaken and build up relevant key journalist and external stakeholder relationships via our existing social media channels.
- Edit fee earner articles where necessary and ensure the approval process within the Corporate Communications team is adhered to at all times.
- Develop a close network of journalist contacts within our target media for the Corporate Platform and maintain relationships with relevant editors and reporters both virtually and face to face - Conduct fee earner/journalist press briefings on a regular basis.
- Awards – research, plan and manage all media award activity for the Corporate Platform across all key titles. Work with the relevant teams to draft submissions and get these placed to deadline.
- Work with the Corporate Communications team to develop a range of press photography and video content that is needed to support our PR and media relations work as well as investor relations and internal communications activity.
- Use robust measurement and evaluation techniques to demonstrate ROI for the PR and media relations activity being generated for the Corporate Platform.
- Work closely with the Senior External Communications Manager and the Communications Director to ensure proactive PR and media activity aligns with our Responsible Business strategy.
- Adopt a proactive and consultative approach and manage the PR and media activity for the Corporate Platform, as well as external and internal stakeholders, in the same way clients would be managed within a PR consultancy environment.
This job description is not an exhaustive list due to the requirements of the role. Therefore, the job holder may be required from time to time to carry out other ad hoc tasks as requested.
The team
With over 80 people within our Marketing and Front of House teams, we support on all aspects of marketing and business development across Gateley including internal and external communications, bids and sales, client development, events, digital and marketing projects. Winners of the 2020 Excellence in Sales and Marketing Award at the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Awards and shortlisted in the 2022 Best Marketing Campaign Award at the Managing Partners Forum Awards, the Marketing team at Gateley has more than doubled in size in five years, reflecting the investment that the business has made in attracting and retaining exceptional marketing talent.
This role sits within the Corporate Communications team. Headed by the Communications Director the team comprises 14 corporate communications specialists covering investor communications, public and media relations, internal communications, social media, design and responsible business activity.
We continue to develop and evolve our proposition and are looking for individuals with a 'can do' mentality to join the team.
The person
This is a collaborative role which requires the following:
- The ability to build strong, proactive relationships with Corporate Platform fee earners across the entire Group and positive working relationships with the wider Marketing team, specifically with the BD team for the Corporate Platform and our Digital Marketing team.
- The PR Manager will have an excellent grasp of grammar, punctuation and the English language and will possess superb attention to detail skills.
Excellent time management skills are required, working to deadlines and an ability to be proactive and take the initiative are all essential skills for this role.