External Communications Executive

Where you’ll fit in & what our team goals are…You will be a valued member of the Corporate Affairs team, with responsibility for developing and delivering programmes of proactive media communications to support business objectives and targets, ensuring all activity is executed in line with company values, relevant policies and procedures. Your responsibilities will include building relationships with tier 1 media, as well as day to day co-ordination of external PR agencies in order to deliver strong media coverage for Columbia Threadneedle in the UK and select key markets in Europe. To do to this you will deliver a programme of media relations activity to support business priorities, including key sales channels and priority products; building/maintaining strong internal relationships to enable effective collaboration; and monitoring, measuring and reporting media coverage to stakeholders.How you'll spend your time...The EMEA Corporate Affairs team is responsible for managing the organisation's reputation in the region, enabling the firm's strategic objectives and supporting business growth. The team's activities include internal and external communications, corporate and client messaging and community relations. The team is part of the Global Communications function and works closely with senior leaders and business teams across the global organisation.The Corporate Affairs team has a broad remit to protect and enhance the firm’s reputation, and you will play a critical role in the team’s success by generating strong media coverage aligned with business needs and focus, whether across retail, wholesale and institutional investment markets or in key sectors such as Investment Trusts, Real Estate or Private Equity. Your role will be to manage media activities and campaigns to promote key insights, products and themes relevant to the business. You will act as press officer, responding to queries, co-ordinating media interviews and events, liaising and building relationships with journalists to generate positive media coverage and minimise negative coverage. Key to your success in generating relevant media coverage will be your ability to build a strong internal network to help source news and information from teams across the business and work with them as you meet your deliverables. Key topic areas will include investment themes and markets (including equities, fixed income, multi-asset, real estate and other alternatives), products and performance, stewardship, governance and responsible investment and corporate issues such as CSR topics.Responsibilities will include:Working with the business and distribution teams in the UK and select key markets in Europe, to develop and deliver effective media strategies, campaigns and programmes to generate positive coverage in Tier 1 media to support business priorities and enable commercial successActing as press officer, build and maintain good relationships with target media, issuing relevant information to journalists and responding to media enquiriesDay to day co-ordination of PR agencies in the UK and select European markets to meet business objectivesDelivery of press releases and other content for media, creating and pitching story ideas, and idea generation for, and execution of, programme of media eventsBrief spokespeople, creating effective briefing notes for spokespeople and hosting media interviews.Ensuring media database and distribution lists are kept up to dateOrganising media training and keeping the spokesperson log up to datePreparing coverage and activity reports for the wider team and business partnersActing as day-to-day contact for media database and media monitoring suppliersEnsuring content you create meets appropriate approvals, including regulatory requirementsWorking with the Head of External Communications to manage media issues to minimise negative media sentimentTo be successful in this role you will have...Strong track record delivering media coverage in financial services across media (trade and national) in the UKDemonstrable media relationshipsAbility to write effectively for a variety of audiences/topicsStrong self-starter, ability to manage multiple, competing priorities within a fast-moving environmentA team player, with the ability to work effectively with colleagues within an EMEA and global organisation.If you also had this, it would be great…Experience working in asset management, investment trusts, real estate and / or private equity communicationsStrong writing skillsTrack record of managing PR agenciesLanguage skills (German) preferableAbout Columbia Threadneedle InvestmentsWorking at Columbia Threadneedle Investments you’ll find the promise we make to our clients is the same one we make to our employees: Your success is our priority.Here, you’ll find growth and career opportunities across all of our businesses. We’re intentionally built to help you succeed. Our reach is expansive with a global team of 2,500 people working together. Our expertise is diverse with more than 650 investment professionals sharing global perspectives across all major asset classes and markets. Our clients have access to a broad array of investment strategies, and we have the capability to create bespoke solutions matched to clients’ specific requirements.Columbia Threadneedle is a people business and we recognise that our success is due to our talented people, who bring diversity of thought, complementary skills and capabilities. We are committed to providing an inclusive workplace that supports the diversity of our employees and reflects our broader communities and client-base.We appreciate that work-life balance is an important factor for many when considering their next move so please discuss any flexible working requirements directly with your recruiter. Full-Time/Part-TimeFull timeWorker Sub TypePermanentJob Family GroupCommunications
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