Associate Director - Corporate Affairs

Burson is the global communications leader built to create value for clients through reputation. With highly specialized teams, industry-leading technologies and breakthrough creative, we help brands and businesses redefine reputation as a competitive advantage so they can lead today and into the future.

Burson’s Corporate Affairs team uses insight, creativity and expertise to build and protect the reputations of some of the world’s most influential brands, companies and organisations. We are trusted advisers when the stakes are high — helping clients navigate today’s complex challenges, while anticipating tomorrow’s trends and issues. Our clients span industries from financial services to technology, consumer goods to retail and automotive. Our teams bring together experts in Corporate Reputation, Responsible Business, Crisis & Risk, Business Transformation, Leadership Communications — offering fully integrated solutions with precision and pace.

Corporate Affairs is home to agency natives, former journalists, and in-house leads. We prize rigour, quality and agility, and are true partners to our clients — but we also believe work should be collaborative, creative and enjoyable.

What you’ll do:

• We are looking for a corporate affairs specialist with a deep understanding of business, reputation and positioning. Someone who has spent their career shaping corporate communications for organisations – big or small – partnering with business leaders and industry influencers to define what they stand for, how they show up, and what their business agenda should be.
• You’ll advise clients on how best to communicate their corporate and commercial strategies, how to prepare for industry-defining brand and financial announcements, and how data and insights can support compelling corporate narratives.
• You will work with — and influence — senior executives, helping them set the tone for their organisations through media engagement, thought leadership and multi-stakeholder engagement.
• You’ll be comfortable working across a variety of industries, from consumer brands to professional services, to build and protect reputations.
• Your clients will rely on your perspective and guidance to influence their major audiences from investors to colleagues, on a range of topics such as business strategy, sustainability, product development, innovation, social responsibility and employer brand.

This is a highly strategic, client-facing role suited to someone who brings intellectual curiosity, business fluency and the creative thinking needed to make even the most technical subjects interesting and relevant.

Experience that will contribute to success:

• Experience in corporate communications, within an integrated communications agency.
• A track record of senior client counsel and a strong understanding of the reputational considerations for businesses of all shapes and sizes from listed businesses, large private companies and regulated industries to SMEs and the mighty middle.
• Experience preparing communications strategies for key moments and announcements from partnerships to financial activity.
• The ability to distill strategy into credible, inspiring narratives for internal and external audiences.
• Strong presentation, writing and project management skills — comfortable developing strategies and overseeing delivery across teams.
• Commitment to teaching and sharing across our team to fuel their energy and ambition.

At Burson, diversity, equity and inclusion are not just values; they are strategic imperatives that fuel our future in an industry built on the art of understanding, connecting and developing relationships. We believe that a diverse workforce is essential for inspiring bold ideas, fostering constructive dialogue and cultivating meaningful experiences that drive innovation and creativity.

Our vision is for Burson to be the leading ‘academy company’ for creative communications professionals and emerging leaders. We provide a dynamic environment where ambitious colleagues come to elevate their skills, expand their networks, and ultimately, produce the best solutions for today’s leading brands.

Our commitment to your growth is reflected in our robust benefits and people programs, which include professional development opportunities, mentorship programs with industry leaders, a vibrant and inclusive company culture fostering collaboration and innovation and packages designed to reward and retain top talent.

We invest in our people because we believe their success is our success. At Burson, we’re an agency of learn-it-alls. We recognize that the things we do best, creativity and communications, require a level of nuanced understanding. That’s why it’s imperative for us to hire extraordinarily talented people of all backgrounds and identities.

Your unique point of view—your talent—is what makes you a #BursonPerson, and it’s how we deliver exceptional results for our clients, together. We believe the best work happens when we’re together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That’s why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week.