Public Affairs & PR Manager - 12 month FTC

We’re BDO. An accountancy and business advisory firm, providing the advice and solutions entrepreneurial organisations need to navigate today’s changing world. We work with the companies that are Britain’s economic engine – ambitious, entrepreneurially-spirited and high growth businesses that fuel the economy - and directly advise the owners and management teams that lead them.

The BDO Corporate Affairs team which comprises PR, public affairs and brand strategy is responsible for protecting and promoting BDO’s reputation through the media, with politicians and other stakeholders.

Leading organisations trust us because of the quality of our advice. That quality grows from a thorough understanding of their business, and that understanding comes from working closely with them and building long-lasting relationships. You’ll be someone who is both comfortable working pro-actively and managing your own tasks, as well as confident collaborating with others and communicating regularly with senior managers, directors, and BDO’s partners to help businesses effectively. You’ll be encouraged to identify and draw attention to opportunities for enhancing our delivery and providing additional services to organisations we work with.

As the Public Affairs & PR Manager at BDO, you will protect and promote the corporate reputation of one of the UK’s leading professional services firms to support its commercial interests. Reporting to the Head of Press & Public Affairs, this is a varied role providing a unique opportunity to work across public affairs, media relations and corporate communications in a sector facing high-profile scrutiny.

You will act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, shaping BDO’s voice on critical economic, regulatory, and industrial policies, while driving high-impact media coverage and supporting with crisis communications.

In this role you’ll:

• Shape BDO’s policy positions and support with the development of our public affairs agenda, ensuring it is aligned to the firm’s growth strategy.
• Monitor the political and public policy landscape to identify emerging risks and opportunities which could impact BDO or the interests of our mid-market clients.
• Keep track of government and regulatory announcements affecting the accountancy profession and the wider professional services sector to provide timely analysis to senior leaders.
• Build and maintain networks with key political stakeholders and business journalists, and ensure senior leaders are appropriately prepared for political and media engagements.
• Develop a strong understanding of the business and cultivate effective internal relationships.
• Work collaboratively with the wider corporate affairs team to support the development of communications and crisis management strategies.
• Manage the delivery of routine economic trackers and monthly press releases working with external agencies.

You’ll be someone with:

• Proven experience in a public affairs, government relations, corporate communications or policy advisory role. Agency or in-house, though preferably with some experience of a highly regulated environment.
• Demonstrable interest in and knowledge of the UK business, financial and political news agenda.
• Strong understanding of the UK political landscape and a track record of engaging effectively with government officials, parliamentarians, trade associations and think tanks.
• Experience in identifying and managing public policy risks and opportunities, and in advising internal stakeholders on political and regulatory developments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex policy issues clearly and persuasively to a range of audiences.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship management skills, with the ability to build trust and credibility with internal and external stakeholders.
• A team player comfortable managing a varied workload - collaboratively, virtually and independently.
• Self-motivated, proactive and ambitious for our team and the business.

At BDO, we’ll help you achieve your personal goals and career ambitions, and we have programmes, resources, and frameworks that provide clarity and structure around career development.

Mutual support and respect is one of BDO’s core values and we’re proud of our distinctive, people-centred culture. From informal success conversations to formal mentoring and coaching, we’ll support you at every stage in your career, whatever your personal and professional needs.

Our agile working framework helps us stay connected, bringing teams together where and when it counts so they can share ideas and help one another. At BDO, you’ll always have access to the people and resources you need to do your best work.

We know that collaboration is the key to creating value for the companies we work with and satisfying experiences for our colleagues, so we’ve invested in state-of-the-art collaboration spaces in our offices. BDO’s people represent a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and we’ll encourage you to build your network, work alongside others, and share your skills and experiences. With a range of multidisciplinary events and dedicated resources, you’ll never stop learning at BDO.

At BDO, we help entrepreneurial businesses to succeed, fuelling the UK economy. Our success is powered by our people, which is why we’re always finding new ways to invest in you. Across the UK thousands of unique minds continue to come together to help companies we work with to achieve their ambitions. We’ve got a clear purpose, and we’re confident in our future, because we’re adapting and evolving to build on our strengths, ensuring we continue to find the right combination of global reach, integrity and expertise. We shape the future together with openness and clarity, because we believe in empowering people to think creatively about how we can do things better.