Account Director - Crisis & Risk (Corporate) in London

Edelman is a voice synonymous with trust, reimagining a future where the currency of communication is action. Our culture thrives on three promises: boldness is possibility, empathy is progress, and curiosity is momentum. At Edelman, we understand diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) transform our colleagues, our company, our clients, and our communities. We are in relentless pursuit of an equitable and inspiring workplace that is respectful of all, reflects and represents the world in which we live, and fosters trust, collaboration and belonging.

About the Company

Edelman is a leading global communications marketing firm helping businesses and organisations evolve, promote, and protect their brands and reputations. We are independent and family owned, which allows us the freedom to deliver original thinking and invest in our clients. In the UK, there are more than 600 employees based in our offices in Victoria. We create award-winning creative communication programmes for our clients who include DP World, Microsoft, Unilever, Nissan, Starbucks, Shell, PwC, eBay, Meta, Mars and many more. We have deep expertise and advise on consumer trends, corporate reputation, data, analytics and insights, health, technology, AI, capital markets and government affairs.

About the team

Edelman’s London Crisis & Risk team is the global Centre of Excellence for Edelman’s crisis communications capability, at the heart of Edelman’s global crisis network. We counsel leading global corporations, brands and institutions through reputational challenges that matter. Our work spans live incidents and longer-burn issues including digital disinformation, marketing missteps, societal issues, litigation, executive transitions, cyber incidents and geopolitical events. We advise far beyond media relations, working across stakeholders and coordinating closely with communications advisers in other disciplines across Edelman’s global network to meet multi-market challenges. You’ll work closely with peers across Edelman’s integrated practices, including Corporate Reputation, Public Affairs, Employee Experience, Digital, Creative, and our Trust and DxI insights teams. You’ll also collaborate with a global network of 180+ crisis professionals across 60+ markets.

The role

We’re looking for an Account Director experienced in counselling leading international companies on complex reputational issues and crises. You will support and manage some of our biggest global clients, working closely with international colleagues to respond to issues such as operational incidents, product safety matters, sponsorship issues, corporate governance crises, societal issues, campaign controversies, workplace misconduct, legal proceedings and restructurings. This role involves occasional out of hours work during live issues and fast-moving situations.

Key responsibilities

• Counsel clients confidently and maturely on managing actual and potential reputational crises and risks, looking across the full stakeholder ecosystem.
• Develop client materials including risk assessments, stakeholder analysis and engagement plans, scenario maps, strategic communications plans, messaging and Q&As.
• Manage and develop client relationships, exhibiting best practice in client handling.
• Support on and/or lead day-to-day on a varied portfolio of accounts.
• Overall account project management and overseeing quality and operational performance, by ensuring work quality and deadline adherence for all account team members.
• On accounts involving more than one Edelman office or team - work within integrated teams and across practices and oversee multi-market coordination.
• Full responsibility for overall financial management on their accounts – forecasting, hours allocation for team members, project & plan budgeting, managing servicing levels.
• Write plans, proposals and contribute to new business pitches (including RFP proposals) and drive the development of pitch materials.
• Develop and coach more junior team members, and line management responsibilities – minimum of one.
• Identify potential leads and areas of growth within existing clients as well as broader opportunities from a prospecting perspective.
• Contribute actively in team meetings and support senior team members with general team management tasks such as quarterly financial forecasting.

What you bring

• Hands-on experience advising clients on complex issues and crises impacting a wide variety of stakeholders across channels, including digital and social.
• Strong track record managing a diverse portfolio of accounts and providing calm, clear, well-informed counsel under pressure.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with strong attention to detail and the ability to deliver high-quality work to tight deadlines.
• Strong project management skills, including budget management and managing client expectations against budgets and results.
• A proactive, collaborative approach, with the judgement to work independently and the discipline to build strong internal coordination.
• Keen interest in current affairs and the confidence to spot emerging risks and advise clients early.

We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t perfectly align with every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.