Associate Director

As an Associate Director, you will lead a portfolio of corporate reputation client relationships, acting as a trusted strategic adviser to senior communications leaders and C-suite executives. Your role involves shaping integrated communications strategies, developing high-performing teams, and driving business growth for both clients and the Corporate Reputation practice.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead a portfolio of Corporate Reputation clients, building long-term relationships with senior communications leaders and executive stakeholders.
• Provide strategic counsel on complex reputation, corporate communications and business issues, anticipating risks and identifying opportunities before they emerge.
• Shape integrated communications programmes across media relations, digital, social, content, employee engagement, public affairs and corporate positioning.
• Develop compelling strategic narratives, thought leadership programmes and creative campaigns that deliver measurable business outcomes.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams across the UK and international network to deliver seamless, integrated client solutions.
• Champion the use of research, data, analytics and AI-enabled approaches to strengthen client counsel, planning and campaign delivery.
• Ensure consistently high-quality work across your client portfolio, maintaining exceptional standards of strategic thinking, creativity and execution.
• Oversee complex programmes, managing resources, budgets, forecasting, profitability and operational delivery to ensure commercial success.
• Identify and convert organic growth opportunities across existing clients and lead significant new business opportunities, including RFI/RFP responses and pitch presentations.
• Work collaboratively with senior leaders to contribute to the strategic growth and commercial success of the Corporate Reputation practice.
• Mentor, coach and develop colleagues across multiple levels, creating opportunities for learning, progression and capability building.
• Line-manage junior colleagues, providing regular coaching, performance feedback and career development support.
• Contribute to recruitment, talent development and resource planning to build high-performing, diverse teams.
• Actively contribute to the firm’s profile in the market through intellectual property, thought leadership, marketing initiatives and industry events.
• Foster a collaborative culture by sharing knowledge, celebrating success and contributing to practice-wide initiatives that strengthen ways of working.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in corporate communications, corporate reputation or strategic communications consultancy, advising UK and international organisations.
• Track record of acting as a trusted adviser to senior client stakeholders on complex, high-profile reputation issues.
• Experience leading integrated communications programmes across multiple disciplines and markets.
• Strong commercial acumen, with experience managing account profitability, forecasting, budgeting and identifying growth opportunities.
• Experience leading new business opportunities, from identifying prospects through to developing proposals and presenting winning pitches.
• Understanding of how Corporate Reputation connects with Public Affairs, Financial Communications, Employee Engagement, Brand and Consumer Communications.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, ability to influence senior decision-makers and build trusted relationships.
• Experience leading and developing high-performing teams, fostering an inclusive culture.
• Strong project and operational management skills, balancing quality, efficiency and commercial performance across multiple workstreams.
• Curiosity about emerging communications trends, digital innovation and AI, with an interest in applying new approaches to improve client outcomes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, strategic judgement and attention to detail.
• A collaborative, entrepreneurial mindset with the ambition to help shape the future growth of the Corporate Reputation practice.

We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace and invite all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of perfect alignment with every qualification listed.