My client is a trade association representing nearly 300 of the leading firms providing finance, banking, markets and payments-related services in or from the UK. It is also the UK representative on a number of international trade associations including the European Banking Federation, the European Cards Payments Association, the European Payments Council and the International Banking Federation.

As Press Officer you will:

• Promote the image of my client and the industry through internal and external communications to enhance customer, member and employee satisfaction and support achievement of the business strategy.
• Increase the organisation’s profile and enhance its reputation across all media, and with all relevant influencers and organisations, leading on media relations and including: liaising with journalists, preparing press releases and press briefings.
• Deliver the communications strategy for the association, ensuring alignment with the wider membership and the policy and engagement strategy.

Your duties and responsibilities:

• Support the Head of Media and press team in handling reactive day to day media relations: responding to press calls and drafting reactive lines, coordinating broadcast media bids, preparing press releases and press briefings for the CEO and senior policy colleagues, identifying opportunities to place proactive coverage. There will be ownership of projects so you’ll need to be organised and capable of juggling a varied workload to tight deadlines.
• Act as a spokesperson for my client on all media outlets and provide an out of hours media service as part of a rota system (Monday to Monday, average one out of every five weeks); and monitoring news and breaking stories and flagging to relevant internal teams.
• As part of a rota write the daily Brief, our daily industry news digest which is produced 5 days a week, 45 weeks a year by the External Affairs team. The brief takes 2-3 hours to put together every day and the aim is for this to land in inboxes no later than 10.30am.
• Work with the Media Relations Manager and Press Officer to maintain my client’s long term strategic ‘forward look’ grid and coordinate media activity accordingly.
• Build and maintaining strong relationships with journalists as well as leading on key trade publications.
• Monitoring news and breaking stories, developments online and social media and flagging to relevant internal teams.
• Draft articles for trade press, CEO newsletter, blogs (working with policy directors) and speeches.
• Work with the Press Officer to ensure the production of a ‘coverage book’ (a compendium of all media coverage secured by my client), which is then circulated to members and our Board on a regular basis.
• Creatively seeking proactive media opportunities to promote my client and its work.
• Ensuring editorial standards are met and maintained in print and online.
• Work proactively and collaboratively with the commercial arm to ensure our externally produced events and conferences are well publicised and supported in national press, trade media and social media.

Experience required

• Substantial experience of working in a high pressure, fast moving, media relations team.
• Substantial experience of generating proactive media stories of strong interest with the media.
• Strong writing skills (writing tests will form part of the interview process).
• Degree or equivalent.

Knowledge of banking (either wholesale or retail banking) or experience of working with commercial teams to provide PR support for events I desirable by not essential. Contact me for more information.