Account Director, Public Affairs

Opportunity

Brunswick Account Directors are responsible for providing regular advice and analysis to clients, based on a deep understanding of their issues, their stakeholders, market trends and events.

As an Account Director, you will develop a network and build relationships with clients, media, advisers, Brunswick colleagues and political stakeholders. In the Public Affairs team, you will also develop and share knowledge of political and policy issues impacting clients and their sectors.

Our work within the Public Affairs teams

Brunswick’s Public Affairs team supports clients to navigate the political environment in which they operate. Our work includes helping clients quantify their exposure to political, policy and regulatory risk; building relationships with decision-makers and influencers; shaping the external discussion around their key issues; and advocating for change.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver political, regulatory and media and market analysis to clients, with intelligent insight and recommendations informed by data, analysis and experience.
• Manage the development of high-quality client documents, playing a key role in drafting, proofing, editing and version control.
• Help to drive overall account management to ensure the delivery of first-class client service. As part of this, ensure all logistics for client meetings and events are executed smoothly, and manage upwards to ensure Brunswick delivers on time and above expectation.
• Work to develop a solid understanding of different sectors and specialist offers.
• Nurture a network amongst peers inside and outside the firm, providing valuable insight for the firm and for clients.
• Begin to develop an advisory voice informed by research, experience events and networking.
• Provide research and input into the new business process, from researching new targets, to helping shape our insight on a brief, to supplying creative ideas for tactical responses to a potential new mandate.

Knowledge, Skills, and Competencies

• Highly knowledgeable on politics, business issues and current affairs; up to date on key trends, issues, commentators and debates, particularly as it relates to public affairs.
• 2 - 5 years’ experience working within a communications agency or in-house, or in Westminster/Whitehall or in an adjacent political/policy setting (e.g. think tank).
• An understanding of business and politics, with a genuine interest in UK current affairs.
• Able to demonstrate excellent written research and analysis for business audiences; must be able to synthesize large amounts of intelligence across numerous sources in a timely but thoughtful manner.
• Strong skills in building a picture of the important players in a particular debate, able to assess the tensions between different stakeholders or stakeholder groups.
• Proven project and/or program management experience, with the ability to oversee multiple fast-moving workstreams at any one time.
• A dynamic self-starter with a strong work ethic – willing to go the extra mile for colleagues and clients.
• High level of attention to detail and a rigorous, client-service attitude.
• Intellectually curious, with a desire to read around a subject, solve problems creatively, and try new things.

Our Benefits

In addition to life assurance, group income protection, and employer pension contribution, we offer:

• Annual discretionary bonus based on company and individual performance.
• 25 days’ annual leave entitlement (excluding bank holidays) plus an additional day of leave for your birthday.
• Private Medical Insurance via Bupa for yourself and your dependants, including access to a digital GP service, Bupa Menopause plan and Bupa anytime Healthline.
• Family Leave policies - Maternity, Paternity, Shared Parental & Adoption.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Headspace for Work membership.
• Financial wellbeing benefit schemes – Season Ticket Loan, Tenancy Deposit Loan and Cycle to Work.
• Eye Care – annual eye examination and contribution towards glasses.
• Annual Flu Vaccinations.
• Corporate Gym Memberships at discounted rates for local gyms.
• External Partnerships – offers and priority booking through the National Theatre.
• Complimentary artisan coffee, tea and snacks, served by our own barista in our café.
• Daily breakfast and lunch served twice a week in our café.
• Lunch & Learn training sessions.
• Bespoke training and development support available to each individual via both formal and informal mentoring systems.
• Regular social, cultural and charitable activities.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Maintaining and strengthening a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace are pillars of Brunswick’s culture and key to our future success. Valuing and supporting every colleague as an individual while helping them reach their full potential is critical to attracting and developing our greatest strength – our people. By embracing our differences and diverse perspectives we create richer experiences within our firm and enhance the quality of the ideas and advice that we deliver to our clients.

Brunswick is an equal opportunities employer and our Equal Opportunities Policy is available on request.

About Brunswick Group

Brunswick is a critical issues firm. We advise the world’s leading companies on how to navigate the critical issues they face and engage with their critical stakeholders.

Our purpose is to help our clients play their role in the world more successfully. We help the leaders of the world’s great value-creating organizations operate successfully across the increasingly complex and fast-changing arenas of finance, politics and society at large.

Brunswick is one firm globally, operating as a single profit centre. This allows us to respond seamlessly and effectively to clients’ needs wherever they are in the world.

Background

Founded in London in 1987, Brunswick’s global partnership has grown organically to 27 offices in 18 countries. We began as a M&A and financial communications firm and, over time, expanded our capabilities to provide expert advice to our clients on a range of business critical issues. We invested in new offices, sector teams and practice groups including investor engagement; shareholder activism; governance; regulatory and public affairs, including geopolitical; crisis; litigation; social issues including climate change and diversity, equity and inclusion; cybersecurity, data and privacy; employee engagement; digital communications; opinion research and analysis, and; creative services.

Our CEO is Henry Timms, based in New York. Our Chairman is Sir Alan Parker, based in London.