Director of Issues & Crisis

WHAT MAKES US BURSON 

Sat within Burson London’s Corporate Affairs division, the Issues & Crisis team supports clients on a range of complex issues both in the UK and globally. Recognised as one of London’s leading Crisis PR firms by Chambers, we advise leading global corporations and brands on reputational matters including geopolitics, societal issues, cyber-crime, product and safety issues and corporate governance. This role reports into the MD of the UK Issues and Crisis lead who is also the Global Crisis Practice Leader.

YOUR ROLE AS A BURSON PERSON 

• Take a leading role in developing the global and UK client crisis work, retaining existing client work and growing new business
• Build the visibility and reputation of the team – with a view to winning new business and attracting talent
• Be a trusted advisor to clients, add value to client relationships, and provide high level strategic counsel
• Develop crisis management protocols using the latest in thinking and innovation including, but not exclusively, AI
• Manage client teams while nurturing current talent and contributing to the creation of a strong team culture, while building relationships across the agency
• Be responsible for budget monitoring, revenue forecasting and planning, resourcing, overseeing client budgets and fee negotiation to ensure correct level of profitability
• Support the development and roll-out of new tools and services
• Act as a representative for the team in relevant specialist forums or network groups and participate where appropriate in relevant speaker platforms

YOU’LL BRING ALONG WITH YOU

• 15+ years’ experience in an agency or in-house crisis role, and ideally three years at senior associate director or equivalent (some agency experience is essential)
• Entrepreneurial with evidence of having independently sought and driven revenue growth, including prospect finding, nurturing, acquisition and relationship management
• Comfortable and experienced working with multiple stakeholder groups including consumers, shareholders, suppliers, employees and media
• Comfortable leading standalone crisis new business pitches, as well as inputting crisis sections to wider corporate and consumer comms opportunities
• Proven track record of successfully managing crises for multinational corporates or prominent organisations in the UK and abroad
• Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills with the ability to anticipate risks, develop proactive crisis plans and make critical decisions under pressure
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively engage stakeholders at all levels
• Experience of leading crisis simulation exercises and crisis media training
• Proven counsellor to senior in-house communications teams and the C-suite
• Strong general experience in general reputation management
• Comfortable and competent in developing teams and managing operational areas e.g. commercials, resourcing etc.
• Strong leadership qualities that inspire respect and drive high performance from colleagues

OUR LONDON OFFICE
Burson employs over 450 people in the UK, and our stunning Southwark offices run over two floors as part of the larger WPP Campus, Rose Court. We have access to a beautiful roof terrace with panoramic views across London and a bar/restaurant area, which is a great spot for client meetings and socialising with the wider agency and other WPP OpCos. 

DE&I
At Burson, diversity, equity and inclusion are not just values; they are strategic imperatives that fuel our future in an industry built on the art of understanding, connecting, and developing relationships. We believe that a diverse workforce is essential for inspiring bold ideas, fostering constructive dialogue and cultivating meaningful experiences that drive innovation and creativity. It also enables our agency to thrive and deliver brilliant work.  For more information, visit www.bursonglobal.com.  

 APPLICATION SUBMISSION STATEMENT

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Recruitment Privacy Notice: https://www.bursonglobal.com/p/recruitment-privacy-notice

KEY BURSON BENEFITS

• 25 days holiday per year. After 3 years continuous service the entitlement will rise by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30 days after 7 years
• Your birthday off
• Flexible Public Holidays – you can swap public holidays for days of personal significance.
• Group life assurance scheme (4x basic salary).
• Discounted holiday travel insurance
• Discounted dental insurance
• Help@Hand
• Full access to Headspace app
• Westfield Health Cash Plan
• Benefits Portal - Employee benefits portal provided by TelusHealth
• Dexters Property Rental Assistance
• Matched pension contributions
• Interest free season ticket loan
• Comprehensive private medical care
• Cycle to work scheme
• Recruitment bounty
• Enhanced maternity & paternity schemes (after one years’ service).
• Key milestone anniversary award
• Sabbatical leave (varying leave after 3 years’ service)
• Career break (up to 12 months after 5 years’ service)

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