Associate Director

What we're looking for

Milltown Partners is a global advisory firm working with influential organisations and individuals on the communications and public policy challenges that define their reputations. We are looking for an Associate Director with at least 7 years of corporate communications experience (ideally with scaling tech and/or VC), enthusiasm to contribute to the continued growth of our business, and a desire to be a hands-on leader advising both clients and colleagues.

The Associate Director role

Associate Directors are responsible for the quality of everything we produce. They ensure every team has an agreed strategy, clear priorities, and consistently exceeds client expectations. Associate Directors work in partnership with the senior management to set the scope, agree the fees and design the structure of our teams to ensure we have the right resources to deliver our best work. They give brilliant advice to our clients and coach their teams to do the same. Associate Directors are instrumental in the growth of the firm, helping to build external networks and lead on new business opportunities, while also supporting the design and delivery of plans for quality, talent and growth.

Leadership: defining direction and inspiring others to meet a common goal

• Collaborating with senior management to set clear goals and priorities for your teams and holding everyone, including themselves, to account for meeting them
• Building trust with your client in order to give the most impactful advice and support
• Taking responsibility for the strategic direction and tactical choices for clients
• Sharing your insights and experience in a way that allows the rest of the team to replicate your success
• Drawing on the full expertise and resources of the firm to develop and deliver advice that helps our clients build and protect their reputations
• Coaching individuals both in line management and on teams to identify opportunities to meet their goals

Innovation: pushing the boundaries of the work we do as a firm

• Being a role model and leading by example in both managing and delivering exceptional work
• Ensuring research, data and insight underpins all work that we deliver
• Seeking expertise from outside the firm - media, business, policy, academia, research - and using it to improve the quality of our advice and analysis
• Identifying operational efficiencies that enable us to deliver our best work
• Identifying opportunities for collaboration, knowledge sharing and growth for the business beyond your own client teams

Growth: Contributing to the future of the business beyond the boundaries of client work

• Identifying and leading on converting new opportunities into work and extending our work with existing clients
• Cultivating an external network that enables us to deliver impactful results for our clients (e.g. with journalists, subject matter experts or other advisers)
• Developing and building your external network in order to attract new clients and reach potential referrers
• Showing entrepreneurial thinking internally by identifying opportunities for collaboration, skills building and knowledge sharing

Contributing to a collaborative and inclusive work environment

• Line managing Consultants outside client teams, including setting development goals that enable them to perform at their best and stretch into new development opportunities
• Giving and receiving regular feedback to people at all levels in the firm
• Actively seeking input or assistance from others and reflecting their contributions in the work
• Demonstrating allyship to all colleagues
• Supporting the wellbeing of everyone on the team

Must Have Skills & Experience

• Excellent command of written and verbal English language
• At least 7 years of corporate communications experience - either/or consultancy or in-house roles
• Significant career experience in the technology communications
• Demonstrable ability to take a strategic approach to reputation, rooted in research, data and insight
• Experience engaging with different audiences and channels across the communications landscape
• Experience building advisory relationships with senior stakeholders in order to deliver strategic counsel and insight, often on a short timeframe
• Experience developing media strategies and managing relationships with senior reporters
• Experience leading new business conversations, including RFP processes
• Experience managing complex and high-performing teams with diverse experiences
• Willingness to play a hands-on role within client teams and across the firm
• Intellectual curiosity to develop subject matter expertise in new topics, and share that with colleagues
• A highly motivated team member who values collaboration and is interested in coaching and building capability across the team
• A desire to seek out feedback in order to learn and develop
• Commitment to contributing to a supportive and inclusive culture

What we Offer in Return

• Competitive and fair base salary determined through annual industry benchmarking
• Discretionary twice-yearly bonuses
• Professional development opportunities, with access to both expert professional coach and internal training
• iPhone and Apple MacBook
• 26 days annual leave, plus English Bank Holidays
• 4% employer pension contribution
• Private healthcare insurance with Aviva for yourself and children
• Access to 24/7 mental health support and counselling through company insurance
• Annual eye test and annual flu jab
• ClassPass membership
• Income Protection insurance
• Death in Service insurance
• Variety of team events, such as charity socials, external speakers and firm celebrations
• Selection of breakfast foods and snacks, plus a team lunch every Thursday in the office

About Us

Milltown Partners is a global advisory firm working with influential organisations and individuals on the communications and public policy challenges that define their reputations. We are an Employee Ownership Trust which means that we’re fully independent and will remain so; the people who work here own the company and share in its success. We will continue to do what we've always done: take the long view, build a business aligned to our values, invest in our people and their development, and innovate to improve the quality of our advice by combining our deep sector-specific knowledge and research-driven approach.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Milltown Partners

We believe cultivating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment is core to our culture and success. As an employee-owned business we’ve taken steps to embed these principles across the way we work and how we show up for each other. Our view is that great work and ideas can come from anyone regardless of their background, age, gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

We have ambitious DEI initiatives driven by a team of senior leaders across our organisation. We are focused on improving representation at every level, enhancing everyone's sense of belonging, and empowering our communities through pro bono work. We weave these ideals into how we approach the firm’s growth: attracting talent, expanding our networks, and ensuring impactful work for our clients. Our vision is to be amongst the world’s most inclusive places to work.