Senior Public Relations Manager

We are Eversheds Sutherland, a global law firm, with 5,000+ colleagues in more than 30 countries. We’re full service with deep niche and sector experience. Whatever challenge, wherever in the world, we’re equipped and ready to meet it. We live our values, we’re purposeful and purpose-led. So although the world is fast-moving and rapidly changing, we see it as a place where everyone can thrive. We’re ambitious for our clients, our communities – and for you. Whether you’re starting out on your career or well established, whether you’re a lawyer or in business services. If you’re looking for what’s next, we are too.

What to expect

For business professionals, our environment is highly collaborative with value being placed on diversity of ideas, skills and mindsets. Not least yours. It’s energetic, fast-moving and there’s always something new to get involved in. You will get exposure across geographies and the firm as a whole. The future is a place of opportunity. Focusing on your success and for what’s next, will ensure you thrive too.

The Role

Eversheds Sutherland’s award winning PR and Communications team is seeking a Senior PR Manager with a strong track-record of delivering innovative PR and communications campaigns.

You'll be given the opportunity to be involved in projects where you can make a valuable contribution to secure high-quality media coverage for your key stakeholders and you will enjoy the challenge of turning complex commercial, legal and regulatory issues into great stories.

This role is an opportunity for a talented Senior PR Manager with a keen interest in a wide range of legal, business and current affairs to develop their skills and career among a highly experienced team, supported by the formal training, and learning and development programmes you would expect from a global firm.

Eversheds Sutherland’s PR & Comms team is the only in-house legal team who have achieved Communications Management Standard accreditation by the Public Relations Consultants Association. By joining our team you will be working to best in class industry standards in PR and Comms and alongside colleagues with market-leading experience.

Key Responsibilities

As a Senior PR Manager your role will be to build the firm’s brand and protect its reputation via media profiling, and advise a range of audiences and stakeholders on PR-related matters. You will be the PR lead for the firm’s Litigation & Dispute Management practice and Konexo, the firm’s alternative legal and compliance service, and lead on selected sector PR and media relations activity, alongside line management duties.

Reporting directly to the Head of Media Relations, you will be integral to the firmwide press office function. Responsibilities include:

• Taking a PR agency approach to proactively manage a portfolio of work. Responsible for working closely with practice and product group leads to create and implement strategic PR plans and produce creative content for media engagement
• Identify and secure opportunities for our legal and business experts to proactively pitch news, commentary, data and articles to national, international and sector media, and make a significant contribution towards monthly media coverage targets and KPIs to build the firm’s brand
• Use the latest digital and social media trends to support all earned media activity
• Support senior team members when handling press enquiries and any media crises scenarios
• Responsible for the PR evaluation, measurement and metrics of your portfolio
• Preparing all interviewees for press meetings and interviews
• Supporting the Head of Media Relations and Senior PR Manager to ensure all offices are connected with information and activity that can be used with local media

Skills and experience

Proven media relations experience at a senior level which, along with a written test, will be explored at interview. The following attributes (although not exhaustive) will be key to making a success of this role:

• A minimum of seven years’ recent experience working in media relations, with a proven track record of securing media coverage and a recent portfolio of work
• Exceptional communication skills. Able to negotiate story placement and present results to both media and lawyers – great people and interpersonal skills, and strong emotional intelligence to manage challenges
• A good range of journalist contacts across online, print and broadcast media
• Ability to provide media training to our rising star spokespeople, and committed to developing a cohort of new voices to ensure greater gender and ethnicity balance in the firm’s external profile
• Ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships across the team, within the firm, with journalists and other external audiences as necessary
• A passion for current affairs and able to spot opportunities in the news cycle’s relevance for a global law firm, and pro-actively seek comment from legal advisers in line with the current news agenda
• Skilled at planning, leading and implementing media campaigns which result in commentary and coverage for the firm and our spokespeople
• Strong PR experience in legal, professional services or corporate PR is preferred; agency experience is also desirable
• Team oriented, with a high level of professionalism and flexible and able to display a consistently positive attitude with a can-do approach
• Innovative and creative with the ability to put your ideas into practise
• Able to work independently, and be highly organised
• Able to manage conflicting priorities and timescales
• Committed to devising and promoting best practice across the team’s activity and developing junior PR talent

What’s in it for you?

At Eversheds Sutherland, we provide benefits focused on looking after you: your development, your performance, your financial future and your health, as well as providing the opportunity to make a contribution to the world.

• We’re fair, transparent and equitable
• We share in the success of the firm, reward alignment to our values, going above and beyond and your individual performance
• We support blended working with an in-office presence required at least three days per week
• We support your health and performance througThatThath our dental, healthcare and wellness support
• We support everything you are and all you bring through our powerful commitment to diversity and inclusion
• We provide a platform for your career, whatever your ambitions through our structured professional and personal training, mentoring and development programs
• We provide experience and opportunity through international and cross-function exposure
• We provide an opportunity to give back through our pro bono work and community engagement
• We help you plan ahead through retirement planning, insurance and assurance

Diversity and inclusion

At Eversheds Sutherland, “Inclusive” is a core business value. We bring together different skillsets, global mindsets and approaches. We foster diversity of thought and the freedom to put ideas into action. We have an inherent respect for the individual. We have a strong belief in collaboration and teamwork. Sharing ideas, asking questions, solving challenges and meeting our clients’ goals: together.

We want all our people to thrive at work and reach their full potential and we work hard to continue to build a diverse and inclusive culture, monitor and report on our progress and impact, and develop our approach. This is reflected in our policies, systems and processes, and in our work with diversity membership organisations.

Many of our people work flexibly in some way and we are open to considering how we can accommodate flexible working arrangements alongside role requirements. If this is important to you, please talk to us about it during the recruitment process.