PR Specialist

Essential Job Functions

Drive the planning and delivery of London-focused transactional media engagement in close collaboration with the Associate Director, through:

• Acting as a day-to-day point of contact with the press, with a particular emphasis on the firm’s transactional practices focused on financial services, M&A, private equity, private credit and capital markets.
• Leveraging knowledge of the financial services, asset management and private equity sectors to identify and pursue media opportunities that resonate with key target audiences.
• · Identifying suitable profile opportunities including comment pieces, byline articles, case studies and more across national, broadcast, trade and regional titles.
• Building and maintaining relationships with target reporters and monitoring editorial calendars of relevant publications.
• Scheduling and organising media briefings, including preparing partners for media interviews and advising on press response techniques.
• Generating story ideas and pitching these to relevant titles to secure positive media coverage.
• Writing press releases, articles and other communications materials, including crafting angles to improve the newsworthiness of practice news/announcements.
• Building and maintaining media contact lists on our media database.
• Regularly attending practice group meetings and engaging directly with partners to identify and deliver media opportunities which support practice group business plans and enhance the firm's market profile.
• Working closely with external PR agencies to ensure EMEA PR activities are co-ordinated.
• Complying with and supporting PR team admin processes for proper media tracking, activity reporting, conflict checking, etc.
• Other duties as assigned.

 Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Excellent organization skills. Ability to prioritize and coordinate own work, multitask efficiently and work under tight deadlines and in stressful situations.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills. Capable of generating first drafts that require minimal revision.
• Good grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension.
• Proven ability to deal with complex subject matter – preferably legal.
• Attention to detail and quality work product.
• Experience using PR tools including PR media database and media monitoring platforms.
• Highly motivated and collaborative, with strong interpersonal skills and a proactive approach.
• Polite, professional, positive manner.
• Keen to learn and to develop.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information appropriately.
• Sound knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and social media channels including LinkedIn. Education and Experience
• Degree level educated. with an emphasis on English, communications or similar.
• 3-5 years of relevant PR / communication experience, including experience in financial services, asset management, private equity or private credit media relations.
• Significant UK media contacts including UK and global financial services and asset management media contacts.
• An understanding of the UK legal media landscape is preferred.