Public Affairs - Account Director

About Citypress

We are a leading full-service communications agency that works with clients to promote and protect their brands and reputations.

Our team of over 100 people across the UK have diverse backgrounds and work together to deliver award-winning communications advice, political counsel and campaigns.

Citypress is independently run, employee-owned and one of the top employers in the PR sector. We have featured in The Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies list for four years, are the most-awarded agency in the PRWeek Best Places to Work awards over the last six years and have been named as a PRWeek Agency of the Decade.

We are an entrepreneurial agency with a great culture that backs people to develop their careers and deliver their best work.

Our culture is inclusive, and we actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We welcome people with different life experiences to bring valuable insight and perspectives to our agency and clients.

About this role

Our Public Affairs team is in a period of growth and is looking for an experienced Account Director to lead on client relationships, contribute to offer development, and drive commercial impact.

To succeed in this role, you will need strong links with Westminster and Whitehall, an excellent policy brain, and demonstrable experience advising c-suite level stakeholders on Government Relations – be that at an agency, or in-house.

As a leader in our agency, you will have decision making authority, commercial responsibility and work with a wide range of Citypress specialists, from creative campaigns to issues and crisis, to data and analytics. A key part of your role will be helping to ensure that our multi-channel approach to public affairs is well understood, both internally, and by the market.

Expertise in one or more of the food and drink, professional and financial services, or energy sectors is desirable, but not essential.

Role responsibilities

• Shaping and overseeing the strategy, direction and delivery of public affairs client programmes
• Refining and implementing Citypress' approach to public affairs and policy communications, helping to deliver thought leadership and trainings
• Maintaining senior relationships with clients and providing informed advice on often complex issues covering policy, politics and business
• Having expert knowledge of our services and sectors to provide the best counsel to clients
• Helping lead the public affairs team, driving lead generation and responding to new business briefs
• Full commercial responsibility for key clients

Role requirements

• Previous experience in senior public affairs roles either in-house or at equivalent agencies
• Proven ability in executing multi-channel issue campaigns, which span one or more of government relations, digital, creative, media, and crisis.
• Strong critical thinking and exceptional track record of leading clients and/or teams
• Proven ability to advise senior stakeholders and consistently deliver exceptional results
• Up-to-date knowledge of the business, media and political landscape in at least one of the food and drink, financial services, built environment and energy sectors
• AI-literate
• A positive and flexible attitude to work, with the ability to build relationships collaboratively across the business at all levels
• Ability to mentor and nurture the careers of colleagues by contributing to our learning and development programme

What we offer

• Competitive salary
• Performance bonus
• Annual tax-free share of profit payment via employee-ownership trust
• We work flexibly, spending three days a week in the office to collaborate and connect, and the rest wherever you work best
• Generous holiday allowance with additional days accrued with length of service
• Flexible benefits programme
• Enhanced family leave policies, with supported return to work programme
• Menopause and fertility policies and leave
• Support leave
• Paid career breaks
• Extensive learning and development programme
• Dedicated mentoring and coaching
• Healthcare plan, 24-hour GP service and employee assistance programme
• Flexible pension scheme
• Access to independent financial advice
• Company phone and laptop
• Interest-free loans
• Volunteering days
• Regular team days and company social events

If you need help with our application process, please contact recruitment@citypress.co.uk