Job Title: PR and Communications Manager

Department: Engagement Group / Communications Team

Reports to: Head of Communications

Salary: £47,500 – £54,750

Contract: Permanent, Full Time

Location: Hybrid / London, EC4A and homeworking

The opportunity:

Better Society Capital (BSC) is the UK’s leading social impact investor. Our mission is to grow the amount of money invested in tackling social issues and inequalities in the UK.

This role is a great opportunity to help build our brand by telling our story and demonstrating our impact. You'll be working alongside experts at the cutting edge of impact investing at an exciting time of change for the nation and the sector.

As a member of the Communications team, you will lead on our work with national, trade and financial sector journalists (written, broadcast and online) to grow awareness of Better Society Capital and of the social impact investment movement, targeting our key audiences which range across asset owners (eg pension funds), the social sector and Government. Working with colleagues across our organisation and external corporate partners, you will shape effective communications plans, using traditional and digital channels.

To be successful in the role, you will need to be able to translate complex ideas into straightforward messaging and creative hooks to engage our audiences. You should be capable of striking the right balance of strategic thinking and rigorous execution, and keeping an ear-to-the-ground for opportunities to raise our profile and improve understanding of what we do and why we do it. We are a collaborative, agile team so we need someone with a can-do attitude, willing to roll their sleeves up and unafraid to ask for help when needed.

What you will do:

PR

• Increasing awareness and understanding of social impact investing and BSC through placing content in target media outlets, including: financial press, national and trade outlets.

• Create press plans around key corporate moments

• Managing the press office; dealing with ad hoc enquiries, the preparation and distribution of press releases, pitching for coverage, maintenance and extension of media contacts, media briefings

• Writing and editing content for a range of channels, including opinion pieces, blogs, press releases and corporate communications

• Establishing profile within the organisation as the go-to person for press related enquiries

• Working closely with Communications team colleagues on the creation of communications plans for the organisation spanning channels including web and social media.

  Media relations

• Maintaining and building relationships with target journalists via networking events, face to face meetings and calls

• Maintaining and building knowledge of latest UK news hooks and the opportunity these present for innovative presentation of the BSC story and social impact investment

Social Media

• Working with the Social Media Officer in driving engagement through social media channels

Monitoring, Measurement and Evaluation

• Overseeing the monitoring of coverage and preparation of data for evaluation to guide future activity

Compliance

• Reviewing financial promotions and ensuring compliance with regulations

Internal Communications

• Supporting colleagues to understand and promote key messages, including new joiners

• Helping on development and supporting on implementation, specifically keeping colleagues up to date on trending stories

Brand/Reputation Building

• Coordinating attendance/speaking opportunities at relevant conferences and events to help raise profile and understanding of social impact investment and BSC

• Representing Better Society Capital at industry networking events and conferences in conversations with external stakeholders

Management of PR Officer

• Manage and develop PR Officer to play a role in supporting the PR drive and building relationships with key journalist.

 

What you will bring:

Skills, Abilities and Attributes

• Strong financial or social investment sector experience

• Engaging writer across different media, with the ability to make the complex simple and exceptional attention to detail

• Creative flair and a natural storyteller with the ability to bring ideas to life

• Leading communications campaigns from initiation to evaluation

• Collegial, team player with a supportive approach and desire to be part of a close-knit team

• Genuine enthusiasm for the news, pitching and getting coverage – ideally with an existing range of strong media contacts

• Passionate about making a positive difference by helping to improve the lives of people in the UK

• An appetite for continual learning and development of skills and expertise

Embody Better Society Capital core values:

• Purposeful –We are passionate and energetic in our work to bring about our long-term vision of a thriving social investment market that enables positive social impact.

• Pioneering Spirit - We give our team the autonomy and flexibility to be entrepreneurial and creative. We have the courage to push boundaries and a restless drive for change

• Openness - We listen, learn, experiment and collaborate.  And we are adaptive and flexible in responding to what we learn.

• Rigorous - We take a rigorous approach in all we do.  We expect the highest standards and continually strive for excellence

• Respectful - We are genuine in both our approach and aspiration.  We value each member of our team and our partners for what they bring.

 

Experience

Essential

• Strong and relevant external communications experience

• First-hand understanding of UK national print, broadcast and digital media including social media, ideally with relevant journalist contacts

• Experience of financial services or investment management (in-house or agency)

• Proven track record of achieving positive media coverage and extending the reach of an organisation

• Media monitoring and evaluation

• Good knowledge of and comfort with digital communications, social media and emerging digital platforms

Desirable

• Line management experience

• Experience of working in social investment/impact investment or broader financial services

Don’t meet every requirement? Studies have shown that women and people from racialised communities are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

 

Other terms

Location: We are a UK-based business with an office in the Chancery Lane area of London, accessible to a number of public transport links. Our current approach allows colleagues to spend 40% - 60% of their working hours in the office, and the remainder from home. We hope that this working pattern encourages Better Society Capital employees to achieve a healthy balance between work and personal goals, as we continue to adapt to the changing needs of our diverse workforce.

Right to work: For this role candidates must have existing right to work in the UK.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: Better Society Capital is committed to being a diverse organisation that is truly representative of the communities we serve. We therefore welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, particularly those under-represented in the social impact investment sector (e.g. people from LGBTQIA+; racialised; disabled; under-served communities)

We are an equal opportunities employer with an inclusive environment where all employees can contribute to their fullest potential. We want every colleague to be able to deliver their work with dignity, equality, comfort and independence. Our office is fully accessible with step-free access and an open-plan set up. We are open to accommodation requests regarding assistive technologies, accessibility tools, flexible working or any other reasonable adjustments that will make working or visiting here more accessible for you. If you have a disability or other access needs and require any support to assist you through the recruitment process, please get in touch with Nica Gordon (People and Talent Officer) at ngordon@bettersocietycapital.com

How to apply:        

Please apply via Applied by 23:59pm on Sunday the 13th October.

Applied is a platform designed to minimise unconscious bias in recruitment. You will be asked some work-based questions which are reviewed anonymously by the hiring panel. Please note, while you will upload your CV, it will not be viewed by panel members at this stage, so we ask that you give full consideration to each answer.

           

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an initial telephone interview where possible, for all candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the job. We are defining a disability in accordance with the Equality Act 2010, as a person who has a physical or mental impairment, and the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. You will be asked in your Applied application whether this applies to you.

 

Interviews

Round 1 interviews will be held approx w/c 21st October 2024

Round 2 interviews will be held approx w/c 28th October 2024

You can find out more about our recruitment approach here