Communications Specialist

The role

The Communications Manager will be a member of the global External Communications team and a trusted advisor on a range of media relations activity, reputation management and external visibility.  Role will report to the Global Head of External Communications and will cover external communications (80%) and internal communications support (20%).

Who you will work with

External Communications forms part of the firm's Brand, Communications & Marketing (BCM) function which plays a critical role in supporting the Firm in pursuing its strategic objectives. The BCM team proactively manages the Firm's brand and reputation across key stakeholder groups, supports internal engagement and alignment with the Firm's strategy and develops our profile in support of our commercial objectives.

This role will work directly with the global external communications team, BCM business partners, global external comms colleagues and senior internal stakeholders. They will also collaborate closely with other specialists across the firm i.e., Knowledge and Thought Leadership to ensure that our communications activity supports and enables the success of our client strategy, strengthens our value proposition to clients and sets us apart from our competitors.

What you will be responsible for

• Developing and implementing proactive media engagement strategies for specific growth priority practice areas and sectors as well as supporting on other areas of strategic importance to the firm including positioning Clifford Chance as a leader in innovation and AI-powered legal technology solutions.

What you will do

• Support on the development of key media messaging that effectively differentiates Clifford Chance and enhances brand equity across strategic priority areas.

• Develop/maintain direct relationships with key top tier, sector facing and legal media titles.

• Continuously monitor media landscape and the news cycle to proactively position Clifford Chance in key strategic growth sectors and markets.

• Collate report and analytics for earned media generated for key campaigns.

• Seek opportunities in target media to amplify global external thought leadership content for key campaigns in partnership with editorial content team and BCM business partners.

• Develop profiling opportunities for key senior talent through media showcasing diversity, unique culture of the firm and its leadership on key topics impacting legal and professional services sector.

• Coach team members and other colleagues on strategic media relations best practice.

• Liaise with external agency on specific projects and profiling campaigns.

Your experience

You will have experience across communications disciplines with a particularly strong background in media relations and internal communications.

You will be able to demonstrate:

• Experience in implementing effective communication strategies, as part of holistic brand and communication campaigns based on data and deep understanding of external trends and key media narratives.

• A strong track record in amplifying insights and thought leadership and deploying multiple channels to build brand profile and market reputation.

• Experience in a professional services or complex corporate environment with international exposure.

• Experience of developing a network of external publications/journalists and leveraging established to advance the firm's narrative and meet business objectives.

Skills

• A strong strategic mind-set and commercial acumen, able to provide advice that is aligned with the Firm's goals, culture and organisational structures. Able to marry that strategic thinking with pragmatic delivery, and a willingness to roll up your sleeves and get involved on project implementation.

• Data literate – able to – and in the habit of – using data to drive improvements.

• Superior writing skills and ability to set and implement highest editorial standards around development of audience-specific, persuasive and concise copy.

• The ability to work effectively in a complex influence-based matrix structure, interfacing successfully with a wide range of teams, willing to engage with senior stakeholders, gaining buy-in for new approaches and ways of working.

• A confident people manager adept at identifying and developing talent, with strong coaching skills.

• A track record of being a highly collaborative team-player, with high levels of personal accountability, who welcomes the opportunity to work with others to identify opportunities and solutions, and who builds strong working relationships across stakeholder groups.

• Resilient under pressure.

• Commitment to developing your own skills and understanding of best practice.

• The ability to work with a global perspective, with sensitivity to multiple and diverse cultures.

• Excellent prioritising skills and the ability to make judgement calls on where to add value.

• Ability to demonstrate a track record of being pro-active and delivering high quality work both personally and through a team.

How we will support you

From your first day with us, you will have varied opportunities to continuously grow and development your skills and knowledge. From formal training, informal coaching and mentoring through to skills-based and technical training and on the job learning.

Who we are

We are one of the largest international law firms in the world. With over 30 offices across the globe, we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients, providing them with the highest-quality advice and legal insight, which combines the firm’s global standards with in-depth local expertise.

Our firm, work and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. We offer our clients a truly international perspective. We believe every career should be rewarding and stimulating - full of opportunities to learn, thrive, and grow. That’s why we’re so proud of our inclusive, friendly, and team-based approach to work.

You’ll find our clients in commercial and industrial sectors, the financial investor community, governments, regulators, trade bodies, and not-for-profit organisations. But no matter who they are or why they’ve reached out to us, we provide a world-class service every step of the way. And that’s possible thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and conscientious approach to work that you’ll find across all of our teams.

Whichever area of the business you join, you’ll become an integral part an innovative, diverse and ambitious team of people. Clifford Chance is a place where the brightest minds and the best of colleagues meet.

Hybrid Working

This role follows our 'balanced' hybrid working approach and as long as business needs allow, you will be supported to work in a hybrid way with the expectation of working from the office for a minimum of 50% of your time.

Equal opportunities statement

At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society. 

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age.  This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.

We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.

Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm. 

Find out more about our inclusive culture here.

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