Public Relations Manager

Up to £50,000 depending on experience 

City of London – St Paul’s EC4M 8BU 

Ref: 3908

Permanent Position

Phoenix Group is currently recruiting for a Public Relations Manager in our London office. Within this role you’ll support the Head of Corporate Communications to protect and enhance the Group’s reputation within the City and Corporate media. Responsibilities will include managing shareholder media communications including financial calendar and M&A, as well as raising the profile amongst the industry and investor audience of our senior team. 

Phoenix has built a hugely successful, well respected and rapidly developing business that joined the FTSE 100 in 2019. Now the UK’s largest long-term saving and retirement business, this is an exciting time in the Group’s evolution. Phoenix is looking to strengthen its Corporate Communications team with a number of new appointments, to help it achieve its ambitions as a customer purpose driven business with a clear role in society that actively leads and shapes the debate in the market.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the development and implementation of a media relations and public affairs strategy which protects, grows and enhances our brand and reputation with the City and Corporate media

• Produce and manage communication plans and oversee the meetings and events calendar.

• Develop relationships across the business to understand priorities and needs, and ensure strong relationships maintained with the media

• Produce a range of written outputs including press releases, content packages and briefing notes.

• Represent the business at external events to share the company’s views and gather insights.

• Identify proactive opportunities to enhance the company’s brand and reputation with PR audiences.

• Effectively manage conflicting business priorities in order to obtain optimum outcomes.

• Manage all risks appropriately and escalate where required.

• Maintain clear knowledge and understanding of the business, including technical aspects, and regulatory reporting responsibilities

What we’re looking for

• Financial Services PR experience (essential)

• Proactive stakeholder management skills: building and maintaining a wide range of relationships both within the company and externally – e.g. journalists, industry bodies, etc. (essential)

• Robust experience of engaging the media and industry on issues of importance to our business (essential)

• Previous experience of managing relationships with an external agency (desirable)

• Previous experience working within a retirement or savings industry (desirable)

• Proven ability to provide effective communications counsel to colleagues within the business - including the C-Suite (desirable)

About Us

To date, Phoenix Group has been known externally as a specialist in the consolidation of Heritage (closed) life and pension funds. Following the acquisition of Standard Life Assurance Limited, Phoenix became Europe’s largest consolidator of closed life and pension funds with businesses in the UK, Germany and Ireland. The acquisition included a large Open book and Phoenix now holds a broad range of both Heritage and Open products split across three key business segments: UK Heritage, UK Open and Europe.

With the acquisition of ReAssure Group plc in July this year, Phoenix has become the UK’s largest long-term savings and retirement business with C.14million policies and C.£300 billion of assets under management.

Phoenix is the leader in the safe and efficient management of UK Heritage business. Heritage comprises products that are no longer actively marketed to customers and has been built through the consolidation of over 100 legacy brands. 

The Open business manufactures and underwrites new product and policies to support people saving for their future in areas such as workplace pensions and self-invested personal pensions. Our Open business includes our growing BPA business. We also generate new business through our market leading brand – Sun Life – which sells a range of financial products specifically for the over 50s market.

Phoenix has achieved remarkable growth during our time listed on the London Stock Exchange, joining the FTSE100 in 2019. We have recently welcomed a new CEO in Andy Briggs and a number of other new Executives to the organisation.  

We have ambitious growth plans in the Open market and recognise the importance of Sustainability to ensure our future success. We occupy a prominent position in the FTSE100 and with our large customer base and considerable assets under administration, we have a clear social purpose which we can use to influence and foster change both in our sector and the wider economy.  

N.B. When on the Phoenix Careers site, first time visitors will be asked to register before applying.

Closing date: Midnight, Sunday 6th September 2020.