ACCA, PR Manager

Job Purpose:

The PR Manager role is a new position for the global PR team and represents a key part of the ACCA’s corporate Public Relations function based in ACCA’s head office in London.

The post contributes significantly to ACCA’s strategic agenda of increasing ACCA’s reputation and influence. Initiative, creativity and the ability to work independently and under pressure are crucial to the post-holder’s success.

The role involves ensuring the busy PR department’s programme of global media relations work is successful and measurable, and that it links into other departments within the organisation; this role also has a strong focus on ACCA’s social and on-line media campaigns such as Twitter, working with the Marketing team and Customer Services. The role also includes a corporate communications function via speech writing for senior officers (President, Vice President and Deputy President) and the Chief Executive.

Key Responsibilities:

Overview: The PR Manager will be part of the in-house team which offers PR advice and support for the whole of ACCA. The role works to establish and develop relationships with journalists and the media (newspapers, magazines, TV, radio and relevant online media), with the aim of promoting a positive image of ACCA, its policies and activities.

This is an external facing role and requires someone with the ‘get up and go’ to engage proactively with UK and international media contacts. It will be critical that the post-holder is able to generate ideas for media coverage in the print and online media, working with colleagues across the organisation to achieve coverage and media mentions. The post holder will also work closely with ACCA’s PR agencies in the UK, Canada, and Czech Republic so experience of managing a PR agency is essential.

The post holder is also required to write high level and engaging speeches for the organisation’s senior staff and presidential line-up. The role includes a wide range of activities from writing news releases and blogs, to the management of media monitoring of ACCA’s global media coverage to tweeting about ACCA and the news agenda on a regular basis. Specific responsibilities include:

1. To plan and deliver PR activities for the organisation in liaison with other departments and ensure that these plans are in place and well executed.
2. Actively seeking opportunities to promote ACCA, through the media by researching, writing and distribution of media releases and briefings.
3. Writing news releases, articles, briefings and opinion pieces to place with the media and to sell-in these stories with media contacts building and maintaining media contacts for ACCA.
4. Writing high level, engaging and timely speeches for senior staff at ACCA (Chief Executive, President, Deputy President, Vice President, and other senior staff as relevant).
5. Managing the PR Officer to establish and maintain a database of key media and opinion formers, using an on-line database for this purpose.
6. Monitoring traditional and social media coverage for ACCA and producing regular reports for the Executive Team on targets for global media coverage and external online followers on Twitter, Facebook etc. This will involve working with ACCA’s social media team which is headed up in the Marketing department.
7. To support national offices with their media needs - print, social and online media as and when necessary.
8. Support the Head of Policy (Europe) with public affairs activities as directed in agreement with the Head of Public Relations as line manager.
9. To work on social media (on-line PR) projects and work streams with ACCA colleagues, especially in Marketing.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• An excellent team worker, willing to work across teams and across departments within ACCA
• A natural ‘self-starter’, capable of working both on his/her own initiative and as part of a team
• An expert in using online and/or social media to utilise communications objectives
• An excellent understanding of policy, current affairs and business issues
• Good media knowledge with a strong contacts book, and with an ability to identify and build new contacts
• Good influencing and networking skills, with the ability to liaise with people at all levels and from diverse cultures and backgrounds
• Creative and professional approach to work
• Educated to a minimum of honours degree level
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to use clear language to explain often complex issues

Additional Information:

The role requires the post holder to occasionally be on call at weekends and the evenings. This responsibility is shared with the PR team.

• Salary – will be £35,000-£45,000, depending on experience
• Annual leave – in addition to public/bank holidays is 22 days as well as three Christmas days’ leave
• Pension scheme – ACCA has a contributory Staff Pension Scheme which employees may join if they wish
• Travel loan – after six months’ continuous service with ACCA, each employee is eligible for an interest-free loan for the purchase of a season ticket
• Flex-time – ACCA operates a flex-time system with employees being required to work 140 hours within each four week period
• ACCA operates a non-smoking policy in all its premises