Media and Public Affairs Manager

Media & Public Affairs Manager

We're excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for a Media & Public Affairs Manager to join our Communications & Brand team. This senior role is pivotal in shaping our organisation's reputation, managing media engagement, delivering thought leadership, and supporting public affairs activity that positions us as a trusted leader in the insurance sector.

This role demands excellent media judgement, a strong news sense, and the confidence to advise senior leaders. You'll be a skilled communicator and relationship builder, capable of turning complex business messages into clear, compelling stories that resonate across audiences.

You'll collaborate closely with our Marketing team to amplify campaigns, identify thought leadership opportunities, and bring proactive storytelling ideas to life across earned and owned media channels.

We support flexible working, empowering our people to balance their time between home and the office in a way that works best for them, their team, and our customers. You'll work at least 40% of your week away from home, increasing to the majority of your working week from September 2025. This includes attendance at our head office, client visits, or industry events.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead external media relations and public affairs strategy across all lines of business.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with national, business, and trade media.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders on media engagement, profile building, and reputation management.
• Identify proactive media opportunities and manage media risks with sound judgement.
• Lead reactive media handling and issues management as needed.
• Shape and deliver thought leadership content and campaigns aligned with business strategy and reputation priorities.
• Work closely with Marketing to amplify campaigns and identify news angles.
• Draft high-quality press releases, media statements, briefing notes, speeches, and opinion pieces.
• Prepare and brief senior spokespeople for media engagements and speaking opportunities.
• Collaborate with European and global communications teams to localise and amplify campaigns.
• Engage with key external stakeholders including industry bodies, regulators, government, and business forums.
• Monitor public policy, regulatory, and reputational developments impacting the business.
• Manage PR agency relationships, set clear SLAs, oversee deliverables, and evaluate performance.
• Lead budget management for external communications, ensuring alignment with priorities and strong ROI.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Minimum 5-7 years' experience in communications, media relations, and/or public affairs (essential).
• Third-level qualification (degree) or equivalent combination of education and experience (essential).
• In-house communications experience (desirable).
• Experience managing PR agency relationships and communications budgets (desirable).
• Membership of relevant professional bodies such as PPRI or MII (desirable).