Corporate Communications Media Manager

At M&G, our purpose is to give everyone real confidence to put their money to work. With a heritage dating back more than 175 years, we have a long history of innovation in savings and investments, combining asset management and insurance expertise to offer a wide range of solutions.

Our two distinct operating segments, Asset Management and Life, work together to provide access to balanced, long-term investment and savings solutions.

Through telling it like it is, owning it now and moving it forward together with care and integrity; we are creating an exceptional place to work for exceptional talent.

We will consider flexible working arrangements for any of our roles and offer workplace adjustments to ensure you have the support you need to succeed in your role.

This is a Corporate Communications Media Manager role with responsibility for building and managing M&G’s reputation with corporate media audiences, third parties and other key external stakeholders. The role sits within M&G’s External Relations team as part of the Corporate Affairs, Brand and Sustainability (CABS) team reporting to the Head of Media Communications. 

We are looking for an individual who enjoys working in a team and is passionate about securing media coverage and is equally comfortable managing reputational issues. The ideal candidate will have experience operating within a media team of a financial services, a highly regulated environment or relevant agency experience. They will have a strong understanding of the media demands facing a FTSE 100 company, including the financial reporting cycle, corporate issues shaping M&G’s external environment, UK political developments, regulation and sustainability-related issues. 

The main elements of the role include:

• Building relationships with journalists to raise M&G’s share of voice across corporate, City and business media and specialist trade media, including sustainability media publications.
• Managing the delivery of major corporate announcements with the media, including M&G plc’s financial calendar, profiling our leadership team and initiatives to support the Group’s strategy, including corporate campaigns. 
• Managing and responding to media requests and producing relevant briefing material for use by senior business spokespeople.  
• Proactive management of reputational risks and corporate issues to minimise adverse media coverage and ensure timely correction of inaccuracies where possible. 
• Developing M&G’s perspectives on industry themes and prominent public policy initiatives that cut across Group, Life and Asset Management for use with media.
• Owning the administration and governance related to the Group’s media policy, including all compliance and audit requirements, press coverage monitoring and measurement and overseeing our internal media training process.
• Drive the use of AI tools, including agents, to support and improve the wider media team’s work. 
• If you are an avid consumer of news with an interest in business media and politics and enthusiastic about how corporate and public policy can shape risks and opportunities for M&G, we would encourage you to apply.

Key accountabilities for this role

Press Officer responsibilities

• Act as company representative at press briefings and external events, including but not limited to conferences and trade shows.
• Produce press releases, media briefings and relevant Q&A for a range of corporate issues and industry themes, including political developments, regulatory and public policy and sustainability topics.
• Perform out-of-hours duties as on-call press officer in line with a rota agreed within the team.
• Evaluate the success of media activity and contributing to broader evaluation metrics, by reviewing coverage generated on an ongoing basis and for each project or campaign or associated KPIs.
• Manage, direct, and evaluate the activities of all other suppliers working on campaigns or ad-hoc projects to time and to budget.
• Work with the wider Corporate Affairs team on and to deliver specific projects and activities as directed by the Head of Media Communications or Head of External Relations.

Implementing M&G’s Corporate Communications media plan

• In line with the External Relations strategy, and with the direction of the Head of Media Communications, devise and implement media relations programmes and strategies in City and business, regional, national, trade, sustainability and broadcast media to support the delivery of the Group plc plan.
• The ability to translate business strategy into actionable media plans and align the Media Relations team’s activity with the wider strategy. The role holder will play an integral part in amalgamating forthcoming media activity to ensure strong coordination, collaboration and integration with colleagues across the Corporate Affairs and Brand department.
• Work with the wider Corporate Affairs, Brand and Sustainability (CABS) team, and other key stakeholders and wider teams, to own and develop M&G’s corporate messaging for use with media audiences.
• Working with the Head of Media Communications manage the media programme for financial results and the delivery of major Group corporate announcements. This includes developing key messaging, briefing, Q&A material and responding to media queries.
• Run and manage the external programme of media engagement for our General Executive Committee members across their respective specialist interests.

Corporate issues management

• Understand and identify the potential wider impact of external developments impacting M&G’s operating environment (both proactive and reactive opportunities), providing guidance to develop responses to media issues, including working with colleagues in Policy & Public Affairs and other business areas to devise strategies and responses to political announcements.
• Contribute to the development of a wider programme of proactive corporate campaigning in relation to the business, national, regional, trade and sustainability press.
• Manage regular media liaison with key contacts in the City and Business journalists and trades that follow our sector.
• Work with Media Relations and the wider External Relations to manage incoming media enquiries and potential issues by gathering information and drafting messaging.
• Liaise with all departments across the Group – both external and internal facing – to identify media and broader corporate opportunities and risks and advise on mitigations.
• Brief and disseminate business-critical information to the Head of Media Communications, wider team and, where appropriate, other teams across the business.

Coordinating media team standards and governance

• Working with the wider Media Relations team and our subsidiaries to ensure we have a consistent approach and standards to media activity across the Group. This includes our approach to media training, strategy development and articulation, and management of both proactive and reactive media activity.
• Work with colleagues within CABS and the wider business to support and promote the activities of the Department.
• Owning the administration and governance of the Group’s media policy, including all compliance and audit requirements and overseeing our internal media training process.
• Proactively seek ways to implement AI tools into ways of working to improve efficiencies, enhance output and ensure consistent adoption across the Media Relations team through trialling and testing. This includes working alongside our Digital colleagues with our Technology department to ensure we are utilising existing tools and building AI agents as required.

Key knowledge, skills, and experience

• Previous financial services experience is preferred but not essential, but experience of working within a highly regulated sector is. An awareness of the UK FS sector and a good understanding of the challenges and opportunities is essential.
• Proven experience of raising the corporate profile of an organisation across a range of media. This will include developing, planning and executing communications strategies and corporate campaigns.
• Demonstrable knowledge of corporate communications and how they influence media, particularly City and business and sustainability media.
• Strong understanding of how public policy issues and UK politics impact a FTSE 100 company.
• An understanding and interest in AI and how it can be implemented within a media relations team to improve efficiencies, reduce admin and enhance output and operations.
• Proven experience of day-to-day media liaison, and confidence in dealing with and briefing journalists in all formats – face-to-face, orally and in writing.
• Demonstrable ability to manage complex media issues – particularly potentially negative ones – effectively in a commercial and highly scrutinised environment.
• Demonstrable ability to rapidly produce high-quality, high-impact and persuasive written materials.
• Excellent communicator to all levels (written, verbal and interpersonal).
• Previous experience in financial calendar work is preferred but not essential.
• Ability to brief and influence senior colleagues within the business.
• Understanding of media measurement and evaluation techniques, evolving trends and how to implement these across international markets.
• Flawless external stakeholder management, creating durable, transparent and meaningful relationships.
• A proven and driven self-starter willing to use and take the own initiative, taking the lead on issues where necessary, and driving matters forward.
• Effective problem solving and decision-making ability in a fast-paced and changing environment with a complex mix of stakeholders.
• Strong organisational and management skills: the ability to consistently deliver excellent results under pressure with minimal supervision and to strict deadlines.

What we offer:

We’re dedicated to supporting your wellbeing and helping you thrive, both at work and beyond. Our benefits are designed to help you balance your professional and personal life, and financially plan for the future. Our UK benefits include:

• A valuable pension scheme of up to 18% (13% made up of employer contributions and 5% employee contributions).
• Access to our Share Save and Share Incentive Plan, alongside financial wellbeing and support services to help give you real confidence to put your money to work.
• Enjoy 38 days annual leave (including bank holidays), with the opportunity to purchase up to five extra days. Our Time Off When You Need It policy gives you the flexibility - to balance work and personal commitments.
• Our market-leading Inspiring Families policy includes comprehensive support and paid parental leave covering maternity, adoption, surrogacy, and paternity leave - because supporting families is an important part of our inclusive culture.
• Health & Protection cover includes Private Healthcare, Critical Illness cover and Life Assurance for you, with additional family options - for peace of mind.

To explore more about life at M&G and our full benefits offering, visit Life at M&G

At M&G we strive to have a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture, underpinned by our policies and employee-led networks that offer networking, support and development opportunities for the diverse communities our colleagues represent. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds – across gender, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation and more – including neurodivergent individuals, career returners and those with military service experience.

M&G is proud to be Level 3: Disability Confident Leader under the UK Government Disability Confident employer scheme, and we welcome applications from candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions. If you would like to participate in the initiative, you will have the opportunity to indicate this on your application.

We are committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process. All candidates have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments when applying. If you need any additional support at any stage, please contact us at: [email protected]