UKSIF – Media Relations Manager

Media Relations Manager
Candidate Information

Salary: £40-50k
Annual leave: 25 days holiday per annum plus 3 additional fixed days at Christmas / New Year.
Location: UKSIF’s central London office with flexibility for homeworking (subject to line manager agreement)
Reports to: Head of Public Affairs and Communications
Contract type: Permanent
Closing date: 7 April 2025

About UKSIF
The UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF) is the membership organisation for those in financial services committed to promoting a more sustainable and resilient financial system that works for the benefit of society, the environment, and us all.

UKSIF represents a diverse range of financial services firms committed to these aims, and our 300+ members, managing over £19trn in assets under management (AUM), include investment managers, pension funds, banks, financial advisers, research providers, NGOs, among others. Our members are a significant part of the UK’s financial ecosystem, and have a critical part to play in the change needed to progress the rapid decarbonisation of the economy and to address some of the pressing social issues facing society.

UKSIF and our members are hugely supportive of efforts to promote the sustainable finance agenda and work closely with policymakers and others to find new ways to overcome the barriers to the growth of sustainability in the UK.

Media Relations Manager role
UKSIF is seeking a Media Relations Manager to drive forward our dynamic media engagement work as part of our Public Affairs and Communications team. Working closely with UKSIF members, our media monitoring service, and both specialist ESG and mainstream media, you will support the drive to a more sustainable finance system and to achieving the UK’s net zero goals, ensuring that our calls for policy and regulatory change are heard by key stakeholders and ultimately delivered to help enact UKSIF’s vision for a more sustainable future.

You will lead the creation of a high-profile and effective media relations programme, working to promote the positive role of the UK’s finance sector in advancing the country’s transition to net-zero and addressing wider challenges facing society. The Media Relations Manager will work closely with UKSIF’s Head of Public Affairs and Communications and Chief Executive, while interacting day-to-day with our member firms’ press teams, journalists, trade associations and the wider sustainable finance ecosystem (e.g. think tanks and academia).

The role will be instrumental in enhancing the reputation and profile of UKSIF and our members and provide regular expert counsel on upcoming developments and how best to influence stakeholders. You will also be an important liaison with UKSIF’s partners and have day-to-day contact with our strategic communications agency supporting our programme of communications activities.

This is an exciting full-time position, suited to a candidate with experience of media engagement, managing sensitive topics and communications challenges. You will have a passion for driving positive change on sustainability, climate change, and social issues. You will need to have excellent written and verbal communication skills, sound judgement, a flair for driving change, and a passion for achieving UKSIF’s mission, to flourish in our growing, dynamic, and highly motivated team.

At UKSIF, we are supportive a team and value enthusiasm, work ethic and a can-do attitude. If this sounds like you, but you may not have extensive experience of every single requirement of the role, please consider applying, nonetheless. Please email joe.dharampal-hornby@uksif.org if you have any questions about the role or application process.

Key Responsibilities
• Forward planning and intelligence gathering, including news monitoring, engagement with partner organisations, maintaining a forward planner and recording all UKSIF media mentions.
• Responsive communications, including managing a 24/7 press office, urgent media outreach, promoting members’ mission-aligned activities and updating the website with press releases, media mentions, etc.
• Stakeholder relations, including maintaining a stakeholder map, and building relationships with trade and national journalists, as well as government press offices.
• Produce high-quality written materials, such as: op-eds, press notices, blogs, newsletter content, internal briefings for UKSIF’s Chief Executive in advance of journalist meetings. Lead on other media-related activities, such as bespoke briefings for journalists.
• Coordinate the communications launches of UKSIF policy papers, polling, etc.
• Coordinate efforts to respond to misinformation on sustainable finance, as well as associated issues such as Net Zero, in the media. Our response should include: UKSIF members speaking out in the trade media; message and strategy development and media outreach on issues such as “woke banks” or Net Zero; and policy, message, and strategy development on divisive social issues in this debate (e.g., the financing of defence companies).
• Act as a point of contact and liaison for a strategic communications agency, helping ensure KPIs and deliverables are met on time and to a high level of quality. Support reporting on communications KPIs to UKSIF’s Board and partners.
• Ad-hoc support for other UKSIF activities, including our annual events and conference programme, including moderating panel discussions, and engaging regularly with our membership to understand their core concerns (including email newsletters, one-to-one meetings, and our Policy Committee).

Person Specification
The successful candidate will have many of these attributes:

Very important
• A passion for UKSIF’s mission and a belief in a more sustainable economy combined with an understanding of members’ commercial aims
• Experience in proactive communications, generating press coverage, and a track record of sensitively handling challenging stories and emerging reputational risks
• Very strong written and verbal communications skills
• Strong organisational and project management skills
• Confidence in managing a broad range of stakeholders and building deep relationships with senior stakeholders
• Strong project management skills to deliver programmes and outputs to requirements and on budget
• A fast and accurate working style, excellent written and verbal communication skills, the ability to manage a wide variety of tasks, great judgement and excellent attention to detail
• Excellent strategic planning abilities, particularly to plan and implement strategic communications
• Awareness of the business and current affairs landscape in the UK
• Strong people skills and ability to build good relationships with stakeholders
• A ‘can do’ attitude who can perform well in a dynamic working environment, and client-focused mentality, going above and beyond to deliver for our members

Desirable
• Experience in a communications and media role in the financial services industry, wider business community or sustainability-focused organisation
• Experience operating in a not-for-profit environment or mission-led organisation
• Experience in a membership organisation, including an ability to engage with and relate to our varied membership and our goals
• A deep understanding of the wider political, economic, and business issues that affect the growth of sustainable finance
• Experience working with an external communications and public affairs agency
• A relevant degree or post-graduate qualification

We encourage you to apply if you meet the job specification, already have the right to work in the UK and have enthusiasm for what we do.

UKSIF is committed to maintaining a progressive and inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of ethnicity, race, gender, religious belief, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status or disability.

How to apply
Please send a covering letter explaining why you are suitable for this post and your available start date, together with your CV by email to joe.dharampal-hornby@uksif.org with your name and “Media Relations Manager” in the subject line.

If you require additional equipment, resources or support in order to participate in the job application or interview process, please let us know and we will work with you to ensure that your accessibility needs are met.

The closing date for applications is 7 April 2025. Unfortunately, we are not able to assist with work permit applications for this post.

www.uksif.org