Senior External Communications Manager

Barclays requires a Senior External Communications Manager to work in the corporate communications department. The role sits within the external communications part of the team which supports corporate and investment banking.

You’ll be working on a hybrid basis, 2-3 days pw in the offices (Tues & Weds) in Canary Wharf, the remaining days from home.

This is a one-year contract role based in London.

Overall purpose of role

As a Senior External Communications Manager, you will be a member of the global External Communications team supporting the Corporate and Investment Bank, which is comprised of Investment Banking, Global Markets and Research. The candidate will support the creation and delivery of the external communications strategy and plan; promote, protect and defend the businesses’ reputation; and manage the delivery of external communications activity across a range of businesses, topics and themes. 

Key Accountabilities

• Collaborate and execute on a comprehensive external communications plan which aligns to the Barclays’ strategic objective of “delivering sustainable growth in the CIB”

• Plan and support on global media strategy for Barclays’ Corporate and Investment Bank business through partnership with a global team and with key editors, columnists, and influencers at top-tier financial news outlets

• Assist in the execution of Barclays’ CIB spokesperson strategy, a new initiative for 2023 that will build the next generation of leaders in the CIB and ensure they can speak about a broad range of topics and strategies

  • Help to design thought leadership campaigns and content to engage stakeholders across a range of channels including traditional and digital media 

• Serve as the global external communications co-lead for Global Markets, partnering closely with CIB brand and Marketing

• Assist with global IB awards processes, including helping with the pitch procedure

• Identify and lead strategic media meetings with business spokespeople 

• Support on monitoring, measurement, and evaluation of CIB media activity

• Monitor and evaluate media coverage relating to Global Markets and Research businesses 

• Assist with quarterly coverage reports for the business

• Work collaboratively with Employee Communications and CIB Brand and Marketing teams on project work spanning both internal and external communications

• Monitor compliance with the Barclays Media Policy

Key Skills and experience required:

• Solid PR experience, gained either in a PR agency or in-house environment

• Established relationships with editors, reporters, opinion-formers and columnists at tier-one financial news outlets – primarily Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal, and the Financial Times

• A degree in Communications, Marketing, Journalism, English, Economics, or a closely related field would be ideal, though experience is most important

• Previous experience working in financial services and ability to understand technical subjects is a must

• Strong working knowledge of UK national, regional and trade media, and of European media

Essential Experience:

• External communications experience as a senior communications manager 

• You will need to have worked in Financial Services

• Solid experience in investment banking (Not retail banking)

• Must understand investment banking, in particularly research and financial markets

• Must have worked as a PR Manager

• Must have established relationships with the media

• Have a network of media contacts across national, broadcast and trade press

• Experience in proactive and reactive media relations gained either in agency or in-house, covering a fast-moving, news environment

• Experience delivering and executing creative campaigns and press office activity to build advocacy and reputation 

• Experience of handling sensitive issues, such as media complaints

About Barclays

About Barclays Corporate and Investment Bank

Barclays is a consumer and wholesale bank, supporting individuals and small businesses through our consumer banking services, and larger businesses and institutions through our corporate and investment banking services. Our Corporate and Investment Bank is comprised of the Investment Banking, International Corporate Banking, Global Markets and Research businesses; it provides money managers, financial institutions, governments, supranational organisations and corporate clients with services and advice for their funding, financing, strategic and risk management needs. For further information about Barclays Corporate and Investment Bank, please visit our website www.cib.barclays.

About Corporate Communications

Corporate Communications manages and orchestrates all internal and external communications for Barclays. The department plays a critical role in how Barclays stakeholders including investors, employees, and the general public perceive the firm.

About External Communications

The External Communications team is responsible for delivering Barclays’ messages in a challenging and highly regulated environment. Specifically, the team manages issues potentially impacting Barclays’ reputation, communicates Barclays’ strategy via the media, and places articles and announcements to communicate the corporate narrative in tier 1 financial news outlets. The external communications team is also responsible for the governance processes around Barclays colleagues speaking with the media, and public speaking engagements at conferences or other events.  

Purpose and Values

We deploy finance responsibly to support people and businesses, acting with empathy and integrity, championing innovation and sustainability, for the common good and the long term.

Our values underpin everything we do: Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship.

Respect

We harness the power of diversity and inclusion in our business, trust those we work with, and value everyone's contribution.

Integrity

We operate with honesty, transparency and fairness in all we do.

Service

We act with empathy and humility, putting the people and businesses we serve at the centre of what we do.

Excellence

We champion innovation, and use our energy, expertise and resources to make a positive difference.

Stewardship

We prize sustainability, and are passionate about leaving things better than we found them.

Our Mindset shapes how we take action, living by our Values, driven by our Purpose, always with our customers and clients at the heart of what we do; our Mindset is to Empower, Challenge and Drive.

Empower 

Trust and support each other to deliver. Make decisions with those closest to the topic. Include diverse perspectives. Celebrate success and learn from failure.

Challenge

Question whether things can be done better. Use insights based on data to inform decisions. Be curious about how we can adapt and improve. Speak up and be open to alternative viewpoints.

Drive

Focus on outcomes. Deliver with pace. Be passionate and ambitious about what we do. Take personal responsibility. Actively build collaborative relationships to get things done.

Your Benefits

As a contract employee of Randstad Sourceright, you’ll receive a wide range of financial and personal benefits. There’s enrolment in a pension plan (after 12 weeks on assignment) and holiday pay. You’ll also get 24/7 access to an Employee Assistance Programme, designed to help you deal with any problems that could be affecting your home or work life. Plus, there’s discounts at heaps of high street shops, restaurants and entertainment - from Asda to Zizzi Italian restaurants.