Agile Working Options

Other Agile Working Arrangements / Open to Discussion

Job Description Summary

We are looking for a dynamic communications professional who is able to demonstrate an ability to balance proactive, innovative communications with the fast-paced pressures of expertly managing reactive situations and potentially sensitive issues management. The successful candidates for this role will proactively support the development, implementation and management of media relations and external communications strategy for core areas of Lloyds Banking Group and its brands.

The Media Relations Team is at the heart of the business’ communications and plays a crucial role to help the Group achieve its goals. The team sits within the Group Corporate Affairs function and is the Group’s eyes, ears and voice to the media and wider world. Our role is to deliver compelling stories that bring to life the Group’s strategy for the outside world, while also communicating effectively on live issues in a way that promotes and protects Lloyds’ reputation. It’s crucial that the Group communicates its strategy and its support and service to customers in a clear and convincing way across its Retail, Wealth and Commercial businesses to ensure external stakeholders understand the overall picture. We do this directly, through our daily engagement with media – national, broadcast, regional, trade – but also through the insight and counsel we give to the Group’s management team and business areas.

Job Description

Lloyds Banking Group is a leading UK based financial services group providing a wide range of banking and financial services, focused on personal and commercial customers. We are a simple, low-risk, customer focused UK financial services provider with distinctive and sustainable strengths. Combined through our purpose, our culture, our aim and our brands, the Group has a unique customer proposition enabling us to serve the financial needs of our customers in one place.

We're looking for a dynamic communications professional committed to a career in media relations and able to demonstrate an ability to balance proactive, innovative communications with the fast-paced pressures of expertly handling reactive situations and potentially sensitive issues management. You'll proactively support the development, implementation and management of media relations and external communications strategy for core areas of Lloyds Banking Group and its brands.

The Media Relations Team is at the heart of the business’ communications and plays a crucial role to help the Group achieve its goals. The team sits within the Group Corporate Affairs function and is the Group’s eyes, ears and voice to the media and wider world. Our role is to deliver compelling stories that bring to life the Group’s strategy for the outside world, while also communicating effectively on live issues in a way that promotes and protects Lloyds’ reputation. It’s crucial that the Group communicates its strategy and its support and service to customers in a clear and convincing way across its Retail, Wealth and Commercial businesses to ensure external stakeholders understand the overall picture. We do this directly, through our daily engagement with media – national, broadcast, regional, trade – but also through the insight and counsel we give to the Group’s management team and business areas.

The role we're recruiting for has traditionally included oversight of media engagement on the Retail part of our business, including personal finance and consumer topics. For example, the current role holder is responsible for supporting and delivering strategic media campaigns with a focus on consumer topics such as first-time buyers, money management, and children’s savings, across our Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland brands. The role also includes elements of support for corporate issues and digital topics.

You must have the expertise and experience to address a number of key areas for the role, including:

• Providing experienced professional advice and guidance to senior stakeholders on media and PR-related issues.
• A track record of building and maintaining strong relationships with a range of journalists and developing a good understanding of the factors shaping their thinking; using this knowledge and intelligence in a strategic and tactical way and to enhance and also protect reputation.
• Anticipating opportunities for proactive and impactful PR, alongside providing guidance on the appropriate positioning for the Group and divisions.
• Implementing thorough media plans (integrated with wider comms and digital and social media channels) to support strategic announcements.
• Supporting spokespeople, including identifying and capitalising on opportunities
• Supporting the out-of-hours media on-call process
• Developing and delivering reactive and proactive media relations, including leading integrated PR campaigns, preparing communications materials, writing press releases, managing media issues and working collaboratively with PR agencies where appropriate. The successful candidate will also support in the sign-off process of statements and media lines.
• Guiding and influencing business decisions when impacting Group reputation.
• Supporting the development of a media relations strategy to deliver key long-term strategic messages externally.
• Supporting Group Incident Management processes, as appropriate.
• Representing the Group at industry events to gain maximum benefit for the Group.
• Demonstrating positive working relationships across a wider Group Corporate Affairs division or communications function.
• Promoting cross-team working within a Group Corporate Affairs function through a highly collaborative attitude and approach.

What we need from you...

• Excellent oral and written skills, including extensive previous media relations experience.
• Validated proactive and reactive media handling skills and will be able to balance challenging priorities across both
• Strong contacts with relevant correspondents in personal finance, banking and financial services across national, regional and online media.
• A proven ability to work under pressure, manage time effectively; be a strong team player and to work closely with colleagues from multiple teams.
• Experience of managing difficult and sensitive issues, crisis management, special situations projects.
• Ideally, knowledge of retail banking, personal finance, and the wider market.

Want to hear more?

You’ll be offered a competitive package which includes...

• salary, dependant upon location
• bonus,
• a generous pension contribution and
• Flex cash to spend on a host of benefits to suit your lifestyle.

We're dedicated to giving you opportunities and support to develop you both professionally and personally to optimise your potential.

As a new colleague, you’ll join us on our journey to build a 21st century bank that reflects modern Britain, and craft an inclusive culture where all colleagues feel welcomed and valued.

We're committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the customers and communities we serve, and to building an inclusive environment where all our colleagues can be themselves and succeed on merit. We support the principles of agile working and are happy to consider flexible working arrangements. We're an equal opportunity employer and deeply value diversity within our organisation.

Together we make it possible!

At Lloyds Banking Group, we're driven by a clear purpose; to help Britain recover. Across the Group, our colleagues are focused on making a difference to customers, businesses and communities. With us you'll have a key role to play in shaping the financial services of the future, whilst the scale and reach of our Group means you'll have many opportunities to learn, grow and develop.

We're focused on creating a values-led culture and are committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the customers and communities we serve. Together we’re building a truly inclusive workplace where all of our colleagues have the opportunity to make a real difference.