Media Relations Specialist

Job Description:

Job Title: Media Relations Specialist

Corporate Title: Assistant Vice President

Location: London

Company Overview:

At Bank of America, we are guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better through the power of every connection.  Responsible Growth is how we run our company and how we deliver for our clients, teammates, communities, and shareholders every day.

One of the keys to driving Responsible Growth is being a great place to work for our teammates around the world. We’re devoted to being a diverse and inclusive workplace for everyone. We hire individuals with a broad range of backgrounds and experiences and invest heavily in our teammates and their families by offering competitive benefits to support their physical, emotional, and financial well-being.

Bank of America believes both in the importance of working together and offering flexibility to our employees. We use a multi-faceted approach for flexibility, depending on the various roles in our organization.

Working at Bank of America will give you a great career with opportunities to learn, grow and make an impact, along with the power to make a difference. Join us!

Location Overview:

Our London office is based just a stone’s throw from the magnificent St. Paul’s Cathedral on bustling King Edward Street. Here you’ll find modern workspaces and a state-of-the-art auditorium space. In addition, we’re proud to host an onsite restaurant that shares our commitment to sustainability by providing delicious seasonal menus which have been created with the planet in mind. Make sure to take time for yourself and head up to our rooftop terrace and take in the spectacular views across London. Finally, your physical wellness is well-catered for with our onsite gym facilities and medical centre.

The Team:

The role sits within the EMEA Communications Team which is made up of approximately 12 people with responsibilities split across the business lines of the bank. The team is part of a global external communications function the role also requires working closely with colleagues across the wider Communications, Marketing and Corporate Affairs function in delivering best in class support for the bank.

Job Description:

Responsible for providing external communications support across all aspects of our EMEA media relations platform. The role reports to our International Head of Communications, working closely with four Senior Vice Presidents, External Communications.

Responsibilities:

• Support the team with day-to-day media relations activities; directing and responding to press enquiries, assisting with media interviews and ongoing relationship-building programs.
• Support with proactively identifying ways to promote Bank of America in the media, including pitching thought leadership to top-tier media.
• Help organise media roundtables, press briefings and media training.
• Draft press releases, media flashes, by-lined articles and editorial content, often working to tight deadlines.
• Draft messaging, Q&A documents and spokespeople quotes.
• Identify new media opportunities, including podcasts and online content.
• Manage and execute written award submissions.
• Contribute to media monitoring, analysis and reporting processes.
• Support the external communications team with managing PR Agency relationships.
• Manage and commission projects to an established roster of third-party PR agencies working for the bank across the EMEA region.
• Maintain communications library, including media lists, announcements, biographies and photography.
• Proactively develop relationships with relevant journalists.
• Identify opportunities on social media and working with the social media and marketing teams to create engaging copy and digital content.
• Collaborate with key business partners including line of business executives, legal and compliance.

Required Experience:

• A track record of working in an external communications role  in-house or with a relevant freelance or agency background.
• Knowledge and some experience of dealing with range of different media, from national to trade press and social media.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to multi-task and work extremely well under pressure and within tight timeframes.   
• Sound judgment and good instincts regarding media engagement.
• An eye for detail.
• Enthusiastic – high energy, high integrity, team-oriented with a well-organised “can do” approach.
• Ability to work proactively and collaboratively with an impeccable approach to reputational risk. Must be a team player.
• Good relationship management, interpersonal and organisational skills.
• Knowledge and enthusiasm for the financial services marketplace and the products and processes of the bank.
• Ability to learn quickly, often understanding very technical material.

Benefits of working at Bank of America –
 UK

• Private healthcare for you and your family plus an annual health screen to help you manage your physical wellness with the option to purchase a screen for your partner
• Competitive pension plan, life assurance and group income protection cover if you become unable to work as a result of a disability or health reasons
• 20 days of back-up childcare including virtual tutoring and 20 days of back-up adult care per annum
• The ability to change your core benefits as well as the option of selecting a variety of flexible benefits to suit your personal circumstances including access to a wellbeing account, travel insurance, critical illness etc
• Use of a flex fund to use towards benefits
• Access to an emotional wellbeing helpline, mental health first aiders and virtual GP services
• Ability to donate to charities of your choice directly through payroll and the bank will match your contribution
• Opportunity to access our Arts & Culture corporate membership Programme and receive discounted entry to some of the UK and Ireland’s most iconic cultural institutions
• Opportunity to give back to your community, develop new skills and work with new groups of people by volunteering in your local area

Bank of America:

Good conduct and sound judgment is crucial to our long term success. It’s important that all employees in the organisation understand the expected standards of conduct and how we manage conduct risk. Individual accountability and an ownership mind-set are the cornerstones of our Code of Conduct and are at the heart of managing risk well.

We are an equal opportunities employer and ensure that no applicant is subject to less favourable treatment on the grounds of sex, gender identity or gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, race, religion or belief, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, socio-economic background, responsibility for dependents or physical or mental disability. The Bank selects candidates for interview based on their skills, qualifications and experience.

We strive to ensure that our recruitment processes are accessible for all candidates and encourage any candidates to tell us about any adjustment requirements.