St. James's Place (SJP) works in partnership to plan, grow and protect our clients’ financial futures. We deliver personalised, face-to-face financial advice to our clients, who trust us to manage their money to reach their goals. We provide this service via the Partnership, a network of qualified, expert advisors. We put financial wellbeing and responsible business choices at the heart of everything we do. We believe in the value of difference and know that diverse teams can help us problem solve and innovate for clients. We look for people to join SJP to make an impact and to contribute to our culture which is based around long term relationships, doing the right thing, and being the best version of ourselves. Location: London Paddington or Cirencester based. Some national travel (most likely between Cirencester, London etc) with some occasional overnight stays. Some flexibility around working hours expected from time to time. Workplace Type: Hybrid Employment Type: Permanent Seniority: Director As Director of External Communications at SJP, you will be at the forefront of our strategic journey in this strategic and influential leadership role. Working with our Executive team in respect of all aspects of external communications including PR, media and reputation for the SJP Group, you will be responsible for designing, delivering and embedding a high-impact strategy spanning all areas of external communications and channels. Interfacing with media, regulatory and monitoring bodies, policy makers, key external influencers and a diversity of stakeholders you will shape our future narrative. What you will be doing: Crafting and implementing a communications strategy that amplifies and enhances SJP's reputation and brand image. Creating, implementing and embedding a business-aligned approach to reach new and existing audiences, expand brand awareness and understanding, and advance our reputation and relations with our external stakeholders. Adopting a data driven approach, you will measure and report on sentiment and ROI. Develop and lead the execution of innovative external campaigns aligned with organisational goals, ensuring close collaboration with all relevant stakeholders. Leading and overseeing the integration of proactive media, digital and social media to stimulate media interest, build brand awareness and convey SJP messages effectively. Providing strategic counsel to the CEO and senior stakeholders on all matters relating to strategic external relations, external communications, social media and reputation. Being prepared to take immediate action when SJP's reputation might be under scrutiny and working collaboratively with all relevant teams. About you We’re looking for a proven executive communications leader with extensive experience of delivering high impact communication strategies with a measurable impact on brand and reputation. You’ll be able to lead, engage, empower and motivate a high performing team of communications professionals. A skilled influencer, a confident and articulate communicator and can quickly establish credibility, respect and build strong working relationships across a group structure. You’ll be used to working closely with board, committee and CEO level stakeholders in an advisory capacity. What's in it for you? Private Medical paid for by Company. Meaningful protection benefits with real value, such as 10X life cover, PHI, and critical illness. Non-Contributory Pension – 10% (increasing with length of service up to 15%) with further pension matching. Parental leave – 6 months full pay 28 days holiday entitlement plus bank holidays (based on full-time equivalent) with the option to buy up to an additional 5 days holiday Not applicable to Fixed-Term Contracts (standard uplift applies in lieu of the protection benefits) Flexible Working We know that everyone works best in different ways, at different times and in different environments. We have introduced a hybrid working policy to provide greater flexibility for part-time work, job-sharing, remote working, and flexibility on hours. Our people are encouraged to work in a flexible way that suits their lifestyle, so please ask the question and start a conversation Research tells us that applicants (especially those from underrepresented groups) can be put off from applying for a role if they do not meet all the criteria or have been on an extended career-break. If you think you would be a good match for this role and can demonstrate some transferable experience please apply, regardless of whether you tick every box. Reasonable Adjustments We're an equal opportunities employer and want to ensure our recruitment process is accessible and inclusive for all, if you require reasonable adjustment(s) at any stage please let us know by emailing us at careerssjp.co.uk What's next? Our team will be in touch. As a business regulated by the FCA we would advise you to familiarise yourself with the conduct regulations and in particular consumer duty obligations prior to an interview with SJP.