Director, Consumer Industries

Opportunity

An exciting opportunity here at Brunswick for an experienced Director to join our Consumer Industries Team in London. We work with many of the world’s biggest businesses across consumer goods, retail, leisure, and food and drink, and we’re looking to grow our team of sector specialists with an additional senior team member.

The consumer sector is uniquely high profile and our clients find themselves at the centre of many of the dominant issues of our time. We develop targeted communications strategies which help our clients to engage with critical stakeholders on the issues that matter most and navigate challenges when they arise. We have an incredible network of specialist and international colleagues who ensure we are well-placed to meet clients’ needs - whatever and wherever the challenge is. We pride ourselves on our long-term client relationships, and many of our clients have worked with us for a decade or more.

We are looking for candidates either from an agency background (with ten years’ plus experience), or from an in-house or media background. We look for people who are passionate about the sector, can write well and have good networks. At the same time, they need to be willing to roll their sleeves up and get stuck in for clients as part of a close knit team where everyone’s views are heard.

As a Director, you will lead on the development and delivery of strategic communications plans and provide senior-level advice to a broad range of clients. You will develop and land regular and proactive ideas for clients, advising on critical issues impacting some of the world’s most influential businesses and playing a leading role as day-to-day point of contact for your clients.

You will also develop strategies to approach and cultivate new business targets using a strong internal network that includes talent from across Brunswick’s entire offering, as well as your own external network.

You will ensure the smooth running of teams by establishing clear roles, managing performance, and ensuring that all key stakeholders and client needs are being covered by the team. You will work closely with Partners on all aspects of client management, including account finances, fee negotiation, and adviser meetings.

Key Responsibilities

• Advise CIG clients on a range of issues, both specific to the sector and practice group and applicable to businesses more broadly.
• Develop and maintain strong and trusted relationships with senior client contacts to deliver strategic advice.
• Drive large, complex account teams, providing strategic direction and overall accountability.
• Actively extend internal and external networks and draw insights and opportunities from these.
• Regularly manage sensitive and complex media and/or regulatory issues.
• Work with a variety of client and pitch teams, serving as a regional practice group / sector expert for other geographies and specialist offers.
• Use deep knowledge of the consumer sector to promote new business approaches and ideas.
• Identify new opportunities to deliver additional Brunswick expertise to clients; actively pursue and secure extensions of client relationships.
• Act as a leader on teams, providing strategic direction based on Partner guidance and ensuring teams are working effectively.
• Foster development of team members’ skills; serve as development mentor for junior colleagues.

Knowledge, Skills, and Competencies

• A strong track record either working in an advisory role within CIG, or consulting experience advising CIG clients.
• 10+ years’ relevant professional experience.
• Deep understanding of business and the consumer sector, with first-hand experience of handling highly topical issues, and an extensive network from which to draw intelligence.
• An understanding of the interplay between corporates, the financial community, the political and regulatory arena and social stakeholders.
• A strong understanding of corporate positioning, and how to develop strategies that can translate into programs with real sustained impact.
• Experience in media-handling, with extensive knowledge of the consumer media landscape, would be highly beneficial.
• Ability to operate effectively in a commercial, self-starting, and fast-paced environment.
• Experience advising senior business leaders with efficacy and diplomacy.
• Ability to connect with and leverage the skills and expertise of colleagues, to deliver the best possible advice, campaigns and programs to clients.
• A strong verbal and written communicator with high EQ levels and an engaging presentation style.
• A global perspective and experience working with international businesses or organisations.
• A balance of creative and analytical thinking, bringing rigor, accuracy, and attention to detail.
• A natural team-worker who prefers to work in a collegiate way.

Our Benefits

In addition to life assurance, group income protection, and employer pension contribution, we offer:

• Annual discretionary bonus
• 25 days’ annual leave, excluding bank holidays (plus your Birthday off)
• Private medical cover and employee assistance programme
• Family-friendly policies
• Complimentary artisan coffee, tea and snacks, served by our own barista
• Daily breakfast in the café
• Lunch & Learn training sessions
• Cycle 2 work scheme and season ticket loans
• Flexible working, including support with your home working environment
• Eye care, including annual eye tests
• Regular social, cultural and charitable activities
• A comprehensive training and development curriculum

• Give as you Earn
• Menopause Policy

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Maintaining and strengthening a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace are pillars of Brunswick’s culture and key to our future success. Valuing and supporting every colleague as an individual while helping them reach their full potential is critical to attracting and developing our greatest strength – our people. By embracing our differences and diverse perspectives we create richer experiences within our firm and enhance the quality of the ideas and advice that we deliver to our clients.

Brunswick is an equal opportunities employer and our Equal Opportunities Policy is available on request.

About Brunswick Group

Brunswick is a critical issues firm. We advise the world’s leading companies on how to navigate the critical issues they face and engage with their critical stakeholders.

Our purpose is to help our clients play their role in the world more successfully. We help the leaders of the world’s great value-creating organizations operate successfully across the increasingly complex and fast-changing arenas of finance, politics and society at large.

Brunswick is one firm globally, operating as a single profit centre. This allows us to respond seamlessly and effectively to clients’ needs wherever they are in the world.

Background

Founded in London in 1987, Brunswick’s global partnership has grown organically to 27 offices in 18 countries. We began as a M&A and financial communications firm and, over time, expanded our capabilities to provide expert advice to our clients on a range of business critical issues. We invested in new offices, sector teams and practice groups including investor engagement; shareholder activism; governance; regulatory and public affairs, including geopolitical; crisis; litigation; social issues including climate change and diversity, equity and inclusion; cybersecurity, data and privacy; employee engagement; digital communications; opinion research and analysis, and; creative services.