Director, Crisis practice

Director, Crisis practice, London

FGS Global is a leading global stakeholder advisory firm, with offices in the UK, North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Our London office is currently seeking an ambitious, commercial and driven candidate at Director level, with deep experience in crisis and issues management to join our Band 1 rated crisis and issues management team (Chambers 2024). The candidate will join our expanding crisis practice, playing a lead role in the growth of our crisis preparedness offering as well as working on live crisis issues, across a range of areas including cyber incidents; food safety and product recalls; complex cross-border mandates, litigation and crises of a digital nature, such as deepfake incidents.

The ideal candidate will have experience working primarily with corporates on crisis matters, have strong capabilities in stakeholder management, including excellent top-tier media relations, and have built a strong network of potential referral sources in the advisory community. As well as execution, an important part of the role will include supporting the UK crisis team and our global colleagues with new business development activities including speaking opportunities and events and supporting colleagues with training and development.

It is an exciting time to be joining the Crisis practice at FGS Global, with Crisis & Litigation a key growth area for the firm.

Key Responsibilities:

• Day-to-day account lead who can provide excellent strategic counsel for retained crisis and issues management clients.
• Leading and overseeing production of key crisis preparedness materials including crisis protocols and playbooks; development of compelling bespoke crisis simulation exercises and reputation risk audits.
• Developing and facilitating crisis training programs including workshops for clients who want to improve their crisis readiness capabilities.
• Key adviser to clients in live crisis situations, helping to shape strategy, lead day-to-day execution, and manage the wider team.
• Establishing strong relationships within account teams and clients via great leadership, teamwork and collaboration.
• Supporting the growth of the firm through strong networking, proactive horizon-scanning for new opportunities and contributing to new business proposals and pitches.
• Commercial acumen, with drive to support the growth of the firm, through strong networking, and proactively horizon-scanning for new business opportunities. Expected to play a critical role in new business proposals and pitches.

Necessary attributes

The ideal candidate will have deep experience in crisis and issues management:

• 7+ years of experience in a PR agency environment or other crisis role which has involved deep experience with stakeholder communications
• Team player, with a global mindset
• Strong work ethic, resilience and calmness under pressure
• Ability to earn the confidence and trust of key stakeholders in a crisis situation
• Significant experience of leading crisis preparedness programmes, as well as handling live crisis incidents
• Excellent media relations skills and deep understanding of the wider stakeholder universe and the role they can play in crisis
• Strong understanding of digital crisis, including strategies for addressing social media crises as well as key monitoring, evaluation and horizon scanning tools
• Excellent referral network in the wider crisis advisory community
• Organised, efficient and trusted to deliver to deadlines
• Strong personal integrity and acts as a role model and ambassador of the firm’s values
• Commercial acumen, with drive to support the growth of the firm
• Bachelor’s level degree or MBA or equivalent

Skills

• Writes in a clear and persuasive style; demonstrates a high professional standard for client documents, client emails and internal materials, including strong attention to detail; demonstrates ability and judgement to adapt writing style based on client, situation and advice required
• Proficient in the use of AI, online/digital tools, social media monitoring and distribution channels
• Proficient in Powerpoint, InDesign and Excel.

About FGS Global

• FGS Global is a leading global stakeholder advisory firm, with 31 offices across North America, Europe, Middle East and Asia, and over 1,400 multidisciplinary experts based in the world’s major financial, government, business and cultural centers.
• We are trusted advisers to boards, senior executives and legal counsel of many of the world’s most successful companies, institutions and organisations. FGS Global has its roots in four venerable firms across the world of strategic communications: Finsbury, Hering Schuppener, The Glover Park Group and Sard Verbinnen & Co.
• As an award-winning consultancy, including being ranked as Band 1 for crisis communications in the UK and globally by Chambers & Partners, we have managed some of the most complex communications challenges of the last three decades. We help clients communicate with clarity and impact when it matters most: during times of opportunity, change and crisis.
• A vibrant, diverse workforce is good for business, and as a global, talent-driven organization, our people are our greatest asset. By bringing together experienced, intellectually curious professionals from a range of backgrounds, we offer our clients the best-informed and most creative advice.
• The firm provides combined support in Transaction & Financial, Crisis & Issues Management, Global Public Affairs and Strategy & Reputation Communications, supported by research insights & data, digital & social strategy, media planning and creative solutions.

Package & benefits

• Base salary competitive according to merits of the candidate
• Participation in discretionary Company Bonus Scheme (dependent on the performance of the individual and the performance of the company)
• Pension (8% company contribution; 3% individual contribution)
• 26 days contractual leave
• Gym membership
• Private Healthcare
• Private Travel Insurance
• Private Dental Insurance
• Life insurance of 4x basic annual salary

Our normal working hours are 8.30am to 6pm. This position may sometimes require working late nights and at weekends due to the unpredictable nature of crisis work, but we do not have a culture of working unnecessary long hours.