Sustainability Communications Manager

As a Vice President, Sustainability Communications Manager, you will be supporting the development and execution of the Group-level multi-channel and audience communications strategy in relation to global challenges, positive impact, business growth and managing reputational risk to support Barclays’ climate strategy. You will be responsible for creating content and campaigns that are multi-channel focused and for amplification to a broad range of stakeholders and audiences. You will also make an important contribution to writing and co-ordinating sustainability content for our disclosures.

Supporting the Head of Sustainability Communications and working closely with Employee Communications, Digital, Strategic Policy, and Media Relations, to help track the Sustainability / ESG landscape to identify challenges and opportunities for strategic communications and deliver best-in-class communications across both traditional and digital channels in order to differentiate and establish Barclays as an industry leader in ESG and Sustainability.

Primary Responsibilities:

Develop and execute a communications strategy to support Unreasonable Impact.

Support the creation of key messaging and content for thought leadership, including associated social media amplification.

Support delivery of ESG reporting/disclosures, in partnership with the Finance/IR and Sustainable Finance teams.

Help co-ordinate and prepare messaging for speaking events and stakeholder meetings when needed.

Support the Group Media team in managing media opportunities, as appropriate.

Develop employee engagement content and materials, working closely with Employee Communications.

Be a champion of best practice sustainability communications and disclosures and share learnings across PPCR.

Be aware of and understand sustainability and ESG-related policies, standards and/or regulations that may impact Barclays, as well as upcoming policies and the anticipated direction of travel.

To be successful as a Sustainability Communications Manager, you should have experience with:

• Extensive experience of campaigning and working with the media (e.g. as a journalist or PR professional), preferably in financial services.

• Experience of financial reporting, including ESG disclosures.

Understanding of current sustainability issues, policies, news and politics, including relevant sustainability and reporting standards and frameworks.

• Experience in developing and implementing communication strategies and content campaigns across all platforms.

• Experience in managing agencies and multiple stakeholders, including senior management and third-party vendors, across multiple locations.

• Ability to develop effective and collaborative working relationships.

You may be assessed on the key critical skills relevant for success in role, such as risk and controls, change and transformation, business acumen strategic thinking and digital and technology, as well as job-specific technical skills

This role is located in London.

Purpose of the role

To communicate execution of the bank’s strategy and objectives effectively to the relevant external stakeholders. 

Accountabilities

• Delivery and execution of the bank’s external communications strategy so that messages are communicated effectively to the relevant stakeholders across multiple channels, both owned and earned.
• Development of strategy aligned campaigning/ tactical content/ news flow that clearly and effectively communicates the banks values, goals and objectives to the public.
• Maintenance of external stakeholder relationships, such as media outlets and industry groups, so that messages communicated through press releases, owned channels and media statements correctly demonstrate the   bank’s strategy values and reputation.
• Reputational risk minimisation and management for the Bank and its senior leadership through effective advice of risk mitigation, and effective management of negative news flow/ crisis issues.

Vice President Expectations

• To contribute or set strategy, drive requirements and make recommendations for change. Plan resources, budgets, and policies; manage and maintain policies/ processes; deliver continuous improvements and escalate breaches of policies/procedures..
• If managing a team, they define jobs and responsibilities, planning for the department’s future needs and operations, counselling employees on performance and contributing to employee pay decisions/changes. They may also lead a number of specialists to influence the operations of a department, in alignment with strategic as well as tactical priorities, while balancing short and long term goals and ensuring that budgets and schedules meet corporate requirements..
• If the position has leadership responsibilities, People Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others..
• OR for an individual contributor, they will be a subject matter expert within own discipline and will guide technical direction. They will lead collaborative, multi-year assignments and guide team members through structured assignments, identify the need for the inclusion of other areas of specialisation to complete assignments. They will train, guide and coach less experienced specialists and provide information affecting long term profits, organisational risks and strategic decisions..
• Advise key stakeholders, including functional leadership teams and senior management on functional and cross functional areas of impact and alignment.
• Manage and mitigate risks through assessment, in support of the control and governance agenda.
• Demonstrate leadership and accountability for managing risk and strengthening controls in relation to the work your team does.
• Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the organisation functions to contribute to achieving the goals of the business.
• Collaborate with other areas of work, for business aligned support areas to keep up to speed with business activity and the business strategies.
• Create solutions based on sophisticated analytical thought comparing and selecting complex alternatives. In-depth analysis with interpretative thinking will be required to define problems and develop innovative solutions.
• Adopt and include the outcomes of extensive research in problem solving processes.
• Seek out, build and maintain trusting relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders in order to accomplish key business objectives, using influencing and negotiating skills to achieve outcomes.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.