ASSISTANT PR & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

Who we are We are William Reed. We are the leading expert in the global Food & Drink industry. From manufacturing through to retail and hospitality – we provide the inspiration, insight and connections to power our customers’ success. Our specialists are deeply engaged in their markets and are recognised as the most trusted professionals in their field. 50 Best is the global leader in premium hospitality awards events, widely recognised as the leading innovator within its field. Its brand portfolio now includes The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants, 50 Best Discovery, as well as The World’s 50 Best Bars, Asia’s 50 Best Bars and North America’s 50 Best Bars. The team launched the inaugural edition of The World’s 50 Best Hotels in 2023, marking the brand’s first foray into the travel sector. Position : Full time (35hr per week), permanent. Location : Crawley / Hybrid Communication is at the heart of the strategy to cement the 50 Best brand’s position as the leading global and regional authority in the restaurants, bars and hotels spaces, and to further establish the brand as a positive force in gastronomy – 50 Best is as much about building community within the hospitality sphere as it is about producing rankings – while delivering ROI-driven, multi-channel communication campaigns for its sponsors. The Assistant PR & Communications Manager will work as part of the PR team alongside the PR Director and PR Account Executive. The role will involve managing our communications operations with our network of international PR agencies, managing our global communications plan in collaboration with the PR Director, and executing effective programmes to increase awareness and develop a positive, credible and influential brand image amongst the media. The Assistant PR & Communications Manager will be expected to generate creative ideas for media engagement, manage project coordination, oversee the PR Account Executive, and to liaise with 50 Best internal teams to ensure smooth rollout of communication plans. What you'll be doing: External PR Agency Liaison Establish good working relations with all contracted PR agencies through regular contact Attend calls and meetings with contracted PR agencies regularly, as required Ensure overall PR timeline across the brand portfolio is kept updated, overseeing coordination with the PR Account Executive and with the PR agencies Manage agencies involved in the media relations of our events/activities from start to post event reports Assist PR agencies in arranging media interviews with key 50 Best spokespeople, chefs, bartenders and sponsors (when relevant) pre, during and post-awards events and ongoing in general for 50 Best brand In conjunction with PR agencies, develop key media messages, FAQs, media kits, and other necessary materials to support media pitching, story development and key interviews Proofread and provide feedback on press materials drafted by PR agencies Coordinate events media relations (on-site or remotely depending on the event) including event PR agency briefing and coordination, Press Conference and selection and distribution of assets (with support from your Manager and the PR Account Executive) Work with PR Director to set KPIs for PR agencies Public Relations Support PR Director and Director of Content in developing brand communication, vision and action plan across the brand portfolio Drive and facilitate press release development with Content and Partnerships teams from briefing to translations and approvals Assist with writing high quality and grammatically correct press materials, when required Maintain and deliver appropriate media lists for invitation or press release distribution, when an external PR agency is not under contract Oversee PR agency communication with PR Newswire on ongoing basis Manage process of liaising with Cision and ensuring media monitoring is up to standard for 50 Best brand and sponsors (with support from PR Account Executive) Oversee organisation of media guestlists for awards, liaising with the Partnerships team and PR agencies to ensure media guestlists for all events are coordinated and the process is streamlined Develop and maintain global press contacts through frequent communication and regular proactive contact with the media Continue to build a global database of media/influencers contacts from events and activities Monitor and delegate media queries as needed to PR Account Executive or PR agencies Liaise with chefs/bartenders, our key sponsors and their PR agencies where required Oversee (with support from Head of PR) hosted media programme for each awards, working in collaboration with host destination partner Ensure each brand in the 50 Best portfolio receives sufficient time and attention to achieve the required results defined by your Manager Support PR Director in managing process of countering negative publicity and crisis management overall (in alignment with Director of Content) Management & Administration Manage PR Account Executive on day to day task execution Perform administration, including but not limited to: updating and maintaining the master media database; creating templates and databases; organising PR folders on the server; maintenance of company filing systems, and ensuring PR agencies have access to information required Manage online Media Centre with Content team, and in collaboration with PR Account Executive ensure relevant press releases and assets are uploaded in a timely manner Meet team and company deadlines Communicate effectively and transparently with your team Attend weekly team meetings and report on activity Assist Head of PR and PR Account Executive in ensuring that all PR agencies preliminary and post-event PR reports are completed to a high standard and include all relevant data General To maintain an awareness of hospitality industry news in relevant markets Review publications and share relevant articles of interest with wider team Keep abreast of relevant industry events where 50 Best should have a presence Experience working in communications and publications (agency or in-house) Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate and forge relationships with the internal 50 Best team and externally with media Exposure to international communication including international PR, knowledge of media landscape outside the UK, managing PR events outside the UK Experience in PR event communication with significant attendees Proven track record in developing and delivering consumer-facing brand PR campaigns both at local and international level which deliver results Experience and understanding of media needs and relationships on an international basis Strong communication and presentation skills Excellent collaborative team-working skills; positive and professional attitude Excellent organisational and planning skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously Responsible and accurate with attention to detail A keen interest in the world of restaurants, bars and hotels Excellent knowledge of Cision (or equivalent media monitoring platforms), PowerPoint, and Adobe packages is desirable A willingness to travel and an interest in international travel Language skills a major advantage Company Benefits Include: 25 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays- increasing by one additional day after 6 years, up to a maximum of 30 days. An additional day of leave for you to take on a cultural celebration day or on your birthday if you like. A day for you! At William Reed, we call this our “MeDay”. A volunteer day to take for supporting a chosen charity and giving back to the community. Opportunity for hybrid working Contributory Pension Life Assurance Scheme Group Income Protection Enhanced family-friendly leave pay entitlements Wellbeing benefits, including: A health care cash plan, Employee assistance programme and a 12-month wellness calendar for company-wide health, wellbeing, diversity & inclusion awareness dates. Cycle to Work Scheme Electric Car Scheme Why work for us: We provide a supportive work environment and are committed to maintaining a healthy work/life balance for all of our employees. Working for William Reed means that you will be joining a stable organisation that is committed to developing its employees and brands. We warmly welcome and encourage applications from talented individuals of all backgrounds and characteristics. If you need any support in accessing this opportunity, please do not hesitate to discuss this with us.