Associate Director

Byfield; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private Health insurance

Annual bonus depending on performance

Hybrid working

25 days annual leave (+ bank holidays)

Office closure during Christmas without pay deduction

Job summary

Byfield is looking for an Associate Director to join their Disputes, Investigations, Crisis and Risk team. This senior position involves leading teams, advising clients on complex legal issues, and driving business development.

The ideal candidate will possess significant experience in litigation PR and crisis communications, demonstrating expertise in commercial discipline and client engagement. Benefits include hybrid working, an annual bonus, and 25 days of annual leave.

Qualifications

• Experience in crisis communications and reputation management within an agency environment.
• Ability to guide clients through reputational implications.
• Expertise in delivering strategic counsel on complex matters.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire teams while ensuring consistent delivery.
• Set communications strategy aligning with legal and reputational considerations.
• Act as a trusted senior adviser to clients on high-stakes matters.

Skills

Significant experience in litigation PR

Deep expertise in disputes and crisis communications

Excellent media relations skills

Strong track record in business development

Demonstrated experience leading high-performing teams

Ability to build senior-level client relationships

Job description

Byfield is a fast growing and entrepreneurial PR consultancy providing reputation counsel across the legal sector to major law firms and legal sector advisory businesses, legal tech providers and industry bodies within the profession. We advise clients across Corporate Communications, Crisis PR and Litigation PR, advising some of the biggest names in the legal sector and on the important issues that impact business, society and the economy, and the law and legal services.

A role has become available for an Associate Director to work within our Disputes, Investigations, Crisis and Risk team. The successful candidate will be required to-

• Lead and inspire teams, ensuring high performance and consistent delivery
• Set clear roles, expectations and priorities across teams
• Coach and mentor junior team members, supporting their development and progression
• Contribute to training, best practice and team culture

Commercial and business development

• Play a leading role in new business generation, including originating opportunities, contributing to proposals and growing existing mandates
• Demonstrate strong commercial discipline, including scope management, margin protection and revenue growth

This is a senior leadership role, responsible for delivering strategic counsel to clients on complex, high-stakes situations while contributing to the growth and development of the agency. This role combines strategic leadership, client advisory, commercial impact and people development.

Associate Directors are expected to operate as trusted advisers to senior clients, lead multi-workstream matters, and play a key role in winning and growing business.

Key responsibilities

• Act as a trusted senior adviser to clients on litigation, investigations and crisis situations
• Set and lead communications strategy, ensuring alignment with legal, regulatory and reputational considerations
• Provide clear, confident counsel during fast-moving or high-pressure situations
• Lead senior client relationships across complex or high-value matters, including stakeholder engagement
• Guide clients and work closely with legal teams and other advisers on reputational and stakeholder implications
• Lead media engagement strategies across high-profile or sensitive matters, exercising strong judgement in complex situations
• Oversee delivery across multiple workstreams and accounts, ensuring quality, efficiency and strategic alignment
• Maintain oversight of timelines, risks and outputs to ensure projects run smoothly
• Team leadership

Desired skills and experience

• Significant experience in litigation PR, crisis communications or reputation management within an agency environment
• Deep expertise in disputes, investigations and crisis communications, with strong judgement on legal and reputational issues
• Proven ability to act as a senior adviser on complex or high-stakes matters
• Excellent media relations skills, including handling sensitive or high-profile situations
• Strong track record in business development, including winning new work and growing existing accounts
• Strong commercial awareness, including experience managing budgets, scopes and profitability
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing high-performing teams
• Ability to build trusted, senior-level client relationships and act as a strategic partner
• Expertise in delivering clear, high-impact strategic counsel on complex, sensitive matters
• Ability to strengthen the agency’s reputation, capabilities and market positioning

Benefits

• Excellent training and development programme
• Annual bonus depending on company performance and individual performance
• Hybrid working
• 4.30pm finish on Fridays
• Workplace pension (3% employer contribution)
• Regular social events and Christmas party
• Christmas gift vouchers
• Laptop supplied to enable remote working
• Private Health insurance
• Enhanced maternity/paternity leave
• Fruits and treats in the office
• Mental health and wellbeing group and individual sessions
• 25 days annual leave (plus UK Bank holidays)
• FREE half day leave per month (equivalent to 6 days extra leave per year)
• Office closure during Christmas and the New year, without deduction of annual leave

If you have the skills required and are ready to start your exciting career in legal PR, please send your CV and covering letter to [e-mail]