Professional Services Correspondent

Aboutus Ft; Greater London; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave

Medical cover

Parental leave

Gym memberships

Community volunteering

Job summary

The Financial Times seeks a professional services correspondent to join the London Newsroom, expanding coverage of the sector as AI disruption reshapes advisory work. You will break news on top firms and contribute to FT’s global governance and IT consulting reporting.

Working with colleagues in London and New York, you’ll deliver scoops, deep analysis and clear storytelling about how AI, growth, and regulatory scrutiny affect major consultancies and the Big Four, with a focus on strategy,

Responsibilities

• Bring in high-profile scoops about the big professional services firms on issues such as: work won and lost, financial performance, strategic changes, adoption of AI and technology, behaviour and workplace culture, regulatory interventions, leadership changes and M&A.
• Deliver deeply reported analyses on the changing business models of professional services groups, their business relationships with AI, tech and software groups and their importance in wider society.
• Be the first to report on the roles of consultants in big corporate stories in other sectors, such as turnaround plans and strategic overhauls at blue-chip companies.
• Weekend shifts are required as part of the newsroom rota.
• Working with, and providing cover for, reporters on the professional services team during absences.

Job description

About us

The Financial Times is one of the world's leading news organisations, globally recognised for its authority, integrity and accuracy, with a mission to deliver quality information and services worldwide.

At the FT, curiosity thrives and ambitious thinking is rewarded. Here, you're given the chance to reach millions, create work that matters and deliver impartial journalism in a polarised world.

In our warm, collaborative culture, you'll connect with a diverse community of experts who support your growth, career aspirations and wellbeing.

Your future at the FT will be filled with opportunities that challenge and inspire you. With no fixed path, you'll discover new skills and forge a career that can take you anywhere.

Build a newsworthy career at the FT.

The role

The Financial Times has an opening for a professional services correspondent to join the London Newsroom.

This is a new role designed to expand and elevate our coverage of the professional services sector as the world's top corporate advisers respond to AI disruption, slower growth and intensifying scrutiny on their activities.

Professional services is a core part of the FT's global corporate coverage and this reporter will be expected to break news on the big strategy and IT consultancies, particularly McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, Bain and Accenture, as well as contributing to covering the advisory operations of the Big Four - Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC.

Working closely with our other professional services reporters, in London and New York, the correspondent will chart how AI is reshaping the sector globally. The technology threatens to wipe out parts of consultants' businesses and kill off their traditional hourly billing model. But executives argue that the upheaval also presents a massive opportunity for the sector as companies seek advice on how to overhaul their IT, workforces and strategies.

There is scope to break stories about job cuts and changes to the sector's staffing model as firms respond to sluggish demand and turn to AI to do tasks previously carried out by armies of junior consultants. The role will involve working with the FT's global network to dig into how AI is disrupting IT consulting firms' lucrative business implementing enterprise software products from the likes of SAP and Salesforce.

The reporter must be able to deliver scoops and inside-the-room insight on the executives who run the big consultancies, their pay and C-suite power dynamics within the firms. The professional services sector has long been a source of regulatory and reputational scandals, while the incursion of private equity has fuelled the growth of challengers to the dominant players, offering great scope for original reporting that can attract readers to the FT.

You will have to work closely with colleagues from across the newsroom, particularly the US Professional Services Editor and the London-based Accountancy Correspondent. You will also be expected to contribute across different media as the FT expands its professional services coverage.

Key responsibilities

• Bring in high-profile scoops about the big professional services firms on issues such as: work won and lost, financial performance, strategic changes, adoption of AI and technology, behaviour and workplace culture, regulatory interventions, leadership changes and M&A.
• Deliver deeply reported analyses on the changing business models of professional services groups, their business relationships with AI, tech and software groups and their importance in wider society.
• Be the first to report on the roles of consultants in big corporate stories in other sectors, such as turnaround plans and strategic overhauls at blue-chip companies.
• Weekend shifts are required as part of the newsroom rota.
• Working with, and providing cover for, reporters on the professional services team during absences.

The use of AI

Original reporting, great writing and intelligent commentary lie at the heart of FT journalism. Our readers trust us to produce quality journalism that is accurate, fair and insightful. This is why FT editorial staff do not by default use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to write articles or create other reader-facing content. For specific and pre-approved cases, AI can be harnessed for certain tasks, such as assisting data research for investigations.

We expect applicants to the FT newsroom to refrain from using AI in their test submissions, and any written materials should be a genuine reflection of their own knowledge, skills and experiences. We encourage candidates only to employ AI as a tool to help with research and interview readiness for a role.

Candidates should be aware that the use of AI throughout the application process is monitored to ensure a fair and transparent hiring process for all.

Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion

We believe in the power of unique perspectives and want all voices in our organisation to be heard, respected and valued. A supportive workplace is one where employees feel they can be themselves and operate to their full potential. We are committed to removing barriers for everyone, with a focus on addressing those faced by underrepresented groups.

What's in it for you? Our benefits

Our benefits vary by location but we are committed to providing best-in-class perks across all our offices. These include generous annual leave, medical cover, inclusive parental leave packages, subsidised gym memberships and opportunities to give back to the community.

• generous annual leave
• medical cover
• inclusive parental leave packages
• subsidised gym memberships
• opportunities to give back to the community

Full details of our benefits are available here.

FT Newsroom staff are expected to work onsite a minimum of three days per week, subject to role requirements and regular review. While flexible working requests will be considered, not all patterns are suitable for Editorial roles.

Accessibility

We are a disability confident employer and Valuable 500 signatory.

Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments/personalisation as part of the application process or to enable you to attend an interview. If you would like to discuss your requirements or have any questions, email [e-mail] and a member of our team will be happy to help.