Vice President / Associate Director, Crisis & Risk

Job description

Edelman is a voice synonymous with trust, reimagining a future where the currency of communication is action. Our culture thrives on three promises: boldness is possibility, empathy is progress, and curiosity is momentum. At Edelman, we understand diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) transform our colleagues, our company, our clients, and our communities. We are in relentless pursuit of an equitable and inspiring workplace that is respectful of all, reflects and represents the world in which we live, and fosters trust, collaboration and belonging. Associate Director, Litigation Communications – Crisis & Risk Location: London, Victoria Contract: Full-time Working pattern: Hybrid About Edelman Edelman is a voice synonymous with trust, helping businesses and organisations evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations. We are the world’s leading independent communications firm, with more than 6,000 people in over 60 offices globally. Our independence and family ownership give us the freedom to invest in original thinking, long-term client relationships and work that helps organisations earn the lasting trust of their stakeholders. In the UK, more than 600 people are based in our Victoria office. We advise some of the world’s best-known businesses, brands and institutions across corporate reputation, crisis, public affairs, health, technology, capital markets, energy, research and analytics. About the team Edelman’s London Crisis & Risk team is the global Centre of Excellence for Edelman’s crisis communications capability and sits at the heart of our international crisis network. We counsel leading global corporations, brands and institutions through reputational challenges that matter. Our work spans live incidents and longer-burn issues, including litigation, regulatory scrutiny, cyber incidents, digital disinformation, executive transitions, corporate governance crises, societal issues, workplace misconduct, campaign controversies and geopolitical events. We advise far beyond media relations. Our work considers the full stakeholder picture, from regulators, policymakers, investors and employees to customers, campaigners, digital communities and the media. We work closely with colleagues across Edelman’s integrated practices, including Corporate Reputation, Public Affairs, Employee Experience, Digital, Creative, Edelman Smithfield, Trust and DxI. The role We’re looking for an Associate Director with strong litigation communications, legal affairs and crisis communications experience to join our UK Crisis & Risk team. This is a senior client-facing role, reporting to the Head of UK Crisis and Risk. You will operate across a number of clients, providing specialist litigation communications and legal affairs advice to clients and Edelman teams, while also contributing to wider crisis and reputational risk work. You will advise organisations facing complex legal, regulatory and reputational challenges, helping them communicate with judgement, discipline and credibility. This may include active litigation, regulatory investigations, class actions, employment disputes, corporate governance issues, competition matters, inquiries, enforcement action, activist pressure or matters where legal process and public scrutiny intersect. You will need to be comfortable working alongside legal teams, senior executives and communications leaders, translating complex legal issues into clear communications strategy while respecting legal constraints. The role is not only about managing media interest. It is about understanding how legal issues are judged by multiple audiences, how narratives develop, where reputational risk sits, and what clients should say, do and avoid under pressure. The role involves occasional out of hours work during live issues and fast-moving situations. Key responsibilities Client counsel and delivery Provide calm, clear and well-informed litigation communications and legal affairs counsel to clients facing complex reputational challenges. Advise clients and internal teams on communications strategy around active or potential litigation, regulatory scrutiny, investigations, disputes and other legally sensitive matters. Develop high-quality client materials, including risk assessments, stakeholder maps, legal and reputational scenario planning, communications strategies, messaging, Q&As, reactive lines, holding statements, briefing materials and escalation protocols. Work closely with lawyers, in-house legal teams, senior executives and communications leaders to ensure communications support legal strategy without allowing legal caution to create reputational exposure. Support and lead day-to-day client relationships across a varied portfolio of Crisis & Risk accounts. Provide strategic counsel across the full stakeholder environment, including media, regulators, policymakers, employees, investors, customers, campaigners and digital communities. Help clients prepare for hearings, judgments, regulatory decisions, inquiries, announcements and other moments where legal and reputational pressure may intensify. Contribute to live crisis response, including rapid counsel, issues assessment, messaging and coordination across teams and markets. Work within integrated Edelman teams and with colleagues across the global crisis network to support multi-market client challenges. Commercial and account leadership Manage client work to a high standard, ensuring strong project management, clear roles, deadline discipline and quality control across account teams. Support account financial management, including forecasting, budgeting, hours allocation and managing servicing levels. Identify opportunities to grow existing client relationships through smart counsel, proactive risk identification and relevant specialist support. Contribute to new business, including proposals, pitch materials, credentials, case studies and specialist litigation communications offers. Help build Edelman’s litigation communications capability in the UK by developing strong internal knowledge, practical tools and relationships with relevant legal and advisory partners. Team contribution Coach and develop junior colleagues, helping them build confidence in issues management, litigation communications and crisis response. Support a strong, collaborative team culture based on judgement, pace, accountability and high-quality client work. Share insight on emerging litigation, regulatory, policy and reputational risk trends that may affect clients. Work constructively with colleagues across Crisis & Risk, Corporate Reputation, Public Affairs, Digital, Workplace Advisory and Edelman Smithfield. What you bring Strong experience in litigation communications, legal affairs, crisis communications, corporate reputation, public affairs, journalism, law or a related field. A track record of advising clients or senior stakeholders on legally sensitive, high-pressure or high-profile issues. Strong understanding of how litigation, regulatory scrutiny and public reputation interact. Excellent judgement, including the ability to balance legal risk, reputational risk, stakeholder expectations and commercial realities. Confident client counsel skills, with the maturity to advise senior communications leaders, legal teams and executives under pressure. Excellent writing ability, with strong attention to detail and the ability to produce clear, disciplined materials at pace. Strong project and account management skills, including the ability to manage deadlines, teams, budgets and client expectations. An interest in current affairs, business, law, politics, media and emerging reputational risks. A collaborative style, with the confidence to work independently and the discipline to coordinate well across teams. Experience working with law firms, barristers, in-house legal teams, regulatory specialists or disputes advisers would be helpful. Legal training or a legal qualification is welcome but not essential. What matters most is strong judgement, legal literacy and the ability to advise clients credibly where legal process and public scrutiny meet. What success looks like You will be a trusted adviser to clients and teams on litigation communications and legal affairs. You will help clients make better decisions under pressure, produce work that stands up to legal and reputational scrutiny, and strengthen Edelman’s position as a leading adviser on complex disputes, investigations and crises. You will combine specialist expertise with broad crisis communications judgement, helping the UK Crisis & Risk team deliver high-quality work across live issues, retained accounts, new business and the development of our litigation communications offer. We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t perfectly align with every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.