MCA, Senior News and Finance reporter

Are you a Senior News Reporter looking for your next challenge?
 
MCA is a news service for board-level operators in the eating and drinking out sector. This includes casual dining chain restaurants like Wagamama, Nando’s and Pizza Express, food-to-go operators like McDonald’s, KFC and Five Guys, pub chains like Greene King and Wetherspoon, coffee shops like Starbucks and Costa, and more. As a paid subscription service, MCA uncovers the news behind the news and offers insight and analysis into the opportunities and challenges, individuals and concepts shaping the sector. As such, it’s essential reading for operators, suppliers, industry watchers and analysts.
 
We are looking for a reporter with substantial experience in a fast-paced journalistic environment to produce breaking news, exclusives, analysis, profiles and interviews with industry figures, cover new openings and report on executive people moves. Strong digital and social media skills are a must as MCA is a web-first operation (with a monthly edition currently produced digitally). The ability to share the team responsibility for early starts (7am) is also essential.
 
MCA has a busy events portfolio across the year, and the team shares responsibility for speaker recruitment and hosting sessions, face to face and online, for conferences and roundtables discussions.
 
This is a fast-paced role and the upsides include opportunities to attend industry events and openings, eat out and enjoy the hospitality industry once it reopens fully!

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Break news and populate the MCA website with fresh content on a daily basis 
• Send out a daily newsletter, to be shared with the small editorial team of editor and deputy editor 
• Write in-depth interviews, profiles and news analysis pieces for our newsletter and monthly digital edition 
• Cover financial accounts published on the London Stock Exchange, M&A activity, key personnel changes 
• Network and build contacts with key industry figures, attend events, openings, and generate content
• Embrace multimedia, using social media to push and promote MCA content
• Contribute ideas, plan content for editorial coverage and events
• Recruit speakers for and host conference Q&As and round tables, on-stage and online

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• A minimum three years’ experience in a fast-paced news-gathering environment, such as national or regional newspapers or B2B publications 
• A head for news and the determination and hunger to secure ongoing exclusives.
• Fluency and understanding in business, industry and finance 
• An appreciation of the hospitality industry, its current pressures and the key brands within it 
• Experience with content management systems 
• Speed and accuracy in producing engaging, clean copy
• Confidence and calmness under pressure; hard-working and self-motivated; excellent writing skills.
• Comfortable networking and engaging with CEO-level contacts to secure news and interviews.
• Multimedia skills – digital publishing, social media, video publishing, some experience of tools such as google analytics 

 
COMPANY BENEFITS INCLUDE

• Competitive Salary 
• 25 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays 
• Contributory Pension 
• Life Assurance Scheme 
• Group Income Protection 

We’re all working remotely right now, and there’s scope for flexible working arrangements to continue, but the head office is based near Crawley, 30 minutes from Brighton and 10 mins from Gatwick and its connections to Victoria, London Bridge, and the world.
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.

How to Apply?

Please click 'APPLY NOW' and submit your CV and attach a covering letter explaining why you are right for the job, together with some clips or links that demonstrate your best work, and a copy of your CV.