Communications Director, SMC EMEA (Small Medium Corporate)

Communication Strategy Setting and Planning

• Leads and creates communications strategy and planning efforts. Provides thought leadership to strengthen Microsoft's position as a trusted partner. Develops innovative campaigns while generating momentum for Microsoft's offerings. Mentors others in the execution of tactics to support overall strategy, ensuring consistency of voice across messages and channels and participates in business planning discussions as appropriate.
• Translates value proposition into effective communications strategies and storytelling that resonate with target audience(s) and understands, segments, and targets audience needs and adapts communications strategies accordingly.
• Scales messages appropriately for a given effort, including expertise in the levers to use to achieve scale and planning for scale from the outset. Embeds diversity and inclusion (D&I) throughout strategy and execution.
Develop and Maintain Executive Platform/ Voice
• Oversees and guides the development of the exec comms strategy for an executive leader, internal and external communications.
• Leads the architecting, development and creation of a leader's and a leaders leadership teams (LTs) platform and voice, aligned to team, business, and organizational objectives.
• Oversees strategic communications budget and planning efforts for team and organization and a coordinated organizational approach to managing exec social strategy for their exec.
Drive and Monitor Messaging and Impact
• Monitors, tracks, and analyzes the impact of and responses to messaging for a given issue; creates responsive materials as needed and engages others appropriately in responsive efforts. Leverages insights to inform data-driven proactive approaches.
• Gathers, leverages, and synthesizes data to guide insights and iterate solutions. Sets metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate effectiveness at outset; evaluates and adjusts as needed.
• Identifies, develops, and implements measures to evaluate effectiveness and to iterate as content, platforms, and desired outcomes evolve and communicates findings based on measurement strategy; recommends and implements improvements accordingly.
Employee Communications
• Oversees and guides strategy development internally for employee communications.
• Drives an over-arching cadence of communications and platforms (top of mind, town hall other internal initiatives) for an organization/geography.
• Leads an organizational approach to creating communications and developing platforms to inform and facilitate employee communications, including determining comms priorities.
• Oversees content and storytelling that is current and aligned with internal and external relevant corporate guidance and the adoption and use of new technology and tools to help facilitate two-way dialogue between leaders and employees and strategic communications budget and planning efforts.
Execution of Communication Strategy
• Takes responsibility for the bill of materials and ensures alignment to the strategy and adherence to business objectives and creates ideas for and develops collateral materials (e.g., decks, posts, talking points) for use in a range of communications initiatives and events.
• Makes cause and effect connections to ensure content is consistent across the channels with which Microsoft is connected to a given audience and understands how audience is being addressed by others and the appropriateness of formats (e.g., Webinars, podcasts, posts, core materials for field) for one-to-one (1:1) and one-to-many (1:many) engagements.
• Takes responsibility for whole bill of materials and experiences
• Modifies narratives in real time based on reaction/response; tests effectiveness of messaging.
• Manages Executive Communication materials
External Relationships
• Prepares for and follow ups CVP Partner and Customer Engagements and leads efforts to coach and prepare executives for external speaking opportunities or other outlets of communication.
• Advises internal partners on press approach and build trust through transparency and responsiveness that positively impacts relationships with press and influencers. Collaborates with communications colleagues to ensure consistency of One Microsoft messaging of executives.
Issue Management Communications
• Takes action to address potential reputation risk issues and leads proactive engagement across Public Relations, Analyst relations, Investor Relations, Global Diversity and Inclusion, and Issues Management minimizing the need for reactive comms.
• Advocates and creates visibility for issues. Anticipates potential scale of impact and takes strategic action accordingly. Follows up to ensure effectiveness of efforts and course correct where necessary. Participates and coordinates internally with partners to recommend strategic messaging during critical incidents (e.g., responses to rumors, leaked information, health/life threats).
Orchestration and Agency Management & Reputation Management
• Drives collaboration with others on the development and production of communications materials and deployment of communications tactics.
• Identifies opportunities to enhance reputation and perception and develops content accordingly, including correcting inaccuracies when they occur.
Storytelling and Messaging
• Leads stories across local, area, and corporate teams in fresh ways that generate positive perceptions towards Microsoft.
• Collaborates across teams to develop and drive story telling opportunities by using data and insights. Leads teams to develop and drive stories in fresh ways that generate positive perceptions towards Microsoft.
  
  Bachelor's Degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Finance, or related field AND Strong and demonstrated Executive level Communications, Marketing Operations, Field Operations, Program Management, Project Management, or related experience OR equivalent experience.
Additional or preferred qualifications Master's Degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Finance, or related field AND Senior Communications, Marketing Operations, Field Operations, Program Management, Project Management, or related experience Demonstrated experience experience supporting senior executives in an executive communications role. Strong experience working with social media platforms. #, SMCDSCAREERS

Microsoft Corporation Communications Director, SMC EMEA (Small Medium Corporate) in Reading, United Kingdom In SMC and Digital Sales, we have set out with the purpose to empower our customers through the unique value of the Microsoft cloud by building a globally-led, digital-first scale organization aligned with partners. Dedicated to one of the fastest growing customer segments, the Small, Medium, Corporate (SMC) and Digital Sales organization is committed to delivering the global digital scale engine for our business-- this is where you come in. As a core member of the office of the Corporate Vice President of SMC EMEA you will play a pivotal role in creating clarity, generating energy and delivering success to our more than 1, 200 staff in one of the most geographically and culturally textured environments in the world. You will also have an opportunity to work cross-collaboratively while living our shared SMC and Digital Sales Culture priorities: Diverse and Inclusive, Wellbeing, Sustainability, Giving and Learning. As a Communications Director you will drive the development and production of communications materials and deployment of communications tactics, leading and creating communications strategy and planning efforts, working collaboratively across multiple stakeholders. You will take responsibility for the bill of materials and ensure alignment to our strategy and adherence to business objectives. You will conceptualize and develop content to educate, guide, and advise our team, customers, and partners on communications strategy and tactics, identifying opportunities to enhance Microsoft's reputation and perception and develop content accordingly, including correcting inaccuracies when they occur. Monitoring, tracking and analyzing the impact of and responses to messaging for a given issue; and creating responsive materials as needed. This position demands a strong business acumen and background in communications, strategic thinking, and collaboration with cross-functional teams. This opportunity will allow you to accelerate your career growth, develop deep business understanding, work with a CVP and their Leadership team and across the SMC business in EMEA and globally. As a Communications Director, you have a significant role in shaping and influencing culture within SMC EMEA. Microsoft's mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.