AVP, External Communications

Responsibilities

• Create a proactive integrated communications strategy to share the RCG corporate narrative, supported by multiple stories and relevant events to various external stakeholders throughout the year.
• Create and foster essential relationships necessary for the company’s long-term success, including relationships with news reporters and editors, community influencers and opinion leaders, major customer and industry voices, industry associations and others.
• Act as company spokesperson with the media, community, and other external audiences in disseminating information about corporate policies, activities, and events, when appropriate.
• Responsible for arranging media interviews, identifying the appropriate spokespeople, preparing messaging and spokespeople, and staffing interviews.
• Maintain media and industry news to determine strategies to produce the appropriate Company response for incoming inquiries.
• Develop talking points and presentation materials to support senior management communications.
• Cook up and coordinate external events with media to achieve communication strategies and goals.
• Manage multiple priorities and deadlines simultaneously while interacting with senior management, the public, guests, media and special interest groups.
• Assist in the development of and maintenance of the Corporate Communications annual budget.
• Manage the external public relations agency in the development and implementation of corporate communication plans and strategies.
• Support the CFO and Investor Relations in reporting financial results to build shareholder value and investor confidence.
• Establish processes to anticipate, pre-empt and prevent issues/crises to protect and defend the Group’s reputation.
• Direct crisis communications activities, in both proactive and reactive ways, involving issues such as litigations, health & medical, weather, marine and hotel operations, onboard accidents and alleged crimes.
• Ensure lockstep collaboration with the brands, Investor Relations and Government Relations functions, via both formal processes and ad hoc relationships.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in Journalism, English, or Communications.
• Minimum 15 years of experience and background providing communications counsel to senior executives of a global publicly held company.
• Outstanding track record of success in a large and complex global organization.
• A proven communications strategist and tactician who has demonstrated the ability to build brand and manage the reputation of a major business organization.
• A successful record of creating clear and compelling communications strategies that support business strategy and market changes.
• Established track record in the development and execution of reputation management strategies. Able to anticipate and effectively address issues affecting the brand or enterprise.
• Extensive knowledge and experience developing aggressive media relations and news development; experience with media interviews.
• Proven ability in crisis management and proactively managing communications to minimize these events.
• Can put him/herself in the mind of the consumer and all other key constituents from regulators to shareholders.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills [written and verbal]; exceptional interpersonal skills to influence internal and external relationship building and must exude credibility as a corporate spokesperson.
• Proven ability to lead diverse communication teams in accomplishing aggressive objectives in a fast paced, values and results-driven environment.
• Outstanding English language proficiency. Desirable proficiency in Spanish.
• Availability to travel up to 10% of the time and flexibility to support unexpected business events outside of the regular business hours including holidays and weekends.