Communications Specialist – Executive & Board Presentations
Smart Folks Inc · Austin, TX · 2 wk ago
MarketingFull-time
Key Responsibilities
- Develop CFO-ready narratives and presentation decks that communicate strategy, investment cases, operating metrics, risk/compliance posture, and business outcomes—tailored for senior executive and Board audiences.
- Create “summary-first” storylines with tight executive structure and optional backup detail, enabling efficient leadership discussion and decision-making.
- Partner with content owners (IT leaders, program managers, risk/compliance leads) to extract the “so what,” sharpen the ask, and align messages to executive expectations.
Content Strategy, Storytelling & Message Clarity
- Translate technical material into executive language by identifying the target audience, what matters to them, and how much detail to include—then shaping a narrative that keeps leaders engaged while landing key messages.
- Create outlines and content flow that reflect what has been presented previously, what changed, and what decisions or updates are required for the current forum.
Visual Communication & Executive Standards
- Produce polished, on-brand slides: clean layouts, data visualization, and crisp executive wording that meets senior-level expectations for clarity and readability (e.g., minimum font guidance when applicable).
- Ensure decks are “presenter-driven” and easy to navigate in live executive forums, with a clear summary slide and supporting backup slides for Q&A.
Executive Communications Operations
- Support executive meetings/events with end-to-end communications coordination (pre-reads, deck readiness, version control, archival/standalone deck packaging where needed).
- Maintain a structured repository of executive communications assets (templates, standard story arcs, reusable visuals) and continuously improve quality and consistency.
Core Deliverables
- Board/ELT/CIO Staff presentations (strategy updates, quarterly reviews, risk and audit updates, investment proposals)
- Executive pre-read packs and leadership talking points
- Standardized templates and role profiles/scorecard-ready structures aligned to internal role documentation formats
- Presentation storyboards/outlines and meeting-ready “one-slide summary + backup” structures
Qualifications
- 5+ years in executive communications, corporate communications, management consulting communications, or a presentation-specialist role supporting senior leaders.
- Demonstrated ability to create executive-ready PowerPoint presentations and written narratives for CFO/Board-level audiences.
- Strong ability to translate complex content into clear executive communications (message discipline, brevity, structure).
- Proven stakeholder management: can interview busy SMEs, distill content quickly, and drive to high-quality deliverables under tight timelines.
Preferred Experience
- Supporting technology strategy, enterprise risk/compliance, audit, or large-scale transformation communications.
- Familiarity with executive meeting operating rhythms and producing pre-reads for leadership forums.
Skills & Competencies
- Executive storytelling & synthesis: creates compelling “so what / now what” narratives and decision framing.
- Visual communication: strong slide design, layout, and data visualization for senior readability.
- Audience-first communication: tailors content based on who you’re communicating to and what level they are.
- Operational excellence: version control, deadlines, and quality gates for exec-ready materials.
- Collaboration & facilitation: pulls clarity from diverse stakeholders and aligns messages.
Tools (Typical)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (advanced), Excel (charts), Word (briefs), Teams/SharePoint (collaboration & asset management).
- Adobe Creative Cloud
Performance Metrics
- Executive satisfaction with decks (clarity, readiness, usefulness in decision forums)
- On-time delivery of pre-reads and final decks for leadership meetings
- Reduction in “rework cycles” via stronger first-pass synthesis and alignment
- Adept adoption of standardized templates and improved consistency across leadership presentations