Communications Strategist

About the Role

The Communication Strategist develops internal communication strategy based on stakeholders’ business objectives and target audiences’ needs. This role maintains editorial calendars, oversees end-to-end project and campaign execution, creates and publishes content, and delivers performance insights and recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Develops strategic communication plans for internal initiatives to promote organizational understanding and successful business outcomes
• Creates and maintains editorial calendars and channel strategies
• Researches, reports industry trends, and expertly recommends communication strategies
• Maintains content strategy forecast in collaboration with all teams within the marketing and communications team, Knowledge Management, and business stakeholders
• Partners to develop and implement the strategy for the Organizational Communications Playbook (channel and style guide)
• Owns communication channel strategy, including creation of personas and user stories
• Partners to define requirements for communications templates and standards for stakeholder use to automate work
• Helps to establish critical path, milestones, and delivery dates for communication projects and reviews stakeholder deliverables to ensure they meet acceptance criteria and align with business focus
• Leads campaign discoveries, kickoff meetings, prepares communication plans and creative briefs
• Owns and leads communications focus groups and adjusts strategies accordingly
• Facilitates campaign debrief meetings to gather lessons learned, provide campaign performance data, and establish best practices for future campaigns
• Manages content and engagement analytics throughout campaigns and systems to assess communication performance and adjust strategy and systems as necessary
• Develops and applies a metric system and benchmarking for output of the Organizational Communications, including formalizing standard operating procedures
• Collaborates with all the Marketing and Communications team to ensure they understand communication strategies and stakeholder expectations
• Complies with all regulations as required by law, including but not limited to Bank Secrecy Act, OFAC, FACT Act, GLBA, Regulation CC (funds availability) and Regulation E
• Performs other duties as assigned

Requirements

• Minimum of eight years of strategic communications management, including data analysis
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in communications, marketing, English, business, or related field (verified). Five additional years' experience in a progressive communications or marketing work environment with an emphasis in data analysis or process improvement may substitute for the degree.
• Master’s degree preferred
• Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Certified Project Management Practitioner (CPMP), or other project certification preferred

Skills

• Advanced skills with Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel)
• Proficiency with Workfront or project management software preferred
• High-level strategic thinker who is also focused on identifying executable details
• Idea generator and successful at root problem analysis
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Ability to create successful stakeholder engagement experiences (including change management and buy-in) across multiple lines and levels of the business
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to lead and collaborate with ad-hoc teams
• Ability to work both autonomously and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment
• Self-starter with strong organizing and time management skills and the ability to work productively with multiple projects and timelines
• Adaptive to change, responds positively to altered circumstances or conditions
• Possess a desire and willingness to learn and continually update knowledge base on communication concepts, strategies, systems, etc.
• Takes initiative to be a problem solver and provide suggestions to improve processes and efficiencies
• Experience with project management principles and software
• Demonstrate understanding of quality control principles and process management
• Knowledge of financial operations and business practices preferred
• Expertise to clearly express ideas, methodology, results, and recommendations verbally, in writing, and through insightful reports and graphic illustrations
• Ability to document outcomes and present information in a manner appropriate for key stakeholders and all levels of the organization

Physical Abilities / Working Conditions

• Ability to speak, hear, sit, use hands to handle or feel, and reach with hands and arms consistently
• Ability to stand, walk, kneel, and crouch occasionally
• Close vision (clear vision at 20 inches or less); distance vision (clear vision at 20 feet or more); color vision (ability to identify and distinguish colors)

This role is not eligible to be performed in Colorado or Connecticut, either remotely or in-person.