Director of Communications

About the role

This role leads enterprise-wide communications strategy with a primary focus on employee engagement and organizational culture, and a secondary focus on member communications that sustain trust, transparency, and member advocacy. This role reports to the CMO and leads a team that includes a manager and an individual contributor direct report. This is not a maintenance role. It's a build role. And the CMO is an active partner in that work.

Responsibilities

• Lead internal communications that build culture and drive engagement.
• Design and execute an enterprise internal communications strategy that connects employees to UWCU's mission, direction, and values. This includes bringing UWCU's employee value proposition to life in ways employees recognize and feel, while partnering with HR and People leadership on engagement strategies and culture initiatives.
• Own enterprise change communications. When UWCU transforms—new technology, new structure, new strategy—you co-create the communications architecture with executive sponsors and other change management experts before the change begins. You understand readiness, sequencing, and the difference between informing people and actually bringing them along.
• Steward the member relationship through communications. Lead external communications that deepen member trust and advocacy—such as the annual report, quarterly newsletter, financial results, disruption notifications, product and experience change communications, and member testimonial content. It's the difference between members who trust us and ones who advocate on our behalf.
• Build communications capability across the organization. Coach and advise executives and leaders. The goal is a more aligned, capable organization because this team is in it.
• Lead reputation management and crisis communications. Own the organization's presence across platforms that AI systems use as sources ensuring our corporate narrative is consistently represented in the evolving information landscape. Manage relationships with PR firms and external communications consultants. Develop and maintain crisis communications plans, integrating with cross-functional response teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, or a related field
• 10 years of progressive communications experience with 5+ years in strategic leadership
• Proven track record in corporate communications strategy that measurably improved employee engagement and organizational alignment
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills
• Exceptional editorial skills
• Demonstrated experience leading communications through enterprise-wide organizational change
• Strong command of communications measurement and executive-level reporting
• Experience managing production partners and external communications consultants
• Financial services, fintech, or highly regulated industry experience strongly preferred
• Demonstrated fluency in AI-powered communications tools and content governance