Lead Communications Director

Responsibilities

• Provides regular counsel and insight to senior management, company leaders, subject-matter experts, and unit staff to develop highly complex effective communication strategies and tactics in support of enterprise strategic initiatives.
• Prioritizes highly complex communication projects and ensures they support enterprise plans for employee, member, and public initiatives. Serves as a key influencer and integrator of strategic objectives across the enterprise.
• Creates strategies that employ communications tactics such as press outreach, online advocacy, social networking internal and external social channels, leadership, and other internal and external communication channels, and , publications. Measures the effectiveness of communications strategies to ensure objectives are met.
• Develops and implements highly complex communications plans in support of business objectives and collaborates with colleagues to support positive business outcomes, protect and enhance USAA's reputation, and engage the company's workforce.
• Develops, manages and executes effective messaging, collateral, processes and strategies in support of business initiatives; craft key messaging for use with federal and local regulators .
• Partners with various teams within the Marketing & Communications Organization (e.g.Social Business, Content Strategy & Development) and with key enterprise partners in the development of collateral to be used across all mediums, including print, web, email, video, and social media to help deliver the messages on the identified channels.
• Maintains a command of USAA strategies and possesses in-depth knowledge of financial services industry issues and trends, and actively seeking to link those issues to ongoing or emerging employee, member and/or public communications opportunities.
• In support of public affairs, leads and/or partners in the development and implementation of all communications to include crisis management, legislative, regulatory and litigation communications. Manages message development and builds relationships with third-party groups.
• Develops and manages grassroots communications with influential groups. Develops relationships with the news media to leverage USAA's reputation.
• In support of social media, partners with the Social Business team to plans, directs, and executes USAA's social media strategy to protect, sustain, and enhance USAA's reputation.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, or related degree field; OR 4 years of relevant education and/or experience.
• 8 or more years of progressively responsible experience in internal and/or external communications (including employee communications), preferably within the financial services industry to include media relations experience working with media outlets at national, regional or local levels.
• Subject Matter Expert writing and editing skills and excellent verbal communication skills.
• Subject-matter-expert knowledge of the function/discipline and demonstrated application of knowledge, skills and abilities towards work products required.
• Subject-matter-expert level in communication industry practices and emerging trends required.
• Experience in translating business objectives into integrated communication strategies and tactics that drive business performance.
• Project management and collaboration experience including managing cross-functional projects from inception to completion.

Preferred

• Authentic, energetic and impactful storyteller with a brand-champion mindset who will operate at the intersection of culture, brand and employee experience.
• Self-starter with natural curiosity who will mine for stories that define USAA’s people and mission, both internally and externally. Focus areas will include storytelling & narrative development, internal communications & employee experience, external communications & media relations and social media & brand advocacy.
• Demonstrated media relations experience and success creating and executing impactful, measurable social media campaigns.
• Prior experience in culture communications, brand ambassador programs, employee experience, or as a Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) officer, plus military-community familiarity.
• US military experience gained through military service or gained as a military spouse / domestic partner.

Benefits

• Benefits: At USAA our employees enjoy best-in-class benefits to support their physical, financial, and emotional wellness. These benefits include comprehensive medical, dental and vision plans, 401(k), pension, life insurance, parental benefits, adoption assistance, paid time off program with paid holidays plus 16 paid volunteer hours, and various wellness programs.
• Additionally, our career path planning and continuing education assists employees with their professional goals.