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Director, Corporate Communications
Finance & Investment Industry Company
Ontario Toronto, , Canada
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Description
Working closely with the Vice-President, Corporate Communications, the Director, Corporate Communications supports the execution of internal communication strategies for Company. This key leader manages a team of 15 professionals who develop and execute communications programs that improve employees’ understanding of the bank’s priorities and strategic direction, reinforce the vision-strategy-brand-values link, and communicate the expected behaviours and actions necessary to drive strong business performance.
The Director, Corporate Communications:
• Provides outstanding team leadership
• Oversees the creation of enterprise messaging and development of the corporate narrative (anchored in storytelling)
• Oversees the development and implementation of communication plans to support strategic initiatives and drive employee engagement
• Oversees enterprise-wide social and digital platforms that enable knowledge sharing, collaboration and dialogue across the bank
• Oversees social sharing strategy and associated channels to support employee advocacy – within and outside of the bank
• Oversees enterprise-wide communications campaigns and corporate communications plans
• Oversees the communications needs for the bank’s corporate areas and technology operations
• Provides a high standard of strategic counsel, strategic communications planning, through to execution
This role provides strategic communications counsel to the Vice-President, Corporate Communications, other C-suite executives and partners relating to a range of communications needs including strategy articulation and strategic initiatives. The Director, Corporate Communications will serve as the issues management proxy for the Vice-President, Corporate Communications; and, is the Vice-President, Corporate Communications’ key resource in leading the development and maintenance of proactive communication programs to keep employees informed of BMO’s strategic direction.
As a strategic communications partner, this leader works to build the company’s reputation by championing and reflecting the company’s brand, while ensuring communications activities across the enterprise are aligned. This leader partners closely with other directors and executives across the enterprise.
Accountabilities
A. Corporate Communications:
Develop bank-wide strategic enterprise internal communications plans and programs and participate in the development and execution of bank-wide initiatives with the aim of reinforcing the bank’s strategic direction, the link between vision, strategy, brand, and values, as well as the expected behaviours that drive business performance.
• Provide strategic communications, provide strategic planning, counsel and writing support for large, enterprise strategic projects. Ensures communications outputs and vehicles support the BMO culture, exemplify our customer focus and produce results in alignment with overall business objectives and priorities. This includes taking the lead on communication plans and strategies including advancing the use of social collaboration technologies to BMO, in partnership with the Head, Corporate Intranet.
• Investigate and leverage new communication methods or approaches designed to reach both internal and external audiences, focusing on the needs of different generations/groups to generate favourable impact and enhancing BMO brand reputation.
• Identify new or emerging issues related to communications, strategies or initiatives based on feedback from employees and recommend plans or changes to communications plans to mitigate the issue. Support Head, Corporate Intranet to ensure bank’s the bank’s portal infrastructure is used strategically.
• Proactively ensure communication needs are identified, planned for, aligned to enterprise messages and themes, and executed in a timely manner. This includes the use of a consultative approach to determine when and what communications are necessary, what vehicles are most appropriate, and developing/executing the communications.
• Provide professional, consultative, proactive and reactive internal communications services to executives and senior leaders including: strategies, plans, tactics, advice and counsel, and development and execution of communications plans.
• Provide strategic communications planning and implementation of strategic initiatives to support the company’s growth priorities including quarterly results, acquisitions and business spin offs, pricing, culture transformation ensuring an approval process that includes Legal and Investor Relations to minimize risks.
• Participate as an important member of the Strategic Communication and Planning leadership team to positively influence the team’s broader priorities and mandate.
B. Managerial Leadership:
Lead a team of employees responsible for providing strategic counsel and communications support to support the strategic and performance objectives for the business. Coach and provide support to a team of senior communications managers.
• Set appropriate context and establish prescribed limits for direct reports, including setting an effective framework of processes for the work in the group.
• Establish a two-way working relationship with direct reports to solicit their views on the working environment, potential changes affecting their work, continuous improvement opportunities, and revisions to the plan.
• Build and sustain a team of direct reports who are capable of delivering the performance required for the group, including coaching and the creation and implementation of training and development plans.
• Establish and optimize team integration by articulating the linkages between the accountabilities and authorities of different roles across the group and by establishing the context in which they will work collaboratively with one another.
• Apply the bank’s performance management system to direct reports, including establishing goals and objectives, assessing skilled knowledge gaps, allocating resources to achieve objectives and close gaps, assessing personal effectiveness, and reviewing and recommending base and variable pay.
• Ensure the effective implementation of initiatives and programs through the establishment of appropriate context and direction setting for direct reports by providing relevant information and establishing goals.
• Provide proxy and back-up support for Vice President, Strategic Communications, as required.
C. Relationship Management:
Build and maintain strong collaborative relationships with business partners across the bank at all levels.
• Build, develop and maintain relationships with group heads, senior leaders, and key partners in order to impact strategic decision-making and provide proactive communications services.
• Maintain strong, collaborative relationships within the Corporate Communications leadership team to ensure objectives, tactics, and actions are aligned and coordinated (e.g., crisis management).
• Collaborate with P&C Canada and P&C US to ensure a high level of standard, best practice sharing and alignment of messages
D. Best Practice & Innovation:
Maintain a strong knowledge of communication trends and best practice to ensure innovation and productivity in the team’s communications planning.
• In collaboration with partners, identify, provide a business case, and recommend communications vehicles that deliver information to employees efficiently and effectively.
• Ensure internal communications processes, standards, and practices are continuously improved based on industry best practices and measures/metrics.
• Develop capability within the group (e.g., centre of excellence) for strategic communications to support transformational initiatives.
E. Strategic Advice & Counsel:
Provide strategic advice and counsel to the Vice-President, Corporate Communications on effectively communicating across the bank and within the lines of business and corporate functions. Participate as an important member of the Strategic Communications leadership team to positively influence the team’s broader priorities and mandate.
• Act as a strategic advisor on internal communications at BMO, operating strategy, issues/crises management, and operating the department more efficiently and effectively.
• Provide strategic advice and counsel to the Vice-President, Corporate Communications, group heads, senior leaders, and partners regarding communications, change management, and managing crises/issues.
F. Governance:
Ensure corporate communications standards and policies are adhered to including the bank’s disclosure policies
.
• Set enterprise standards/guidelines for internal communications content and style and ensure enterprise internal communications meet them.
• Act in a governance and cross-functional coordination capacity with divisional communicators who are resident in the groups to ensure messages and timing of communications are aligned throughout the enterprise, meet corporate standards for style, content, etc, and two-way sharing of best practices.
G. Risk Management Control:
Maintain accurate department processes and ensure controls to mitigate the risk of inaccurate or confidential information inappropriately being disseminated both internally and externally from the bank (e.g. Quarterly results, business strategy, planning and forecasting, etc.).
• Ensure appropriate approval processes are in place for all communications coming from the team.
• Ensure tight controls on use and access of confidential information given involvement and role in core teams on coded projects for the bank, quarterly results and business strategies.
• Ensure compliance with audit processes throughout the team.
• Ensure adherence to policy and procedures documentation controls.
Qualifications
Knowledge: This position requires a confident senior communications professional with 12 - 15 years of experience working in corporate communications and corporate/head office environment. This position requires an individual who has proven experience and a strong track record of leading a team, as well as providing direct communications counsel and support to senior executives in a large complex organization. The candidate should have a university degree in communications or journalism. M.B.A preferred
Specialized Skills:
This role requires a dynamic leader and strategic thinker. The role requires superior writing and editing skills with proven experience in developing key messages, narratives, executive messages, speeches, talking points, presentations, and briefings documents. They have the proven ability to coach and advise executives as well as members of the immediate team, provide candid counsel and strategic communications planning advice. They have the skills to build the company’s reputation by championing and reflecting the company’s evolving brand, while ensuring communications activities across the enterprise are aligned.
Other Skills:
This communicator must have a straightforward communication style and the ability to take highly technical and complex information and deliver a distilled message that resonates with the specific audience. They have the proven ability to lead in a matrix organization and build strong cross-functional working relationships. Experience working in the financial services industry is also an asset.
We’re here to help
At BMO we have a shared purpose; we put the customer at the centre of everything we do – helping people is in our DNA. For 200 years we have thought about the future—the future of our customers, our communities and our people. We help our customers and our communities by working together, innovating and pushing boundaries to bring them our very best every day. Together we’re changing the way people think about a bank.
As a member of the BMO team you are valued, respected and heard, and you have more ways to grow and make an impact. We strive to help you make an impact from day one – for yourself and our customers. We’ll support you with the tools and resources you need to reach new milestones, as you help our customers reach theirs. From in-depth training and coaching, to manager support and network-building opportunities, we’ll help you gain valuable experience, and broaden your skillset.
BMO is committed to an inclusive, equitable and accessible workplace. By learning from each other’s differences, we gain strength through our people and our perspectives. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.