Director, Internal Communications

Job Description

Job Summary

This senior role is responsible for leading communications and engagement with Synovus team members through the creation of complex strategic communication plans and delivery methods in collaboration with key partners and functions. The Director leverages and champions various communication strategies, approaches and platforms, ensures that internal stakeholders are appropriately informed of key bank programs and initiatives, and drives engagement and connection with the Synovus corporate culture. This position requires mindful and highly experienced leadership in communication strategy and engagement, leading a team in an always changing environment and striving towards flawless execution by reviewing, proofing, and guiding all content coming out of the internal communications teams and providing additional communications to engagement partners. This role requires a strategic and subject matter expert with strong business acumen who is a fast learner, agile, and comprehends complex projects, products, and corporate changes to clearly communicate to various audiences. This role serves as a communications advisor to a variety of senior and executive leaders including but not limited to line of business leaders and, at times, the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer, Chief Enablement Officer, and other executives.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Collaborates with a blended corporate communications and enablement (marketing and events) team to create and execute an organization-wide comprehensive communications strategy regarding IT, Operations, HR, and Corporate Strategy, as well as other critical issues that educate and inform the team members.
• Manages efforts that build excitement, enthusiasm and a sense of camaraderie and shared vision among team members. Oversees corporate intranet, internal digital delivery channels, line of business newsletters, leader and company-wide publications and guides distribution group structure to ensure that information is timely, accurate, to the right audience, and consistent with corporate strategies.
• Directs or personally handles highly sensitive, confidential corporate projects and advises executive leadership and senior management on communication for corporate strategic issues. Collaborates with executive leadership and senior management on organizational effectiveness, communications and organization-wide teams to identify communications needs. Develops strategies and tactics to support corporate vision and address team member concerns.
• Coordinates, collaborates and integrates programs and projects with other teams departments to ensure consistency and uniform objectives. Often times relied upon for organization, collaboration, and scheduling needs for the core team, serving as a connector and collaborator with key teams like from, but not limited to: Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO), Human Resources, Marketing, and Synovus Learning and Development (SL D).
• Determines appropriate delivery channels for internal communications, leveraging data, team member feedback, and evolving tactics, best practices and communication needs to guide decision making.
• Creates, produces, and directs events/forums, calls, and conferences for leaders, specific lines of businesses, and all team members. Must be comfortable is high stress situations with little to no margin for error.
• On call at all times for emergency/crisis situations such as but not limited to storms/natural disasters and their impact to our team and footprint, IT/platform outages, and other society and social impacts. Nights, weekend, and holiday work is expected.
• Develops, launches, and manages internal programs, live and pre-recorded video townhalls, events/forums, meetings and conferences. Builds run of shows, provides scripting, technical support, designing, directing and producing events throughout the organization, for our leaders, lines of businesses, employee resource groups, and product launches.
• Manages the annual performance management and merit processes for direct reports. Coaches and develops team members and builds a work environment where team members are engaged and feel a positive sense of achievement about their role in the company. Works closely with Human Resources regarding employee relations, compensation, training, posting and filling vacant positions and other Human Resources related matters.
• Each team member is expected to be aware of risk within their functional area. This includes observing all policies, procedures, laws, regulations and risk limits specific to their role. Additionally, they should raise and report known or suspected violations to the appropriate Company authority in a timely fashion.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Minimum Requirements

Minimum Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Communications, or related field. Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree or similar graduate degree in a related field is preferred.

Minimum Experience:

• 10 years of communications experience, including five (5) years job-specific experience developing and distributing internal, employee-related communication programs and documents. Banking, financial services or related industry experience preferred.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Must be comfortable in high stress situations with little to no margin for error. Under pressure and high volume, remains agile and able to multi-task, always staying calm, consistently delivering high quality work on time with excellence.
• Ability to work nights, weekends and holidays (when needed in a crisis) is required.
• PC skills, including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, internet and internal bank software
• Ability to work with confidential and sensitive information with discretion
• Ability to be at ease with public speaking and moderating both large and small groups
• Superior written and verbal communication skills with a demonstrated ability to write communications clearly, concisely and effectively
• Ability to build credibility and trust by demonstrating high ethical standards
• Ability to collaborate and communicate with all levels of employees
• Ability to create an atmosphere where employees feel free to express concerns and suggestions, while identifying opportunities to improve the culture and align the strategic communications focus with employee behavior
• Proficient with Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint and other Microsoft office products.

Additional Information

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree or similar graduate degree in a related field