Communications Specialist - HonorVet Technologies
redmond, WA
About the Job
Title: Communications Specialist
Location: Remote
Duration: 7+ months
Job description:
Responsibilities:
Typical Day in the Role:
Purpose of the Team: The purpose of this team is to build awareness of Microsoft in the US East and Gulf Coast regions through various communication channels, including social media, media relations, and employee communications.
Key projects: This role will contribute to executing a communications plan to increase awareness among key internal and external audiences within the region.
Typical task breakdown and operating rhythm: The role will consist of liaising with other communications teams and key stakeholders to identify relevant stories, using an existing playbook to build and execute communication strategies, and amplifying these stories to internal and external audiences.
Candidate Requirements:
Focus areas will include:
Strategy: Execute and measure an existing communications strategy that supports our business goals in the region. Build mini strategies for key moments as they arise.
Storytelling: Story sourcing and creation to highlight our employees' stories, the company's innovative work that's relevant to the region, and our investment in our community – to audiences inside and outside the company.
Media engagement: Manage regional media relations firm to share and vet stories that may interest traditional local media in our 9 markets to reach our key external audiences.
Talent engagement: Bring our Employer Brand narrative to life and successfully communicate our Employer Value Proposition through owned and earned media, paid advertising campaigns, and employee storytelling.
Budget Management: Track existing budget for said activities; report out on budget use to the regional team; reallocate funds as needed; work with admin support to create Purchase Orders and track invoicing for vendors.
Qualifications:
Top 3 Hard Skills Required + Years of Experience:
Location: Remote
Duration: 7+ months
Job description:
- Client is looking for a communications professional to work alongside our leaders in engineering locations outside the Puget Sound area, specifically within the US East and Gulf Coast region, where we are supporting a growing engineering footprint. This role will execute on a communications plan to increase awareness among key internal and external audiences within the region. This person's role will be equal parts employee communications and external communications (media relations/LinkedIn).
Responsibilities:
- This role will report into Microsoft's Communications organization (on the Image and Culture Communications Team). A large portion of this person's time will be spent liaising with other communications teams and key stakeholders in the region to identify stories relevant to the region, and then using an existing playbook to build and execute communication strategies to amplify these stories to internal and external audiences.
- The ideal candidate will be based on the East Coast or Gulf Coast and have prior experience planning both internal and external communications strategies, be skilled in written and verbal communications, and have experience in a variety of communications disciplines, including but not limited to media relations, social media, communications to support executives, and employee communications.
Typical Day in the Role:
Purpose of the Team: The purpose of this team is to build awareness of Microsoft in the US East and Gulf Coast regions through various communication channels, including social media, media relations, and employee communications.
Key projects: This role will contribute to executing a communications plan to increase awareness among key internal and external audiences within the region.
Typical task breakdown and operating rhythm: The role will consist of liaising with other communications teams and key stakeholders to identify relevant stories, using an existing playbook to build and execute communication strategies, and amplifying these stories to internal and external audiences.
Candidate Requirements:
- Years of Experience Required: 8 overall years of experience in the field.
- Best vs. Average: The ideal resume would contain extensive experience in planning both internal and external communications strategies, strong written and verbal communication skills, and a proven track record in media relations and social media.
Focus areas will include:
Strategy: Execute and measure an existing communications strategy that supports our business goals in the region. Build mini strategies for key moments as they arise.
Storytelling: Story sourcing and creation to highlight our employees' stories, the company's innovative work that's relevant to the region, and our investment in our community – to audiences inside and outside the company.
Media engagement: Manage regional media relations firm to share and vet stories that may interest traditional local media in our 9 markets to reach our key external audiences.
Talent engagement: Bring our Employer Brand narrative to life and successfully communicate our Employer Value Proposition through owned and earned media, paid advertising campaigns, and employee storytelling.
Budget Management: Track existing budget for said activities; report out on budget use to the regional team; reallocate funds as needed; work with admin support to create Purchase Orders and track invoicing for vendors.
Qualifications:
- 8+ years of experience in communications or marketing fields.
- 2+ years' experience working with the media and/or agencies that pitch media.
- Experience developing communication plans that include the employee audience and media relations.
- Strong written/verbal communication skills; ability to create in a wide variety of presentation and communication formats.
- Strong project management skills, working across disciplines and teams.
- Curiosity to quickly learn about new topics and ability to distill key points to share with various stakeholders.
- Experience using data to make business decisions, and a strong results orientation.
- Experience managing a budget.
- Ability to manage vendor teams including reviewing content and providing feedback.
- Easily build positive working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders.
- Experience and credibility as a communicator in a fast-paced environment where the ability to influence, work across a complex matrix of roles and disciplines, and build relationships inside and outside of the company are strong plusses.
- Demonstrated ability and experience in successfully managing media relations on challenging and complex issues.
- Fluency with channel and content strategies – especially LinkedIn – including amplifying across social channels. Experience developing content for corporate handles or executives is a plus, but not required.
- Some comfort with crisis communications.
- Good skills in SharePoint, PowerPoint, Word, and other communication technologies. Ability to work on a quarterly employee-facing newsletter that spans all 9 sites.
- Self-starter; ability to thrive in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.
Top 3 Hard Skills Required + Years of Experience:
- Minimum 8 years of experience with communications strategy and execution.
- Minimum 8 years of experience with media relations and social media management.
- Minimum 8 years of experience with project management and stakeholder engagement.
Source : HonorVet Technologies
