DESCRIPTION

Job Summary:

We are looking for a talented External Communications and Public Relations Director to join our Corporate Communications team. This role can be based in Indianapolis or Columbus, IN

Key Responsibilities:

• Drive brand awareness and advance critical business objectives through strategic communications.
• Develop and execute an annual strategic external communications plan linked to business goals driving media coverage and company reputation — includes creation of key messaging, target audiences, tactics and implementation.
• Serve as company spokesperson; build and maintain strong relationships with top tier national, local, global and trade media outlets, journalists and influencers.
• Advise CEO and other executive leaders on public relations, media relations and crisis communications.
• Collaborate with internal, business and region communications teams to ensure coordinated strategy and messaging across the company.
• Monitor and analyze media coverage including sentiment and engagement reporting key performance metrics to leadership.
• Lead crisis communication efforts, providing timely and effective responses to protect the company's reputation.
• Stay ahead of emerging media trends and channels and encompass into strategy accordingly.
• Manage agency relationships and budget.
• Leverage writing and creative storytelling skills to build executive presentations, bylines, op-eds, media sound bites, and social media content.
• Lead, coach and develop public relations team.

• Financial acumen - Interpreting and applying understanding of key financial indicators to make better business decisions.
• Builds effective teams - Building strong-identity teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals.
• Builds networks - Effectively building formal and informal relationship networks inside and outside the organization.
• Business insight - Applying knowledge of business and the marketplace to advance the organization's goals.
• Decision quality - Making good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward.
• Drives vision and purpose - Painting a compelling picture of the vision and strategy that motivates others to action.
• Manages ambiguity - Operating effectively, even when things are not certain, or the way forward is not clear.
• Optimizes work processes - Knowing the most effective and efficient processes to get things done, with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Organizational savvy - Maneuvering comfortably through complex policy, process, and people-related organizational dynamics.
• Strategic mindset - Seeing ahead to future possibilities and translating them into breakthrough strategies.
• Intuitive Listening and Adapting Solutions - Translates needs, expectations, or asks from customers, stakeholders, etc. into actionable solutions through active listening and intuition; chooses or produces solutions (e.g. process change, tool, product, service, etc.) to meet or exceed the customers' or stakeholders' needs or expectations or to provide value.
• Values differences - Recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Journalism or related field. A master's degree is a plus.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in public relations, preferably within manufacturing
• APR (Accredited in Public Relations) certification preferred.
• Experience managing people.
• Global and B2B experience highly preferred.
• Digital experience preferred (emerging trends, digital for business, metrics, paid vs. organic, advertising content).
• Graphic design skills, visual communications channel capabilities preferred.
• Extensive experience in public relations, preferably within manufacturing.