Regional Communications Business Partner

Job Purpose

This role is responsible for strategy and execution of Media and Public Affairs in the North America region. The incumbent will work “under the umbrella” of global media & public affairs to support the delivery of the global media & public affairs strategy in the region. He or she is responsible for building, promoting and protecting AkzoNobel’s reputation through regional network of media in cooperation with the relevant stakeholders from Central Communications and the regional businesses.

This role will drive beneficial media positioning, profiling, and general reputation-building of AkzoNobel in the North America region. He/she will help design regional communication strategies, develop (business-driven) stories/messaging and implement plans to further the reputation and thought leadership position of AkzoNobel. This includes working with regional business unit directors to develop story ideas and pitch them to Tier 1 and trade media journalists. An important part will also be to keep up with current trends and best practices outside of the company.

The successful candidate must have extensive experience in federal and state government relations, and this role will be responsible for advocating the company’s values and position on various issues to policy makers and non-government agencies.

Another part of this role focusses on the overall planning and management of AkzoNobel’s external social media channels and Sprinklr platform, including the creation of local content. This role focuses on how social media channels can be optimized to engage our key regional stakeholders in the best possible way with the aim to represent AkzoNobel as the reference in the coatings industry. Key Performance Indicators are the level of engagement, reach and share of voice compared to competitors.

Key Accountabilities

For media relations:

• Responsible for designing and executing external communication strategies in the region that drive AkzoNobel’s reputation with key stakeholders and are aligned to the overall company positioning
• Protect and enhance the AkzoNobel brand through campaigns that support the overall reputation drivers (innovation and sustainability)
• Conduct on-going pro-active media and stakeholder relations to build brand awareness of AkzoNobel in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, supporting the Business Units’ strategies.
• Act as one of the spokespeople for AkzoNobel.
• Manage issue and crisis scenarios with company’s key stakeholders together in the region to protect reputation of AkzoNobel, and support media training for site/business leaders.
• Manage together with the ambassador network of specialists and to train them and support them in their external profiling.
• Prepare interviews for AkzoNobel executives and specialists who act as company spokespeople.
• Creation of holding statements, media releases, videos, photos and FAQs.
• Organize media events i.e. media briefings, media lunches, planning interviews, media trips, blogger/vlogger outreach etc.

Additional Key Activities

For public affairs:

• Manage relationships with key federal and state elected officials and their staff members.
• Develop strategies to engage organizations, such as the U.S. Dutch Embassy’s Holland on the Hill, that help connect AkzoNobel with key policy makers.
• Create events that share AkzoNobel values to key stakeholders.
• Manage trade associations, such as the American Coatings Association, that help advocate for industry positions on key issues.

For social media:

• Manage the Sprinklr platform in terms of content development.
• Develop content strategies and campaigns that highlight AkzoNobel to key stakeholders as the reference in the paints and coatings industry.
• Day-to-day community management of social media channels, ensuring that AkzoNobel follows up on enquiries.
• Benchmark AkzoNobel's presence and share of voice through social media channels against industry competitors and peers in the region.
• Build an internal network of regional and business communications and marketing peers to align digital strategies and source new content.

Experience

• Experience with complex communication issues, crisis communications and being a company spokesperson.
• Understanding of market trends and the ability to translate these into media, public affairs and social media communication opportunities.
• Creative skills for creation/editing of video’s, visuals and campaigns.
• Pro-active attitude and comfortable with working under pressure.
• Team player with an open and energetic attitude, easy to shift between tasks and responsibilities who can work independently and flexibly.

Education

• University degree in communications/PR or journalism, with exceptional writing and presentation skills. Master’s degree preferred.
• A strong and established national network of (traditional and non-traditional) general and specialized media and other key opinion former contacts.
• 15 – 20 years experience in media- /external relations, preferred in an international matrix organization; 10 years experience for social media, preferred knowledge of Sprinklr.
• Fluent in English (oral and written).