Director of Organizational Communications Strategy & Operations

Chicago, IL, United States

Summary The Director of Organizational Communications, Strategy & Operations will lead the firm’s internal communications organization, focusing on three core objectives: building and reinforcing a “one-firm culture”; ensuring that critical messages are prioritized, amplified, and internalized; and maximizing engagement, collaboration, cross-selling, and talent retention. The Director will devise, gain alignment on, and execute a comprehensive internal communications strategy that advances the firm’s business strategy by informing, engaging, and uniting our people around the globe.

Duties and Responsibilities Strategy and Subject-Matter Expertise

Conduct a strategic review of the firm’s internal communications needs and current capabilities.

Collaboratively define, promote, implement, assess, and refine a going-forward internal communications strategy, ensuring that it is an integral and integrated element of the firm’s business strategy and talent practices. Develop a detailed roadmap and implementation plan, including timelines and relevant metrics.

Serve as a strategic adviser to firm leaders and other colleagues on communications best practices and as a key collaboration partner on all cross-functional planning, change, and organizational effectiveness initiatives.

Operate as an internal expert, consultant, and adviser, including providing guidance and technical assistance to executive sponsors, project managers, and project teams.

Contribute thought leadership to the firm’s business strategy and talent practices as they relate to internal communications and organizational change. Monitor the market, stay abreast of relevant research and other developments, and advise firm leaders accordingly.

Operations

Effectively structure and lead a team of internal communications professionals.

Architect and implement a communications technology ecosystem that enables agile and measurably effective global communications operations.

Develop dashboards and other reporting mechanisms to provide firm leaders with high-level summaries of internal communications initiatives and projects, including timelines, budgets, organizational impact, progress, status, and success metrics.

Develop and implement effective communication channels, tools, processes, resources, and workflows that enable the creation and dissemination of timely, relevant, and compelling content.

Ensure compliance with all applicable risk management policies and practices, including those related to data privacy and security.

Collaborate successfully with colleagues across business functions to deliver outstanding results.

Standardize and fortify governance practices to ensure clear roles, responsibilities, decision-making protocols, and accountability for all internal communications initiatives and projects. Establish and maintain a clear division of responsibilities between Internal Communications professionals and internal clients; ensure excellent coordination of efforts.

Develop and implement internal communications protocols, standards, and best practices to drive effectiveness and performance.

Continuous Improvement

Inculcate an ethos of continuous improvement, including by cultivating and maintaining excellent working relationships with key stakeholders to continuously assess, refine, fortify, and advance the firm’s internal communications practices and impact.

Develop and implement relevant metrics to regularly evaluate relevant procedures, processes, practices, and workflows; recommend and implement improvements as appropriate.

Strategically lead the evolution of the firm’s internal communications capability over time and serve as business owner of any relevant new or revised business processes, technologies, and relationships.

Additional Responsibilities

Collaborate closely with Business Process Improvement and Learning & Development team colleagues to support organizational change and engagement initiatives.

Attract, develop, mentor, supervise, and retain top internal communications professionals.

Lead or contribute to additional projects as requested by the Executive Director and Senior Staff members.

Qualifications To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the Duties and Responsibilities (Duties) above satisfactorily and meet the requirements below. The requirements listed below are representative of the minimum knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. If you need such an accommodation, please email [email protected] (current employees should contact Human Resources).

Education and/or Experience:

Bachelor’s degree in communications, psychology, social sciences, liberal arts, or other related field

A minimum of 10 years of experience in client-facing roles, with a history of increasing responsibility

A minimum of 5 years of supervisory experience

Background in corporate communications, organizational effectiveness, or change leadership

Experience navigating complex, matrixed, global organizations

Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communications skills.

Excellent relationship-building skills, strong executive presence, and the ability to inspire confidence, establish trust, and earn credibility

Unerring professional judgment and discretion and the ability to expertly manage confidential and sensitive information and conversations

Demonstrated ability to work well with organizational leadership and provide sound advice

Business acumen

Sound project-management skills

Preferred:

Experience in professional services environment

Significant knowledge of process improvement methodologies

Familiarity with employee engagement principles and best practices

Other Skills and Abilities:

Strong organizational skills

Strong attention to detail

Good judgment

Strong interpersonal communication skills

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

Able to work harmoniously and effectively with others

Able to preserve confidentiality and exercise discretion

Able to work under pressure

Able to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and priorities

Sidley Austin LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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