Head, Communications, D&I and Wellbeing at Standard Chartered Bank Kenya

JOB SUMMARY

A strong senior strategic communications consultant and practitioner who will work with HR and business leaders to define, develop and deliver communications strategies that:

• Advance the Global Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) agenda
• Highlight the competitive advantage of Standard Chartered’s unique diversity
• Link D&I, wellbeing and work flexibility (for example, hybrid working)
• Coordinate with business, function, region and market Corporate Affairs and Brand & Marketing (CABM) teams to understand and manage the complex dynamics involved with D&I priority work
• Tell human stories to reinforce D&I, wellbeing and work flexibility as important parts of our Employee Value Proposition and Employer Brand
• Job locations: UK (London), Singapore, Hong-Kong, Kenia (Nairobi) and Dubai. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy

• Serve as strategic consultant and advisor to HR leaders and other key senior leaders across the Bank who play a leadership or sponsorship role in the strategies and programmes that drive the Group D&I and wellbeing agendas.
• Create and deliver, in partnership with the content creation and digital channels teams, communications strategies for employees that promote Standard Chartered’s D&I and wellbeing efforts (including hybrid working).
• Create and deliver to external stakeholders, in partnership with the media relations, content creation, digital channels, employer brand, and country CABM teams, a narrative that conveys Standard Chartered’s employer brand, including its innovative and leadership position on workplace topics including flexible working,
• Identify HR executives and other internal influences as spokespeople and support them with external engagements which could include media relations, social media and thought leadership/executive engagement.
• Advise on positioning, presentation and timing of D&I and wellbeing BAU and change initiatives being considered by HR for Group, partnering with change communications resources in CABM for high-priority HR change initiatives.
• Provide strategic and tactical communications advice on proactive communications and issues management, demonstrating an authentic leadership style.
• Synthesise themes and issues from the external environment and surface risks and opportunities to HR clients and other partners in the Bank.
• Practice effective risk management, escalating issues when needed.

Business

• Create and deliver—in partnership with the content creation and digital channels teams—compelling communications that support D&I and wellbeing commitments support colleague retention and attraction as part of a strong Employee Value Proposition.
• Ensure that tone and messaging of D&I and wellbeing communications are aligned with the corporate narrative when we engage and communicate internally and externally.
• Partner with the media relations team lead on issues management communications as needed, including staff and external communications; partner with internal teams as needed on client and regulatory communications.

Processes

• Accountable to risk control owners and/or Group policy owners for the implementation of policies and control standards set by them, ensuring compliance, and operating within risk tolerance and risk appetite and building a culture of good conduct.   

People & Talent

• Collaborate with other CABM teams to execute successful communications strategies
• Play an active role as part of the CABM and People & Culture Communications Leadership Teams, supporting other colleagues and role modelling the Bank’s valued behaviours.

Risk Management

• Identify, report and escalate issues, risks, business intelligence to leadership.
• Stay abreast of the external environment and work with control partners as needed to issue. communications guidance on D&I topics where cultural differences may result in reputational issues.
• Lead by example and set appropriate tone and expectations from the team and work in collaboration with risk and control partners.

Governance

• Ensure that tone of voice, messaging, and behaviours are aligned with the corporate narrative when we engage and communicate internally and externally.

Regulatory & Business Conduct

• Display exemplary conduct and live by the Group’s Values and Code of Conduct. 
• Take personal responsibility for embedding the highest standards of ethics, including regulatory and business conduct, across Standard Chartered Bank. This includes understanding and ensuring compliance with, in letter and spirit, all applicable laws, regulations, guidelines and the Group Code of Conduct.
• Achieve the outcomes set out in the Bank’s Conduct Principles: Fair Outcomes for Clients; Effective Financial Markets; Financial Crime Compliance; The Right Environment. 
• Effectively and collaboratively identify, escalate, mitigate and resolve risk, conduct and compliance matters.

Key stakeholders

• Applicable Group MT members/function leads and function Management Teams
• Function and Group employees
• Other CABM teams
• External stakeholders including media, prospective employees, regulators, government officials, customers

Other Responsibilities

• Serve on HR & Culture Communications, People & Culture Communications and CABM working groups and committees as needed. Serve as the lead communications consultant and practitioner for the Global D&I Council. Use the Internal Communications Community of Practice to share priorities and communications initiatives from Group that Business, Function, Region and Market communicators need to know about, making specific asks for support and activations where needed.
• Take on special assignments to support CABM and People & Culture Communications priorities as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A successful track record of advising senior management on how to effectively communicate, considering risks, opportunities, and the greater context of the company’s strategy
• A skilled storyteller with the ability to distill multiple, complex narratives into engaging content for internal and external audiences
• Experience developing strategic plans to communicate programmes and initiatives that reinforce the employee value proposition and the employer brand, and that strengthen company culture. Experience supporting D&I, wellbeing, hybrid working and other “future of work” initiatives preferred.
• Experience of working for a global organisations across geographies and cultures to set and deliver proactive communications strategies
• The ability to think through desired outcomes of communications strategies and tactics
• The ability to identify potential reputation or culture risk from a function’s strategies, programmes or communications, and to raise these concerns effectively
• A track record in creating and developing content to support or enhance a strategy/narrative, including strong storytelling skills
• Understanding of internal and external content strategies and communications channels, including social media channels
• Experience in issues management
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience in corporate communications, PR and/or journalism
• Ability to develop effective and collaborative working relationships
• Experience managing multiple stakeholders, including senior management and third-party vendors, across multiple locations
• Experience in external communications, including media relations

Role Specific Technical Competencies

• Consulting
• Effective Communications
• Establishing and Maintaining Trust
• Written Communications
• Data Gathering and Analysis
• Business Ethics
• Planning:  Tactical, Strategic
• Organisational Communications
• Manage Change