B2B Communications Manager - Europe - MasterCard - London

Job description
Mission:
To lead B2B, sales and customer facing communications for Europe, ensuring all customer and partner facing teams have the tools and knowledge to be able to continue to grow MasterCard’s business in Europe and position us as partner of choice across multiple industries.
Role summary:
Building the tools, systems and processes to ensure MasterCard communicates consistently and clearly with its important partner and customer audience. The B2B communications manager is responsible for driving MasterCard's communications activities to the important business to business audience this newly created role will work in partnership with MasterCard’s customer facing teams to ensure they have the tools required to keep our customers and partners informed of business developments and key industry activities. Providing guidance, input and support in enhancing and protecting MasterCard's reputation and working to the agreed vision of showcase how MasterCard makes payments safe, simple and smart by leveraging expertise and technology.
Based on MasterCard’s business and communications priorities B2B Communications manager will define, implement and execute an integrated communications plan in partnership with the business to ensure our important customer and partner audience are kept informed of product developments, marketing activities, organizational and business updates and key CSR and policy activities. Utilizing a combination of tools and skills this role is key to ensure our sales and account teams have consistent communications materials to help keep our partners informed and engaged.
Major Responsibilities – a combination of planning and hands on execution;
- In partnership with the group head of communications the B2B communications manager will develop and implement strategies and tactics to ensure our sales and account teams have the necessary tools and information to educate, inform, surprise and delight our customers and partners across Europe
- Working at a pan regional level the B2B communications manager will be responsible for the creation of an annual plan to ensure consistent communications opportunities for this important audience
- Closely partnering with multiple divisions and disciplines internally, the successful candidate will have excellent inter-personal and negotiation skills and be able to manage many complex stakeholders
- Create cohesive campaigns, dynamic initiatives and compelling content to bring our story to life and encourage engagement with our customer facing and sales teams
- In partnership with the communications leadership create and lead the “speaker bureau” function for Europe – identifying best in class speaker opportunities for our executives
- Define, implement, maintain and regularly reassess the communications strategies, platforms and plans to ensure best in class activities
- Work as an integrated member of the European communications team the B2B Communications manager will create plans and toolkits which can be activated locally and are effective in all countries we operate in Europe
- Responsible for building and maintaining excellent and active relationship with key stakeholders including the communication departments of banks, consumer unions and merchants
- Cooperate closely with MasterCard's European management team
- Define an approach to ensure the timely cascade of key information to all customer facing teams utilizing the latest digital technologies and communications skills
- Define an approach to help our customer facing teams sharpen MasterCard’s profile and protect and enhance its reputation as an innovative asset to commerce and society, by ensuring optimal leverage of global stories and local highlights across the relevant (online) media, by ensuring a strong understanding amongst our customer facing teams about MasterCards role and its leadership in building a world beyond cash
- Identify speaking opportunities platform to position MasterCard executives as industry experts and thought leaders and update centrally in order to activate as part of the Speaker Bureau
- In partnership with the global and regional communications leaders put in place systems and processes to guide and advise the sales and customer facing teams on any relevant and customer crisis requirements
- In conjunction with the European communications team, define, implement and execute a measurement system compliant with the regional and global approach.
- Partner with customer marketing and product teams to fully prepare customer facing teams for their interaction with customers and partners, providing trusted counsel on issues and matters related to communications, preparing briefing materials, developing messages and providing communications training
- Provide industry intelligence and feedback on a regular basis
- Prepare and draft materials to be used such as – but not limited to: press releases, speeches, talking points, Q&As, FAQs, Internal articles, blog-posts, backgrounders, briefing materials, etc.
- Organize and/or coordinate internal communications events like webinars, webcasts and showcase leaders to this important audience
- Brief external communications agencies as appropriate following developed plans and programs and measure agencies effectiveness in delivering activities requested. Coordinate and closely monitor agency involvement in monthly execution of activities
Skills and competencies:
• Experience in an international company in corporate, internal and executive communications, or related areas. Track record of developing communications programs for internal and external audiences.
• Strong knowledge of multiple communications disciplines, including executive communications, corporate communications, employee communications, media relations, social media and crisis management.
• Demonstrable ability to represent a high profile company which attracts daily media coverage and to manage the associated corporate communications agenda.
• Strategic thinker with superb attention to detail and a focus on designing and executing communications programs that help drive results against corporate objectives.
• Ability to identify/anticipate communications opportunities/needs, as well as recommend and develop solutions, often with little input or direction.
• Sound judgment with proven ability to build rapport and gain acceptance at all levels, and in all business units and regions. Ability to provide counsel to and negotiate with the company’s top executives.
• Self-starter focused on continually developing new, original approaches to executing and leveraging company-wide communications programs.
• Proven experience developing and leading teams in executing integrated communications programs. Extensive experience managing creative agencies, writers, consultants, and vendors.
• Excellent written skills with the ability to produce simple and creative material to a publishable standard, including articles and input to speeches.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills with a focus on setting priorities, managing processes and delivering results under tight deadlines with shifting priorities.
• Flexible and adaptable with strong problem-solving skills.

Enter your email address:

Pass it on for Referral Bonus. Not the right role for you, but know someone we should meet? Share with him to earn $1,000 referral bonus.