Senior Manager, Strategic Communications, Capital Markets

• Responsible for internal and external communications
• Provides strategic input into business/group decisions as a trusted advisor.
• Makes recommendations to senior leaders on strategy and new initiatives, based on an in-depth understanding of the business/group.
• Influences and negotiates to achieve business objectives.
• Identifies emerging issues and trends to inform decision-making.
• Recommends and implements solutions based on analysis of issues and implications for the business.
• Makes recommendations and solves problems to ensure communication solutions are implemented.
• May network with industry contacts to gain competitive insights and best practices.
• Leads the communications strategy planning process bringing strategic, professional communications counsel, planning and direction to leaders.
• Conducts independent analysis and assessment to resolve strategic issues.
• Acts as the prime subject matter expert for internal/external stakeholders.
• Develops strategies and tools to measure, analyze and report on the effectiveness of communications initiatives.
• Monitors and tracks performance, and addresses any issues.
• Makes recommendations for improvements based on insights.
• Leads the execution of communication solutions; assesses and adapts as needed to ensure quality of execution.
• Assesses communications requests to determine relevancy, appropriateness, pacing and sequencing, and alignment to business priorities.
• Gathers content from multiple sources and develops communications for various vehicles including leadership messages, intranets, town halls, newsletters, video, presentations and new social media.
• Identifies and liaises with the stakeholders about opportunities for communications to other groups (e.g. clients, media, etc.) to increase communication effectiveness and alignment.
• Leads business/group change management activities from a communications perspective.
• Provides advice and strategic communications support (planning and execution) for special projects.
• Leads planning, development and execution of events and conferences.
• Acts as lead communications role in coded/confidential projects.
• Develops the strategy for and leads ongoing initiatives to continuously improve communications processes & tools.
• Reviews progress to plans and escalates complaints, issues and concerns.
• Manages expenses and external suppliers (as required).
• Acts as the day to day contact for vendors; supports the implementation, maintenance, and sustainment of vendor solutions.
• Recommends, develops and executes communication plans and solutions based on an understanding of the business strategy and stakeholder needs, and in alignment with an overarching communication strategy.
• Provides communications advice and guidance to assigned business/group, on communication principles/programs/approaches, on effective ways to communicate (e.g. message development, vehicle selection, etc.), and on implementation of solutions.
• Proactively collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to provide business context in the design, development and implementation of communication solutions.
• Leads or participates in defining communication plans designed to positively influence or change behaviour; develops tailored messaging; identifies appropriate distribution channels.
• Reviews material to ensure it complies with relevant quality standards, including translation requirements.
• Coordinates, distributes and publishes communication solutions.
• Measures and sustains communications solutions impacting the target employee audience. Gathers feedback and continually evaluates the effectiveness of communication content and the vehicles/platforms/tools/technology (e.g. Intranet, Portal, conference calls, e-mail, shared drives and SharePoint sites, social media, etc..).
• Recommends improvements, changes, additions or deletions of communication content and the vehicles/platforms/tools/technology as necessary, and coordinates with partners to ensure content is up-to-date and relevant.
• Remains alert to new trends, tools and methods of communication, and makes recommendations on their application.
• Stays up to date on company and industry trends by forming and fostering relationships with employees across the company, so as to identify newsworthy items for communication and dissemination.
• Builds effective relationships with internal/external stakeholders and ensures alignment between stakeholders.
• Actively looks for opportunities for continuous improvement of communications processes and procedures, and participates/leads communications continuous improvement initiatives.
• Operates at a group/enterprise-wide level and serves as a specialist resource to senior leaders and stakeholders.
• Applies expertise and thinks creatively to address unique or ambiguous situations and to find solutions to problems that can be complex and non-routine.
• Implements changes in response to shifting trends.
• Broader work or accountabilities may be assigned as needed.

• 5+ years of related industry experience
• Writing & editing skills - Expert.
• Uses a straight-talk and story-telling approach for communications.
• Ability to take technical and complex information and distill it to key messages that make sense for the audience.
• Seasoned professional with a combination of education, experience and industry knowledge.
• Verbal & written communication skills - In-depth / Expert.
• Analytical and problem solving skills - In-depth / Expert.
• Influence skills - In-depth / Expert.
• Collaboration & team skills; with a focus on cross-group collaboration - In-depth / Expert.
• Able to manage ambiguity.
• Data driven decision making - In-depth / Expert.

BMO Financial Group