Senior Manager - External Communications

The External Communications (Senior) Manager is responsible for driving the external communications activities and positioning of Landmark Group. The position is a custodian of the external communications strategy and programme, co-authored with support from the Head of the department and the communications agency. The role is tasked with external positioning, reputation management and awareness building around desired attributes, milestones and achievements of Landmark Group. This includes corporate and ESG communications, as well as group-wide customer activities, mainly associated with the Shukran loyalty programme, or amplifying flagship stories of its consumer brands. The role oversees corporate thought leadership, news media and social media activities of Landmark Group.

Communications planning & KPI tracking

• Develop a communications strategy supported by the Head of Corporate Communications & CSR and the communications agency that addresses desired positioning, reputational and business objectives and aspirations.
• Develop and execute an annual communications action plan based on the strategy to meet desired outcomes and promote the Group’s achievements, milestones, initiatives, industrial and thought leadership.
• Implement a sophisticated system to track output and outcomes of external communications activities that are reported periodically.

External Communications deliverables

• Responsible for corporate and executive thought leadership programme of the Group including speaking opportunities in regional and global events.
• Supporting in corporate affairs initiatives and driving all ESG external communications, e.g. CSR efforts for Landmark’s flagship Beat Diabetes programme and various sustainability efforts.
• Responsible for all proactive and reactive news media engagement, including interviews, press events, media commentary, media relationships and pursuing emerging news media platforms, including podcasts and via social media.

Social media deliverables

• Responsible for Landmark Group’s corporate and Beat Diabetes social media accounts, including content pillars, brand look and feel, content calendar, community management and administration.
• Responsible for delivering desired outcomes, driving best practices and implementing the latest solutions to extract best outcomes from the Group’s social media accounts.
• Managing a social media (senior executive) who will support in executing the corporate social media mandate and function.

Corporate Communications deliverables

• Responsible for developing, maintaining and updating all corporate communications collateral including (but not limited to): message house, glossary, fact sheets, website, corporate brochure, executive bios and corporate boilerplates.
• Responsible for creating and updating multimedia content used for all corporate purposes as well as responding to requests for commentary in reports.
• Supporting the wider business with their external communications needs to help achieve business objectives.

Centre of Excellence deliverables

• Develop, update, maintain and enforce a Centre of Excellence that sets the standard for the external communications function that is adhered to by the entire organisation.
• This includes a communications policy, issues and crisis communications management framework, spokespeople matrix and guide, various templates, processes, RACI’s and SLA’s to manage the function and its working relationship within the Group.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, ideally in communications, PR and marketing
• Between 10-12 years of relevant experience in communications and public relations
• Proven track record in fulfilling the job description.
• Experience in developing and delivering on thought leadership programme
• Experience in issue and crisis communications management
• Arabic/Bilingual speakers preferred
• Experience in news media management, with proven relationships with relevant news media in the UAE, with Saudi being an added bonus.
• Experience in organizing and managing news media events
• Experience and technical knowledge in managing corporate social media accounts
• knowledge and experience with major social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, etc.)