Crisis Communications Manager

Cardilogix Talent Specialists; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Cardilogix Talent Specialists in Johannesburg seeks a Crisis Communications Manager who thrives in high‑pressure environments. You will steer rapid messaging, craft holding statements, and coordinate executive communications during crises.

You will anticipate risks, manage media relations, and guide the organization through reputational challenges with clear, transparent, and timely communication. The role requires sharp writing, calm leadership, and alignment of legal, marketing, and executive

Qualifications

• Experience managing major high-stakes crises.
• Ability to craft holding statements and press releases.
• Ability to handle aggressive journalists and stakeholders.
• Proactive crisis anticipation and scenario planning.

Responsibilities

• Craft holding statements and executive talking points during disasters.
• Advise and manage C-suite on social media messaging.
• Reframe crises with transparent, strategic messaging.
• Run stress tests and scenario planning.
• Provide calm and rational guidance during chaos.

Skills

Crisis communications

Crisis writing

Media relations

Stakeholder management

Job description

Crisis Communications Manager job vacancy in Johannesburg.

Do you sleep with one eye open, a burner phone glued to your palm, and a dark sense of humor? Good. The building is metaphorically on fire, and we need someone who doesn’t just grab a fire extinguisher—they throw on a cape and walk backward into the flames in slow motion.

We are looking for a Crisis Communications Manager who thrives in the absolute chaos of the unknown. When the world is tweeting panic, memes, and pitchfork-wielding threads about our brand, you are the calm, caffeinated epicenter of the storm.

What You’ll Actually Do:

• Turn dumpster fires into warm campfires: When a PR disaster hits, you’ll craft holding statements, press releases, and executive talking points faster than the internet can screenshot our mistakes.
• Herd panicked executives: You will gently (or firmly) stop C-suite executives from tweeting “I stand by my truth” at 3:00 AM.
• Spin like a DJ: Take catastrophic screw-ups and reframe them with ruthless transparency, tactical pivots, and ironclad messaging.
• War-game the apocalypse: Run stress tests, mock crises, and scenario planning so we are ready when Murphy’s Law comes knocking.
• Be the voice of reason: When everyone else is losing their heads, yours is bolted on so tight it hurts.

What You Need to Survive Here:

• Battle-tested experience: You’ve managed major, high-stakes crises (data breaches, executive scandals, product fails, or viral internet pile-ons) and lived to tell the tale.
• Bleed-sharp writing skills: You can write a holding statement that satisfies legal, calms stakeholders, and doesn’t sound like it was generated by a terrified corporate robot.
• A stomach of steel: You don’t crack under pressure, you don’t take things personally, and you can handle aggressive journalists, angry mobs, and micromanaging board members with unflappable grace.
• Proactive paranoia: You smell a scandal brewing three weeks before anyone else even notices a bad smell.