Lead, Corporate Communication

JOB SUMMARY / INTRODUCTION:
The Lead, Corporate Communications supports the delivery of the Bank’s external and internal communications working closely with business functions and other stakeholders. Reporting to the VP of Communications, the role helps translate business priorities into clear, integrated communications and provides responsive, high-quality day-to-day support.

The role coordinates communications programmes and campaigns from briefing through to evaluation, supports day-to-day Bank and agency activity, and develops content for relevant channels. It contributes to protecting and strengthening the Bank’s reputation by ensuring communications are accurate, timely, audience-focused and aligned with brand guidelines, regulatory and compliance requirements and strategic objectives.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Integrated Communications Planning & Delivery
- Support the VP in developing and delivering integrated communications plans across external, customer, internal, marketing and digital channels for the Bank’s business areas.
- Help translate strategic and commercial priorities into campaigns activities, timelines, deliverables, and measurable outcome
- Coordinate communications projects from scoping and briefing through content development, approvals, delivery and post-campaign evaluation, escalating issues to the VP as needed.
- Monitor the PR agency performance against agreed objectives and KPIs, compile results and lessons learned and support the VP in identifying opportunities for improvements.

Business Partnering & Account Management:

- Build a strong understanding of the Bank’s business priorities, challenges and target audiences, supporting the VP in delivering relevant communications advice and recommendations.
- Receive, review and clarify business briefs, escalating questions or concerns to the VP and suggesting ways to improve relevance.
- Coordinate agreed scopes, deliverables, timelines, and approvals, keeping the VP and relevant stakeholders updated on progress.
- Monitor Bank and industry development to identify communications needs and potential PR opportunities.
- Manage day-to-day coordination with external agency under the VP guidance, ensuring clear briefs, quality delivery and alignment with agreed priorities.

Content & Channel Management:

- Draft, edit, translate and quality-check press releases, key messages, talking points, speeches, presentations, executive communications, internal memos, email campaigns, annual report, and marketing collateral, with guidance and approval from the VP.
- Support employee communications on organisational developments, strategic projects, executive activities and other significant updates.
- Adapt content for different channels and audiences, ensuring it is relevant, engaging, accessible and appropriate in tone.
- Review content drafted for social media, print, email and other relevant channels.
- Maintain editorial calendars and campaign schedules to ensure communications are coordinated and delivered at the right time.

Media, Executive & Event Support:

- Support the Bank’s core businesses with media materials, including press releases, key messages, Q&As, speeches and presentation content.
- Support social media team with drafting/editing content posts across the platforms.
- Review and evaluate requests for Bank representatives to participate in external events, assess strategic relevance and business value, and recommend whether and how to participate.
- Review invitations addressed to the Group CEO and prepare briefing documents covering the event’s purpose, audience, value, risks and recommended course of action.
- Coordinate with internal stakeholders and external partners to ensure spokespersons and executives are appropriately prepared.

Reputation, Issues & Crisis Communications:

- Monitor emerging issues, stakeholder sentiment and reputational risks, escalating concerns promptly to the VP of Communications.
- Support the development and implementation of issues-management and crisis-communications plans.
- Support in translating (to Arabic) holding statements, key messages, Q&As, briefing documents and stakeholder responses for sensitive or time-critical matters.

Frameworks, Boundaries, & Decision-Making Authority:

- Manage the day-to-day delivery of public relations and external communications activities in line with strategies and plans approved by the Group Marketing and Communications Head and VP.
- Build and maintain effective relationships with journalists, media outlets and relevant internal and external stakeholders.
- Coordinate agency workflows and Marketing and Brand team inputs ensuring deliverables are completed on time.
- Ensure all materials comply with the Bank’s brand standards, legal and regulatory requirements, data-protection obligations and established approval processes.
- Escalate sensitive media enquiries, potential crisis, significant reputational risks to the VP of Communications.
- Manage the PR&Media inbox and ensure timely responses to emails on a daily basis.

REQUIREMENTS / QUALIFICATIONS:
Minimum Experience:

- Bachelor’s degree (2:1 classification or equivalent) in communications, journalism, media, marketing, English or a related discipline.
- 6 to 8 years of relevant communications experience, ideally within a corporate, financial-services, professional-services or communications-agency environment.
- Demonstrated experience managing senior stakeholders, complex briefs and integrated communications campaigns from planning through evaluation.

Knowledge, Skills & Attributes:

- Poven track record of developing and delivering integrated public relations and corporate communications strategies aligned with business objectives and priorities
- Strong media relations capabilities including building journalist relationships, identifying compelling stories and securing positive coverage.
- Excellent stakeholder-management skills, with the confidence to build trust, understand senior leaders’ needs and offer constructive counsel.
- Exceptional English and Arabic writing, editing and proofreading skills, with strong knowledge of the media landscape and relevant digital and social channels.
- Resilient and composed particularly when responding to urgent media enquiries, sensitive issues or shifting business priorities
- Proactive, collaborative and solutions-oriented approach, with the ability to work effectively across functions and markets.
- High standards, attention to detail and a clear commitment to quality and measurable outcomes.