Director of Communications

WHAT IS THE B TEAM?

The B Team is a not-for-profit initiative that has been formed by a group of global business leaders to create a future where the purpose of business is to be a driving force for social, environmental and economic benefit.

Working with a global community of advisors and partners, The B Team seeks to develop and implement a Plan B for business that puts people and planet alongside profit. The B Leaders will focus on execution and action, catalysing and amplifying others’ efforts by undertaking specific global Challenges where their collective voice can make a difference.

The B Team Founders and Co-Chairs are Sir Richard Branson and Jochen Zeitz. They are joined by supporters who make up the Founders Circle including Derek Handley (founding CEO), Havas, Strive Masiyiwa, Joann McPike, Blake Mycoskie, Kering/PUMAVision, The Rockefeller Foundation and Virgin Unite (initial incubator of The B Team).

CONTEXT:

The Director of Communications will play a critical role within The B Team to raise awareness for the B Team’s activities and initiatives. As we embark on our journey we need to amplify our message to engage with a global audience from students to Fortune 100 CEOs and introduce our initiatives to media on an international scale

THE ROLE:

Working with the B Team executive leadership and Chairman, he or she will be accountable for defining and driving our multi-channel communications strategy for The B Team; leading key messaging and ensuring consistency; and managing public relations and media activities.

The Director will also contribute to defining the role of communications and voice in all long-term strategic planning for The B Team.

He/she will have dual reporting lines to the Chairman and CEO of The B Team.

This role will work closely with the Director of People and Production to translate The B Team’s voice and messaging internally throughout all staff communications and collateral; as well as externally in the production of all assets such as videos, web content and promotional material. This role will also work closely with the Director of Community and Partnerships to support his/her outreach and network building efforts to help catalyse the movement for better business.

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

1. DEVELOP, DRIVE AND IMPLEMENT THE MULTI-PLATFORM COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY
   To create The B Team voice and integrated communications strategy - interlinking and leveraging PR,multi-platform events,content and media-partnerships. To oversee implementation of strategy, working in partnership with all B Team divisions and B-Leader comms teams, and monitor and measure performance.

1. LEAD B TEAM MESSAGING AND COMMUNICATIONS
   To lead the B Teams overall communications and messaging, as well as key messages specific to public communication initiatives and ongoing communication with the broader community to generate positive, wide-spread awareness and media coverage

1. MANAGE PR, MEDIA AND PUBLIC SPEAKING
   To lead strategy and manage implementation of outbound proactive PR and Media placement/outreach, including traditional media, online, leadership event selection/strategy and speaking engagements.To effectively manage inbound media enquiries, and define and facilitate responses on behalf B Team executives and liaise with B Leaders’ publicists/comms departments for requests that come through via The B Team.

WHAT YOU ARE GOOD AT:

You can define and develop strategic communications and have excellent written and verbal communications skills with proven expertise in: developing key messaging, speech writing, Q&As and Press Releases for major initiatives or global news.

You have a proven track record in leading and successfully launching global campaigns and generating top tier international media coverage.

You can lead contemporary, innovative, multi-channel communications to global audiences through leadership – seamlessly integrating social, digital, physical and press events into cohesive unified approaches and strategic plans.

You understand and believe that all channels must work seamlessly together and leverage each other in order to create powerful and integrated communications impact.

You have an acute awareness of the integration of ‘medium and message’ for todays world and to support The B Team’s desire to accelerate a movement. Strong understanding that messages and voice must be tailored to suit delivery across all platforms.

You are comfortable and good at identifying specialists and seek guidance from channel or subject area experts to inform multi-channel strategy and tactics

WHO YOU ARE:

You are flexible, positive and motivated – maintaining a sense of humor along the way

You can see the bigger picture – the overall objective and how all the moving parts need to work to get there.

You understand how to align, motivate, organise and drive a wide variety of people and partners to deliver results with a firm but flexible hand.

You are able to balance and direct prioritisation to achieve long and short-term goals – can connect here-and-now actions and ideas to longer-term final objectives.

You believe there is always more than one way, and that in the evolving nature of contemporary communications, multiple viewpoints and expertise must be incorporated for the best outcome

You are a leader and driven and have an international mind-set

You have an entrepreneurial, can-do attitude and welcome tasks both large and small

You are super sharp, passionate and excited

You place integrity as a top priority and are cool, calm and collected

You believe this is a lifestyle, not just a job

YOUR EXPERIENCE:

• You will have 8-10+ years as a Senior Communications/PR professional having held roles in senior level communication strategy positions – ideally you would have had a combination of in-house at corporate or major businesses, as well as within a multi-disciplinary (web, content, social media, PR l) agency environment working internationally
• You have communications experience and an understanding of sustainability issues, CSR and trends in public affairs/ international topics that fall under the umbrella of The B Team’s activities
• You have led and taken principal responsibility for the strategic planning and implementation of multiple non-traditional, and traditional PR and Communications strategies for major business clients and high profile individuals.
• You will have led and been responsible for press conferences, and ideally also  digital ‘moments’ where the web has been used as a significant platform for announcements and awareness-building
• You have built over your career a wide range of media relationships and have cultivated comprehensive media lists and are able to navigate and have a detailed understanding of news outlets and business press, as well as niche-specific press, and can target, secure and generate media coverage and manage interviews
• You have experience working with high-profile global leaders, their communications teams and the logistics involved with handling multiple stakeholders

WHAT YOU WILL GAIN:

The chance to make a significant impact on the wellbeing of people and the planet, using the power of business.

The experience of working with a highly effective, dynamic, talented, fun and flexible team.

A fair and competitive salary and benefits.

APPLY:

Please send a resume/Bio, writing samples (press releases and speeches) and cover letter explaining why you are the right person for this job to: jobs@bteam.org

Please include the subject line:
your name: Communications application.

Please note that this is a New York based position.  Applications close September Monday September 16.

Only applicants who are authorized to work in the US will be considered.