Director-PM Communications

Application Deadline:

06/07/2024

Address:

320 S Canal Street

Job Family Group:

Corporate Affairs

Lead communications for BMO's high-growth U.S. markets, driving positioning that demonstrates that BMO helps its customers, communities and colleagues make progress and supporting business growth goals. Must demonstrate ability to create and lead strategic communications that support both reputation and culture. Experience leading diverse teams formally and informally in a large organization a plus, as well as agency experience or agency management experience.

Leader will work collaboratively with stakeholders to assess communications needs, recommend communications plans & solutions, secure necessary approvals, and create/deliver communication solutions that effectively support and address communications needs. Delivers high quality communications solutions that target audiences can easily access, understand and action that are alignment with company standards and values.

• Fosters a culture aligned to BMO's purpose, values and strategy and role models BMO values and behaviors. Fosters diversity and inclusion.
• Regularly connects work to BMO's core positioning, sets inspirational goals, defines clear expected outcomes, and ensures clear accountability for follow through.
• Manages teams that collaborate across functional and operating groups to create the highest value for all stakeholders. Attracts, retains, and enables the career development of top talent. Improves team performance, recognizes and rewards performance, coaches employees, supports their development, and manages poor performance.
• Acts as a trusted advisor to senior leaders for making business decisions and implementing strategic initiatives.
• Develops an expert understanding of business/group opportunities and challenges. 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.
• Recommends measures to improve organizational effectiveness, including 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.
• Leads communications strategy planning process, bringing strategic, professional communications counsel, planning and direction to senior leaders. Recommends business priorities, advises on resource requirements and develops roadmap for strategic execution. 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.
• Leads the development of 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.
• Guides communicators on relevancy, appropriateness, pacing and sequencing of messages, choice of channels and alignment to business priorities.
• Collaborates to develop communications strategies and ensure consistency of messaging, in order to positively influence or change behavior.
• Evaluates and prioritizes requests for senior leader involvement in external activities/events, and provides recommendations for final approval.
• 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.
• Applies expertise and thinks creatively to address unique or ambiguous situations and to find solutions to multiple, interdependent, complex problems.
• Communicates abstract concepts in simple terms.

Qualifications:

• Typically 15+ years of relevant experience and post-secondary degree in Business, Communications/Public Relations or a related field of study or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Writing & editing skills - Expert.
• Spanish fluency a plus
• 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
• Demonstrated experience influencing and coaching senior leaders.
• Technical leader viewed as a thought leader for innovation.
• Verbal & written communication skills - Expert.
• Analytical and problem solving skills - Expert.
• Influence skills - Expert.
• Collaboration & team skills; with a focus on cross-group collaboration - Expert.
• Able to manage ambiguity.
• Data driven decision making - Expe