Organizational Communications Senior Manager - Sidley Austin LLP

Summary

The Organizational Communications Senior Manager will be a leader in the firm’s internal communications organization, focusing on three core objectives:  building and reinforcing a “one-firm culture”; ensuring that critical messages are prioritized, amplified, and internalized; and maximizing engagement, collaboration, cross-selling, and talent retention. The Senior Manager will lead key areas of the overall internal communications strategy that advances the firm’s business strategy by informing, engaging, and uniting our people around the globe.

Duties and Responsibilities

Strategy and Subject-Matter Expertise:

• Assist with the development of the go-forward internal communications strategy for the firm.
• Collaboratively lead the definition, promotion, implementation, assessment and refinement of portions of the internal communication strategy, ensuring that it is an integral and integrated element of the firm’s business strategy and talent practices.
• Develop detailed roadmaps and implementation plans, including timelines and relevant metrics for portions of the strategy.
• Assist firm leaders in developing key messages for internal audiences. Advise senior leaders on the impact of organizational changes on employee experience and engagement; provide guidance on designing accompanying communication plans to maximize understanding and buy-in of firm strategy, priorities, and goals.
• Serve as a strategic adviser to firm leaders and other colleagues on communications best practices and as a key collaboration partner on all cross-functional planning, change, and organizational effectiveness initiatives.
• Operate as an internal expert, consultant, and adviser, including providing guidance and technical assistance to executive sponsors, project managers, and project teams.

Operations:

• Lead a team of internal communications professionals.
• Architect and implement a communications technology ecosystem that enables agile and measurably effective global communications operations.
• Develop dashboards and other reporting mechanisms to provide firm leaders with high-level summaries of internal communications initiatives and projects, including timelines, budgets, organizational impact, progress, status, and success metrics.
• Collaborate successfully with colleagues across business functions to deliver outstanding results.
• Develop and implement internal communications protocols, standards, and best practices to drive effectiveness and performance.

Continuous Improvement:

• Cultivate and maintaining excellent working relationships with key stakeholders to continuously assess, refine, fortify, and advance the firm’s internal communications practices and impact.
• Implement relevant metrics to regularly evaluate relevant procedures, processes, practices, and workflows; recommend and implement improvements as appropriate.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the Duties and Responsibilities (Duties) above satisfactorily and meet the requirements below. The requirements listed below are representative of the minimum knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. If you need such an accommodation, please email staffrecruiting@sidley.com (current employees should contact Human Resources). 

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, psychology, social sciences, liberal arts, or other related field
• A minimum of 10 years of experience in client-facing roles, with a history of increasing responsibility
• A minimum of 5 years of supervisory experience
• Background in corporate communications, organizational effectiveness, or change management
• Experience navigating complex, matrixed, global organizations
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communications skills.
• Excellent relationship-building skills, strong executive presence, and the ability to inspire confidence, establish trust, and earn credibility
• Business acumen
• Sound project-management skills

Other Skills and Abilities:

The following will also be required of the successful candidate:

• Strong organizational skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Good judgment
• Strong interpersonal communication skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Able to work harmoniously and effectively with others
• Able to preserve confidentiality and exercise discretion
• Able to work under pressure
• Able to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and priorities

Sidley Austin LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer