Director Of Communications

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Job description

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Director of Communication Strategy, Commercial Innovation and Public Relations (PR) will be a key leader for the Tire Discounters (TD) marketing team. As the central executor for all big idea generation and communication strategy planning and execution, this individual will have an ability to directly shape how we position the TD brand externally to our customers. This individual will be challenged to raise the bar on how we nurture the TD equity and continue to establish a clear point of differentiation in the marketplace. This individual will apply a strategic marketing mind to engineer our communications plan across the calendar year and will partner with internal and external creative partners to bring these ideas to life.

Additionally, this individual will work the tactical media planning to ensure our story and key messaging is shared effectively through the mass media channels that make sense for the TD customer and deliver strong ROI's for the business.

In addition to executing the communication strategy for Tire Discounters, this individual will assume the lead role with all Public Relations planning activation for Tire Discounters. This includes partnership with the TD PR agency of record to identify opportunistic PR opportunities across all marketplaces while also supporting TD's growth with the required PR support.

This role will be a key partner to the CMO and will be responsible for aligning all communication strategy and PR recommendations accordingly for final approval.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Communication Strategy across the calendar year:

• Strategic ID and development of the consumer facing communication ideas and campaigns that will help build TD's equity across our established footprint.
• Planning and placement of main ideas across the calendar year, matching business trends and promotional windows.
• Management of agency partnerships to bring the defined creative ideas to life. Ensures agencies are delivering on contractual arrangements productively, and on plan.
• Leads "how" planning and execution, delivering the communication plan through the mass and alternate media channels that meet TD's strategic goals.

Public Relations management across the calendar year:

• Works with PR agency of record to define the key PR windows and initiatives across the year to deliver a drum beat of news and buzz for the TD brand.
• Works opportunistically to identify on trend and relevant PR events that strategically build out the TD presence in both our current retail footprint and areas of expansion.

Mass media planning:

• Designs and executes a mass media plan that drives against the established objectives and ROI metrics.
• Manages in house media buying with internal team members.

Agency management:

• Works closely with agency partners to ensure scope of work is properly defined and is being met on a month to month basis. Monitors hours against scope and course corrects where needed.
• Maintains a clear and consistent SOP for briefing and reviewing all work with internal and external partners.
• Fosters a positive and exciting culture with all partners.

Team management.

• Establishes a clear set of deliverables with the team, monitoring effectiveness and progress month to month.
• Creates a compelling vision for the team, nurturing the TD culture and driving employee satisfaction.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Adept at WHO identification, identifying the addressable customer profiles and targets that can sufficiently drive key marketing KPI's, most notably driving customer car count across our retail footprint. Ability to leverage available data to assemble strategic targeting recommendations for a given brand or business. Experience in targeting research to define and refine customer segmentation is a plus.
• Ability to effectively lead creative partners and agencies, from creative brief on through executional details to meet all strategic objectives.
• Ability to lead a team, establishing clear work plans and holding all team members accountable in delivering against their respective workplans.
• Strong business maturity, professionalism, interpersonal, management leadership, analytical, and relationship building skills.
• Comfort level with ambiguity, flexible in approach, and capable of bringing definition and clarity to business problems where it may not exist.
• Skilled and experienced in communications processes and tools. Articulate, with strong skills in written and oral communication.
• Skilled in managing and identifying conflict or resistance when it may be a hurdle to success.

EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, business, communications, or related field
• Min 10+ years' experience
• Deep experience in brand positioning and messaging, leveraging a prioritized and strategically sound approach to deliver a compelling value proposition to consumers.
• Experience driving PR initiatives for a brand or business, including drum-beat always on strategies and larger PR events.
• Experience with engineering mass media plans across traditional channels (e.g. linear TV, radio, OOH) and emerging channels (e.g. advanced TV, podcast audio).

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Operates in both an office setting, and within our retail operations.
• Routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers and phones.
• Walking, standing, sitting, listening, and talking on a wide variety and continual basis.
• Required to stand, walk, use hands and fingers, handle and/or feel; lift/carry up to 25 pounds, and reach with hands and arms.