Director, Communications
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Job Location:
Charlotte, VT - USA
Monthly Salary:
Not Disclosed
Posted on:
2 days ago
Vacancies:
1 Vacancy
Job Summary
Company Overview:
BNI is a leading global franchise organization with a presence in 76 countries worldwide. We are dedicated to maintaining a unified brand voice while empowering our local franchise partners to thrive. We are seeking a strategic high-energy Director of Communications to support the global communications function to advance our global narrative manage public relations needs support crisis communications and leverage marketing automation to reach diverse stakeholders. The ideal candidate has experience (and interest) in using AI to increase efficiency effectiveness and impact across communications and the broader organization.
Position Summary:
Reporting to the VP Communications & Events the Director Communications leads the day-to-day development and execution of BNIs internal and external communications programs. This role translates business priorities into clear messaging ensure alignment between communications plans and organizational goals and drive consistent brand voice across 76 countrieswhile enabling franchisees to succeed in their local markets. The director manages key PR activities maintains crisis communications readiness (including plans templates and escalation protocols) and uses tools such as Marketo and AI platforms to deliver data-informed high-impact campaigns. This role is ideal for a hands-on leader who combines strong editorial judgment and stakeholder management with modern digital and automation skills.
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Franchise Relations & Localization:
- Lead internal organizational messaging and external-facing growth narratives to ensure consistency alignment and clarity.
- Coordinate messaging across global national and regional audiences to support alignment between Global HQ franchisees and the broader BNI community.
- Develop toolkits templates and guidance that empower franchisees and market leaders to communicate effectively within their local markets.
- Partner with regional marketing leads to ensure cultural sensitivity and message resonance across diverse global audiences; incorporate feedback loops to continuously improve.
- Global PR & Communications Narrative:
- Develop and execute communications plans that align with VP-set business goals and strengthen brand reputation providing recommendations and updates to the VP Communications & Events.
- Lead earned media execution manage day-to-day PR agency partnership(s) and build relationships with targeted media outlets; escalate sensitive matters and major opportunities to the VP.
- Manage theglobal awards programby identifying high-impact opportunities coordinating submissions and tracking outcomes to support BNIs market leadership.
- Crisis Communications &ReputationManagement:
- Maintain and operationalize the global crisis communications plan including escalation protocols and pre-approved holding statements for rapid responses; supporting the VP on high-severity issues.
- Develop and maintain communications playbooks and process documentation for corporate and franchise teams to use in common scenarios (announcements issues management leadership updates etc.).
- Facilitate post-incident reviews and trend analysis with key partners; document learnings and recommended improvements for approval and prioritization.
- Marketing Automation & Digital Excellence:
- Use Marketo and related tools to execute multi-channel stakeholder communications (e.g. newsletters announcements targeted updates) and support segmentation workflows and reporting.
- Monitor engagement and sentiment signals; provide insights and optimization recommendations to improve performance over time.
- Promote an AI-enabled approach by identifying practical use cases for content development insights and workflow efficiency; establish lightweight guidance and training for the team.
- Executive Visibility & Thought Leadership:
- Support executive visibility by coordinating spokesperson opportunities and preparing leaders with briefing documents messaging and media training resources.
- Draft and edit content for high-visibility platforms (e.g. LinkedIn industry events executive remarks) coordinating reviews and approvals with the VP and relevant stakeholders.
- Integrated Team Leadership & Performance:
- Manage mentor and develop a high-performing communications team; set clear expectations build repeatable processes and foster a culture of accountability integrity and continuous improvement.
- Partner cross-functionally to align internal communications and external storytelling ensuring messages are consistent timely and audience-appropriate across channels.
- Define and track team-level goals and metrics (e.g. delivery cadence engagement earned media outcomes) and support professional development keeping the function current on AI social/digital trends and best practices.
Competencies:
- Accountability & Integrity
- Communication
- Influence
- Cross-cultural Leadership
- Strategic Thinking
- Risk Management
- Digital Fluency
Required Qualifications
- Experience:8 years of progressive experience in corporate communications or PR3 of whichwithin a global franchise multi-unit or matrixed organization.
- Technical Proficiency:
- Hands-on experience withMarketo(or similar enterprise-level marketing automation) for campaign execution and reporting.
- AI Excellence:Demonstrated enthusiasm for adopting AI tools and integrating them into daily workflows.
- Crisis management underpressure:A proven track record of managing complex cross-border crises with transparency and speed.
- Communication Skills:Exceptional writing storytelling and public speaking abilities with the skill to translate complex data into compelling narratives.
- Education:Bachelors orMasters degree in Communications Journalism Public Relations or a related field or equivalent experience.
Why Join Us
- Opportunity to shape the voice of a globally recognized brand.
- Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits package.
Physical Demands and Working Conditions: Working Conditions apply globally. The Physical Demands section is included to meet U.S. regulatory expectations and may not apply to individuals located outside the United States.)
Sedentary work. Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift carry push pull or otherwise move objects. Repetitive motion. Substantial movements (motions) of the wrists hands and/or fingers. The worker is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading.
This is a full-time position. This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
An equal opportunity employer.
Required Experience:
Director
Key Skills
About Company
With over 330,000+ Members worldwide, Business Network International (BNI) is the world's largest business networking and business referral organization.
