Communications Manager/Team Leader

Take a leap and join our team!

At Gesa, we believe in the power of our people. Coming from all walks of life, our team members’ individual stories and unique experiences are our most valuable asset. But it’s how we come together, igniting our collective compassion and commitment to empowering our communities, that makes us succeed. Because we know we go further when we go together.

Here you join a team who is passionate about serving others, has a desire to do good, and shares a deep love of people. You can engage in meaningful work that impacts your community. You can challenge yourself and grow in your career. And, you can rest assured that your wellbeing and prosperity are our priority.

Get to know us: About - Gesa Credit Union

Role Summary:

Reporting to the AVP of Strategic Communications, the Communications Manager leads the day-to-day work of the internal, external, and public relations functions of the Communications team and supervises the team members in them. This position turns the communications strategy and messaging frameworks set by the AVP into the team’s plans and work, plans and edits the team’s content, reviews sensitive communications before release, and advises department leaders on their communications. The Communications Manager is also a recognized voice of Gesa to its team members, supports executive communications and media preparation, and develops the team so its work supports Gesa’s Strategic Plan and strategic goals.

What You Will Be Doing:

1. Lead the day-to-day work of the internal, external, and public relations functions. Set priorities and workload, assign and review work, manage the intake and review workflow for communications requests, and hold the team to Gesa’s quality standards and deadlines
2. Supervise, coach, and develop team members through regular feedback, editorial development, and individual development plans
3. Advise department leaders on communications for announcements, initiatives, and issues that affect member or team member trust, and help shape the department’s counsel to executive leadership
4. Put Gesa’s communications strategy and messaging frameworks into practice across the team’s work. Develop key messages, talking points, and narrative for organizational priorities and announcements, and keep the team’s work aligned to them
5. Plan storytelling and content for internal and external audiences, including editorial calendars and the content multiplication model, so each story is planned once and used across audiences, channels, and formats
6. Review and edit the team’s communications across internal, external, media, and executive audiences, adjusting approach, tone, and structure for each audience and holding all work to the Gesa Corporate Communications Playbook and Gesa’s brand standards. Check sensitive and high-visibility pieces for risk in message, timing, and audience, and escalate under Gesa’s governance for sensitive communication
7. Serve as a recognized voice of Gesa to its team members. Host and appear in podcasts, videos, town halls, and leadership visibility programs, and prepare the leaders who take part
8. Support executive communications. Draft messaging, remarks, and presentations for senior leaders, and help prepare executives and spokespeople for media engagement through briefing documents, interview preparation, and coaching
9. Plan and produce culture and change communications that connect team members to Gesa’s mission, values, and Strategic Plan and support Gesa’s Employer of Choice priorities
10. Manage the Frontline Newsroom (Gesa’s daily resource for frontline team members) contributor network and measurement, and plan its growth, with daily operations run by the internal communications team
11. Partner with the Content & Video function and Gesa Productions on video and content for communications, and shape the story, message, and audience for each production
12. Draft internal and external messages during crisis and incident activations under enterprise protocols, and support communications for major initiatives
13. Coordinate day-to-day work with Gesa’s public relations team so work follows Gesa’s messaging, standards, and approval workflows, and recommend the resources and tools the team needs
14. Build the team’s annual and quarterly communications plans for internal communications, external communications, public relations, content, and the Frontline Newsroom. Track and report communications KPIs, and use the results to adjust plans and priorities
15. Use AI tools and automated workflows to increase team capacity and quality, while keeping human judgment over all published work
16. Comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and Credit Union policies and procedures

About You:

1. Expert writer and editor with demonstrated ability to rework a single message for internal, external, media, and executive audiences while keeping it accurate and on strategy
2. Ability to advise leaders on communications and reputation, and to say plainly when a message poses risk
3. Sound judgment that weighs stakeholder sensitivities, regulatory considerations, and reputation risk, and the ability to turn the communications strategy into the team’s plans
4. Command of storytelling, message architecture, and narrative development across written, spoken, and video formats
5. Presence on camera and on microphone, with the ability to host, interview, and speak to team members in podcasts, videos, and live events
6. Working knowledge of media relations, earned media strategy, spokesperson preparation, and public relations agency management
7. Ability to plan the team’s work across a year, and to re-plan when priorities change
8. Proven ability to coach and develop communications professionals, including team members growing into leadership roles
9. Composure and sound judgment under pressure, including crisis and issues response on compressed timelines
10. Strong project and portfolio management skills, with the ability to prioritize high volumes of concurrent requests
11. Working knowledge of change management communications and team member engagement practices
12. Ability to use data and analytics to measure communications effectiveness and guide decisions
13. Proficiency with enterprise communications platforms, content management systems, and AI-assisted communications tools
14. Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion

Leadership Core Competencies:

• Leading Others
• Developing Others
• Emotional Intelligence
• Social Responsibility
• Performance & Results Orientation