Senior Communications Manager

Company Description

Visa is a world leader in payments and technology, with over 259 billion payments transactions flowing safely between consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and government entities in more than 200 countries and territories each year. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable, and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive while driven by a common purpose – to uplift everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid.

Make an impact with a purpose-driven industry leader. Join us today and experience Life at Visa.

Job Description

Senior Manager, Corporate Communications will be responsible for developing and executing external and internal communications strategy, advancing Visa business interests in Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia (KBO cluster). He or she will be tailoring global strategy, managing communications agencies across the markets and implementing communications activities that meet the global, regional (CEMEA) and local business priorities, while protecting and advancing Visa.

This position is located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and will report to the Senior Director of Corporate Communications for Visa GCC.

An ideal candidate is an experienced communications generalist, who excels at working collaboratively, delivering high quality work and strives to become a strategic business partner to other functional leads.

Principle Responsibilities / Key Results Area

• Proactively execute efficient and timely communications strategies and approaches that align to and support the regional business development priorities in markets of responsibility, including KBO.
• Raise awareness of the company and improve its corporate reputation among critical audiences as measured by media coverage, message pull-through and, where possible, perception audits.
• Build and implement product communications plans, with particular focus on digital payments and innovation.
• Direct and manage communications agencies to ensure that corporate messages and news stories are managed and distributed in a way that enhances external perceptions of Visa and meet business objectives, providing briefings, toolkits and advice.
• Work with business units to develop and manage specific project-based campaigns and communications plans, ensure appropriate implementation through communications agency, monitors and manages against targets.
• Work with Subject Matter Experts, business units to agree the messaging that supports business objectives and overall corporate narrative and ensure adoption across local markets communications activities.

• Manage corporate profiling for the markets key speakers in order to support business objectives, and to develop a proactive plan for where their presence can add most value.
• Foster relationships with key media representatives, pitching stories in an appropriate and effective way with a particular focus on Tier1 outlets in markets of responsibility. Become a contributor to crisis and issues management.
• Manage evaluation of media monitoring to provide reporting.
• Manage budgets for Corporate Communications for the indicated markets, communications agencies and campaigns assigned.
• Ensure appropriate communications process are aligned with global requirements, documented, in place and followed, including approvals.
• Liaise with major partners to develop shared strategy and messages for significant launches including all approvals required.
• Develop and execute internal communications strategy and develop plans and key messages to support GCC business priorities and executive speaking engagements to engage employees.
• Partner closely with colleagues driving external communications to ensure message alignment and consistency, and to generate new content ideas.
• Plan and execute internal events including all-staff meetings, speaker series programs and other employee engagement events, which includes creating narrative themes, developing executive messaging, and overseeing event logistics.
• Work with cross functional team to support various employee communications initiatives.
• Leverage an in-depth understanding of the Saudi Arabian market, including cultural, economic, and regulatory factors, to tailor communication strategies effectively.
• Develop and implement targeted digital and social media strategies specific to Saudi Arabia to engage with local audiences and stakeholders.
• Work closely with Social Impact team to incorporate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives that resonate with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, promoting Visa's role in social and economic development.
• Utilize AI tools and data analytics to enhance communication strategies, optimize media monitoring, and personalize content for different audience

This is a hybrid position. Hybrid employees can alternate time between both remote and office. Employees in hybrid roles are expected to work from the office 2-3 set days a week (determined by leadership/site), with a general guidepost of being in the office 50% or more of the time based on business needs.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in communications, corporate communications, PR, or nonprofit mission-driven communications.
• Fluent Arabic and English speaker with strong copywriting skills in both languages.
• Previous experience in Saudi Arabia or the broader GCC region is highly preferred.
• Expertise in managing and leveraging social media platforms popular in Saudi Arabia, such as Twitter and LinkedIn, for corporate communications.
• Communications acumen. Strategic thinker, strong judgment, research and data driven, understanding of audiences, tools, technologies, and best practices, able to represent Visa publicly.
• Writing excellence. Clarity and conciseness, corporate narrative and storytelling, insights driven content development, language proficiency, content organization and adaptation, information that resonates with audiences.
• Communications Planning and Program Management. Multi channel communications planning, project management audience mapping and prioritization, digital mindset, measurement.
• Business Acumen. Understanding business and ecosystem, strategic imperatives and priorities, data privacy, innovation, products payments and fintech, digital currency and crypto, budget development and planning, Visa policies, standards, guidelines, and processes.
• Partnership and Relationship Management. Executive management and counseling, stakeholder and client management, presentation skills cross-functional program management, network of contacts, agency and partners management, cultural nuances.
• Leadership. Champion Visa Leadership Principles, accountability, empathy, credibility support leaders in driving the company culture, flexibility, influencing skills.
• Highly proficient in PowerPoint, Word, and Excel, comfortable managing spreadsheets, devising formulas, and performing data analysis.

Additional Information

Visa is an EEO Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. Visa will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with EEOC guidelines and applicable local law.