Vice President, Communications & Public Relations

Cox Communications • Atlanta, GA

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Vice President, Communications and Public Relations is the organization’s senior communications executive, responsible for developing, implementing, executing, and adjusting integrated internal and external communications strategy across Cox Automotive. The role brings the corporate narrative to life, elevates the company’s visibility and reputation, and ensures consistent messaging for employees, media, investors, industry leaders and influencers, customers, vendors, community leaders, and the general public. It is a highly visible position that partners with senior leaders and provides strategic counsel across a distributed, matrixed organization and complex change-management environment.

Reporting to the Chief Marketing & Sales Officer, the Vice President works closely with the President, Executive Leadership Team, and other stakeholders. The role leads the communications team and its enterprise-wide initiatives, manages day-to-day operations, and provides hands-on leadership as a player/coach. The position develops proactive internal and external communications, media relations, crisis and issues management, change communications, and support for confidential, time-sensitive initiatives such as M&A. It also oversees PR agency relationships and establishes processes, KPIs, dashboards, and measurement practices to evaluate and improve communications results.

The position is hybrid, with the ability to work remotely part of the week, and requires travel approximately 25% of the time. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without current or future sponsorship. Employment is contingent on clearing a pre-employment drug test; the company does not currently test for marijuana for this position.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field and 16 or more years of progressive communications or public relations experience, including leading corporate communications in a matrixed corporation with well-known brands; alternatively, a master’s degree and 12 years of experience, a Ph.D. and 10 years of experience, or 20 years of related experience.
• Demonstrated success leading a large corporate communications team and building an inspirational, high-performing team.
• Executive presence and the ability to communicate articulately, inspire confidence, and build rapport with senior leaders and stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to motivate, lead, and build consensus across corporate business units.
• Strong strategic planning skills, solid business understanding, and ability to build relationships at the highest levels of a corporate environment.
• Experience leading communications in a complex, distributed, matrixed organization, including enterprise change-management communications.
• Experience advising and coaching executive leadership on communications issues.
• Experience developing communications strategies and support for confidential, time-sensitive initiatives, including M&A.
• Experience in media training and crisis communications.
• Proven success creating and executing proactive media relations strategies that position corporate leaders in trade, business, and financial press.
• Extensive network and positive working relationships with regional and national consumer, business, and trade media contacts, as well as communications-industry leaders.
• Experience directing and managing external PR agency relationships, including setting expectations, optimizing resources, and measuring results.
• Exceptionally strong writing, editing, and presentation skills.
• Ability to define communications metrics and use data to assess effectiveness and refine strategy.
• Strong knowledge of social media tools and techniques for reputation and brand management and advancing messaging in the market.
• Ability to lead in a dynamic organization and envision, articulate, and implement communications process and program improvements.
• Experience developing and maintaining internal operational procedures and processes that support communications programs and business units.
• Must clear a pre-employment drug test.
• Must be currently authorized to work in the United States for any employer without current or future sponsorship; OPT, CPT, STEM/OPT, and visa sponsorship are not available.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, execute, and adjust integrated internal and external communications strategy for Cox Automotive.
• Bring the corporate narrative to life and increase positive visibility for Cox Automotive, its portfolio of brands, and its reputation as a great place to work.
• Partner with the Chief Marketing & Sales Officer, President, Executive Leadership Team, and other stakeholders to align corporate communications with local and national business objectives.
• Lead the communications team and manage the day-to-day operations of a fast-moving communications organization, providing hands-on player/coach leadership as needed.
• Develop a strong communications team that can support multiple stakeholders across multiple businesses.
• Favorably position the company, President, and senior executives through proactive internal and external messaging.
• Clarify and communicate corporate vision, strategy, and values, maintaining a consistent narrative across audiences.
• Create and implement a proactive media relations program to position Cox Automotive and its leaders in business and financial media.
• Develop communications strategies and support for confidential, time-sensitive M&A initiatives in collaboration with the Executive Leadership Team and Chief Marketing & Sales Officer.
• Create and lead an internal communications plan to educate, align, and engage employees around the company’s mission and business objectives, including change-management communications.
• Develop and manage crisis and issues management programs, anticipate and mitigate communications and reputation risks, and maintain an early-warning approach to potential business disruptions.
• Partner with Cox Enterprises peers on enterprise-level initiatives and programs.
• Build relationships with top-tier business and trade media to increase visibility for the company, its initiatives, and campaigns.
• Deploy communications resources to maximize enterprise, regional, and local impact.
• Design processes and standards to monitor and analyze communications campaigns and efforts.
• Establish KPIs, dashboards, and measurement approaches; evaluate campaign impact and use insights to improve performance.
• Direct and manage PR agency relationships, oversee agency efforts, and develop systems to track results.
• Advise and coach executive leadership on communications-related issues.
• Conduct or oversee media training and crisis communications.

Benefits

• Health care insurance, which may include medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Retirement planning, including a 401(k).
• Paid days off, which may include sick leave, parental leave, flexible vacation/wellness days, and/or PTO.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive