VP, Media Relations and Social Media

Travelers • Hartford, CT

1d • $206,000 - $332,200 • Onsite

About The Position

The Corporate Communications team at Travelers aims to create messaging and content for external and internal audiences that is creative, concise and effective, and showcases our company's thought leadership. As the VP, Head of Media Relations and Social Media, you will be responsible for developing and implementing proactive communications programs in the United States and United Kingdom that promote the company and its products and services in both traditional media and social media. You will also be responsible for issues management in both channels. You will highlight Travelers' expertise by driving earned media coverage, as well as accompanying social media, across business segments through creative thought leadership programs and relationships with influential reporters at local, national, financial and trade media outlets. As a trusted advisor and partner, you will leverage your superior judgment to quickly provide strategic counsel to Travelers leaders. You will closely partner with the internal communications team, which is part of the enterprise Communications team.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree.
• 10 years of related communications experience.
• Experience managing a team.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in English, journalism, public relations, finance, or communications plus 15 or more years of experience in corporate communications or a related field.
• Insurance or financial services industry experience a plus.
• Demonstrated track record of effectively leading teams, with the ability to coach and develop team members and strategically align resources to accomplish objectives.
• Exceptional communications skills, with the ability to present, write, edit, and effectively adapt messaging to different audiences with acute attention to detail.
• Understanding of the media landscape and social media platforms and best practices.
• Extensive experience working with reporters.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and planning effective external communications strategies, with the ability to lead a team to implement those strategies.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build internal and external relationships.
• Ability to effectively navigate a large matrixed organization.
• Thorough knowledge of trends, emerging platforms, and new technologies in the social and digital marketing space, as well as innovative methods and techniques for communicating with multiple audiences.
• Strong business acumen, with the ability to problem-solve, think critically, and operate strategically across the company.
• Keen ability to construct and operate within project budgets.
• Goal driven outlook with the ability to drive for success while remaining calm and composed under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Establish strategic vision and best practices for the Media Relations and Social Media teams while overseeing the development and execution of integrated communications programs that directly advance business objectives and priorities.
• Recruit, develop, mentor, motivate and coach the team.
• Provide active, intentional leadership by offering timely and constructive feedback and fostering an environment of continuous learning with a heavy emphasis on writing and editing.
• Develop individuals’ expertise to position them as strategic business partners and trusted advisors.
• Identify public relations opportunities to build, protect and enhance Travelers’ reputation through clear, consistent and impactful external communications across all channels.
• Lead a team of media relations and social media professionals in developing and managing proactive and reactive external communications plans and programs across all media channels.
• Foster strong relationships with local, national, financial and trade media outlets.
• Partner with subject matter experts in the businesses to ensure that key business messages are integrated into communication strategies.
• Deliver the highest quality content, including press releases, media statements, key messages, social media posts and strategic plans.
• Monitor, measure, report and evaluate the effectiveness of news media coverage and social media through qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Develop and manage the annual budget.
• Foster a team culture of ongoing AI adoption, where intelligent tools are actively used to streamline processes and enhance the quality of produced materials.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Health Insurance: Employees and their eligible family members – including spouses, domestic partners, and children – are eligible for coverage from the first day of employment.
• Retirement: Travelers matches your 401(k) contributions dollar-for-dollar up to your first 5% of eligible pay, subject to an annual maximum. If you have student loan debt, you can enroll in the Paying it Forward Savings Program. When you make a payment toward your student loan, Travelers will make an annual contribution into your 401(k) account. You are also eligible for a Pension Plan that is 100% funded by Travelers.
• Paid Time Off: Start your career at Travelers with a minimum of 20 days Paid Time Off annually, plus nine paid company Holidays.
• Wellness Program: The Travelers wellness program is comprised of tools, discounts and resources that empower you to achieve your wellness goals and caregiving needs. In addition, our mental health program provides access to free professional counseling services, health coaching and other resources to support your daily life needs.
• Volunteer Encouragement: We have a deep commitment to the communities we serve and encourage our employees to get involved. Travelers has a Matching Gift and Volunteer Rewards program that enables you to give back to the charity of your choice.

What This Job Offers

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