Senior Communications Manager at Diageo

About the role

The Senior Communications Manager (Change Communications & Transformation), together with the Head of Leadership Communications and Global Employee Engagement Director, leads change communications efforts. They develop and deliver communications that drive cultural and structural changes. This includes work on transformation projects, change processes, and leadership capability building focused on change and transformation.  

This senior role within the worldwide employee involvement group combines deep expertise in change communications, workforce connection and collaborator management.

The role will be passionate about messaging related to organizational shifts and renewal initiatives but with elements of leadership focused change comms support and training. It will work closely with the CRLT, market CR colleagues, the finance leadership team, and executive team. It will also collaborate with senior leadership and others to ensure our transition and renewal communications and tools are consistent, clear, and strategically aligned.

Role Responsibilities

• Act as the main comms adviser for global strategic change programmes. Coordinate with other comms colleagues and team leads to ensure communication is consistent and clear for employees during transition.   Experience and skill in sophisticated transformation messaging and leadership involvement.
• Work independently, while exercising good judgement on matters requiring escalation and cross-stakeholder alignment under pressure,
• Act as CR lead on the delivery of communications for the Accelerate Programme alongside Strategy and transformation. Must be able to independently conduct briefings at the highest level of the organisation on this work.
• Collaborate with the Director of Worldwide Employee Engagement and Head of Leadership Communications. Provide CR input to internal content for leaders and wider teams. Support selective announcements, media handling preparation, and briefing training sessions on change communications with the CEO and CFO.
• Act as independent lead for the Transformation CFO and a connector within various change comms processes
• Act as a senior leader within the Employee Engagement team to provide coaching and upskilling to colleagues as we focus on the professional development and change communication work of our high-performing communications team.
• Provide counsel to senior management and executives during key moments through the year as vital including ahead of SLG, MDs, and employee briefings. Ensuring a timely, consistent, and effective response to mitigate reputational risk, making use of the EE data and listening data we have.  

What you'll bring

• It is essential that the Senior Communications Manager – Change Communications and Leadership - has demonstrable experience of navigating complex change processes, engaging leadership teams, communicating issues, and managing high-pressure situations to deliver clear, consistent, and effective messaging.
• A minimum of 7–10 years of experience in corporate and financial communications is required, ideally employee engagement also.
• In addition, the successful candidate will have strong integrated communications experience:
• Strong, current understanding of content and digital channels
• Outstanding writing and presentation skills.
• Outstanding project management and project leadership skills with proven experience
• Able to build strong relationships with broad spectrum of people and align them from idea to implementation. 
• Calm under pressure, with experience in managing issues and applying sound judgment
• Has experience of working in a highly commercial environment.  Good understanding of Diageo’s commercial drivers and disciplines an advantage.
• Has the ability to work with leaders and colleagues at all levels and the capability and confidence to provide direction and support to those leaders, and other colleagues up to the most senior levels in Diageo.
• Managing complexity.  Demonstrated track record of delivering performance within a matrixed, complex, multi-stakeholder environment.
• Strong drive, resilience and determination
• Highly tuned functional and behavioural skills with demonstrable track record
• Clear understanding of the obligations faced by a regulated, listed business
• Able to flex leadership style to influence at the most levels within the business.