Senior Communications Manager – PR and Organic Social Media (12 month FTC, maternity cover)

Rackspace Technology has an exciting opportunity for an experienced PR professional to oversee the strategy and delivery of our EMEA external communications programme. With a particular focus on PR and organic social media, you will ensure that activity across these channels aligns to the overall strategy, goals and objectives of the company and helps accelerate our go-forward strategy. Although this role is a 12 month fixed term contract, this is an excellent opportunity to make a significant impact in a short period of time as the organisation transitions to a new strategy and operating model. Working with the EMEA Marketing Director and key EMEA stakeholders (e.g. private and public cloud business unit heads, subject matter experts and regional general managers), you will be responsible for developing the strategy for, and overseeing the delivery of, external communications which excite, inform and enable external stakeholders; primarily journalists, bloggers and online audiences but with the opportunity to influence a broader communications agenda. You will champion the value of PR and social media, act as internal consultant and advisor on best practice, and use data to both demonstrate impact and make recommendations for improvement.  Key ResponsibilitiesStrategy, Planning and Enablement·       Owns the development, delivery and measurement of the EMEA external communications strategy ·       Develops messaging for a broad array of projects and business situations, especially where confidentiality is required·       Provides counsel to senior business leaders and stakeholders on effective communications, acting as a trusted advisor and subject matter expert·       Monitors global, regional, and local communication timelines and plans activity to maximise impact and avoid overlap which may cause distraction or confusion·       Develops and delivers training to build capability with the wider marketing team (peers) and provides guidance and mentoring where required ·       Works with general managers and sales teams to identify new customer stories for external use and maximise opportunities through various content outputs·       If, and when necessary, manages external crisis comms for EMEA with support from the global organisation Agency Management·       Manages day to day relationship of four PR agencies across EMEA (DACH, Benelux, UK and UAE), keeping track of Scopes of Work (SOWs), whilst identifying and negotiating optimum levels of service depending on regional needs·       Ensures hub (EMEA) and spoke (DACH, Benelux, UK and UAE) model for content development and sharing to enable agencies to be as self-sufficient as possible·       Oversees PR and organic social budgets ensuring minimal overservice·       Coordinates with global communications teams (including global PR agency) and other functions to ensure consistency of communications strategy with all audiencesMedia Relations·       Identifies relevant opportunities to position spokespeople in order to raise positive share of voice·       Conducts briefing sessions with internal/external stakeholders ahead of interviews, managing expectations and offering media training where required·       Manages and hosts media meetings and follow-up where necessary·       Develops and retains relationships with tier one media.Organic Social Media·       Manages overall EMEA organic social media strategy and oversees deliverables·       Supports Social Media Marketing Manager with day-to-day tasks where necessary e.g. identifying appropriate content for executive communications·       Acts as a social media advocate, encouraging best practice online for employees and supporting the advocacy program·       Coordinates with the global social media team to ensure consistency with relevant audiences·       Reports results back to key stakeholders in regionKnowledge & Skills·       Advanced knowledge of communications principles·       Demonstrated working knowledge and skill in communications planning and crisis communications·       Strong history and experience with communications relating to business objectives, financial outcomes and confidential situations·       Strong understanding of how PR and organic social media support overall marketing objectives·       Ability to apply understanding of the industry and how own area contributes to the achievement of business objectives·       Solid understanding of Rackspace Technology, the wider cloud and technology industry, competitors, and trends·       Strong time management skills: highly organised with the ability to set and meet deadlines·       Advanced interpersonal skills: ability to influence others through senior stakeholder management (both internal and external)·       Confidence and strong decision-making skills·       Detail oriented with a personal drive for excellence·       Strong informal leadership skills·       Working knowledge of relevant laws and regulations and application of compliance standardsExperienceProgressively responsible work experience in corporate communications, leading to the ability to operate at the scope, responsibility, and autonomy expected of the role.·       Candidates typically have a minimum of 10 years’ professional work experience including 8 years’ corporate communication experience and 4 years’ experience within a specific communications function·       Experience leading communications programmes·       Experience developing and implementing communications strategies as part of larger business projects, programmes, and objectives·       Demonstrated success in overseeing communications projects#LI-DM1About Rackspace TechnologyWe are the multicloud solutions experts. We combine our expertise with the world’s leading technologies — across applications, data and security — to deliver end-to-end solutions. We have a proven record of advising customers based on their business challenges, designing solutions that scale, building and managing those solutions, and optimizing returns into the future. Named a best place to work, year after year according to Fortune, Forbes and Glassdoor, we attract and develop world-class talent. Join us on our mission to embrace technology, empower customers and deliver the future.  More on Rackspace TechnologyThough we’re all different, Rackers thrive through our connection to a central goal: to be a valued member of a winning team on an inspiring mission. We bring our whole selves to work every day. And we embrace the notion that unique perspectives fuel innovation and enable us to best serve our customers and communities around the globe. We welcome you to apply today and want you to know that we are committed to offering equal employment opportunity without regard to age, color, disability, gender reassignment or identity or expression, genetic information, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity status, military or veteran status, nationality, ethnic or national origin, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or any legally protected characteristic. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.