Head: Media Relations and Issues Management

Empowering Africa’s tomorrow, together…one story at a time.

With over 100 years of rich history and strongly positioned as a local bank with regional and international expertise, a career with our family offers the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth journey, to reset our future and shape our destiny as a proudly African group.

Job Summary

The Head: Media Relations and Issues Management is a senior leadership role, that reports into the Managing Executive Group Communications, and is responsible for setting, enabling and driving the organisation’s media engagement strategy and managing reputational risk through proactive and reactive communications. This role is pivotal in positioning the organisation positively in the public domain, building trusted media relationships, and leading strategic responses to complex issues and crises. The role drives functional strategy integration and sets standards for media relations.

Job Description

Key Accountabilities:

Accountability: Develop and Implement the Media Relations and Issues Management Strategy

• Develop and execute communications strategies that support the Absa Group strategy; the CEO Office; the AGL Exco and Board – this includes both tactical communications in line with business operations and reputation management issues, as well as proactive communications to effectively position these stakeholders in line with the corporate ambition and in partnership with Group Public Relations.
• Provide strategic, issue and crisis communication advice (reputation management) - including formal and informal scanning (communication, customer and environmental insights) and issues identification, monitoring, and redress.

Accountability: Thought leadership creation and positioning for key stakeholders

• Working closely with Group Public Relations and Corporate Communications to develop communications initiatives that will effectively position Absa Group, the CEO and the Group leadership in the market, in line with the respective focus areas as outlined in the Group strategy.
• Represent the Group on relevant industry bodies, to influence and shape the landscape of communications practice on the African continent.

Accountability: Sharing of insights and best practice/ educating internal stakeholders on strategic media relations

• Maintain an up-to-date understanding of competitor media relations/PR/thought leadership activity – to ensure Group Communications and Corporate Affairs leadership are kept abreast of market activity and opportunities to enhance the Group’s voice and distinctiveness in the market.
• Provide thought leadership to the Corporate Affairs teams, as well as communications practitioners across the Group – to ensure the community is equipped to effectively deliver world class communications activity (innovation, new methods, new channels etc.)

Accountability: Creation and Oversight of the Media Governance Framework

• Design and implementation of Absa’s media relations policy, standards, strategy, framework and governance oversight.
• Develop and embed a differentiated, robust and consistent group-wide media relations expertise that utilises best-in-class approaches and embeds Absa’s desired media relations framework and approach.
• Design and implement robust media data analysis and insights generation to facilitate data-driven proactive and reactive media responses using strategic intelligence
• Provide Media Relations subject matter expertise and advisory to business and key stakeholders in support of the Group Communications strategy

Accountability: Control measures

• Understand the control measures applicable to the role through reading the Code of Conduct and other training allocated. Where responsible for risks and controls ensure that these are appropriate and fit for purpose.
• All mandatory training completed to deadline and understood within given timescales.
• Where applicable, all key risks identified, tracked, logged and managed as per the Risk Framework procedures.
• Where applicable, all key controls to have identified owners, with audit trail of regular review and maintenance together with supporting records.   
• Where applicable, all risk events (incidents) or control failures to be escalated, investigated, reported and fixed at root cause to prevent reoccurrence.

Accountability: People Management

• Develop and sustain a high performing team in line with Absa’s desired culture, people management practices, standards and target colleague experience, including effective coaching, development, performance management and engagement.                                                                                   
• Establish and maintain a succession plan for key roles in your team in line with Absa’s talent management practices.

Competencies:

• Strategic agility and sound judgment under pressure.
• Business Acumen
• Customer focus
• Results orientation
• Problem solving and issues management
• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills.
• High emotional intelligence and resilience.
• Ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments.
• Media-savvy with a proactive and solutions-oriented mindset.
• Commercial acumen
• Innovation
• Inspirational people leadership
• Collaboration and Influencing

Minimum Requirements:

• B Degree in related field NQF 8
• 10+ years of strong communications experience
• 8 years in a multinational corporate communications environment
• Solid existing journalist/media relations experience and relationships
• 5years leading and managing diverse and remote teams
• Strong crisis/issues management experience
• Working in complex matrix environments  
• Pan African experience
• Flexibility in working after hours and/or over weekends

Education

Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Communication Studies and Language (Required)

Absa Bank Limited is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. In compliance with the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the Bank.

Absa Bank Limited reserves the right not to make an appointment to the post as advertised