PR Communications Director at F5 Networks in Seattle, WA

• Communication strategy setting/planning, media strategy and media relations: 30%
• Cultivating a diverse mix of media and influencer relationships, while leveraging owned channels and earned media in innovative and creative ways
• Informing communications and business strategy by contributing Comms insights
• Ensuring strategic execution of the team priorities with responsibility for business performance and budget management, while acting as an advisor for leadership team; requires the ability to partner, execute, and lead through influence and collaboration across the company
• Use data to track and report internal results, measure effectiveness, and identify needs.
• Storytelling, thought leadership and messaging: 20%
• Telling stories in new ways that help generate thought leadership (in trust, innovation and sustainability, for example) and positive perception toward F5 among key external stakeholders
• Crisis, issues, and change management communications: 15%
• Advancing the perception of F5 through managing negative news cycles, and being proactive to identify and flag trends that may negatively impact corporate reputation
• Editorial alignment and narrative development around corporate brand level messaging on owned channels 10%
• Partners with key internal stakeholders to align resources across multiple corporate level communication efforts.
• Consulting on communications matters that impact business; growing industry and professional expertise: 15%
• Managing a high-impact team: 10%
• Managing and inspiring a talented and diverse group of communicators, and helping them develop and learn as they grow their careers
• Fostering an environment that promotes and values diversity and inclusion, where people from all backgrounds can do their best work, while personifying F5’s leadership values

Skills

• Utmost discretion with sensitive company and employee information
• Strategic, creative and precise storyteller, with proven experience in public relations, corporate messaging, editorials, blogs and social media
• Confident, persuasive and convicted, but low ego - prizes the group over self
• Thrives under fast paced and complex conditions, including crises
• Effective and detail-oriented team player, adept at leading across teams and disciplines
• Adept at managing vendor team(s) and agency budgets
• Current knowledge of digital communications techniques and social media engagement
• Strong project management and communication skills
• Enterprise tech experience required, fluency in issues related to digital transformation, cybersecurity and diversity & inclusion highly preferred
• Not required but good to have: external experience in areas of communications, media and influencer relations, journalism, integrated marketing (consumer, commercial), public affairs, issues management

Qualifications

• 10-15+ years of real-world public relations experience with publicly traded and visible brand
• Technology experience or knowledge of B2B applications
• Strong writing skills and experience with customer focused, technology products
• Adept with technology, including Microsoft Office products, with an ability to master new software easily.
• Solid quantitative skills
• Ability to be agile when managing multiple high-priority, high-visibility projects with multiple stakeholders.
• Excellent market or brand research experience is a big plus
• Experience working with creative teams/agencies or vendors
• Ability to listen, be nimble and adapt quickly to strategic changes
• Team player who can independently drive processes and tight timelines successfully

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

• Duties are performed in a normal office environment while sitting at a desk or computer table. Duties require the ability to utilize a computer, communicate over the telephone, and read printed material.