Overview

Corporate Communications partners across the Chick-fil-A organization to execute effective, compelling internal communications that build culture, drive change and support business goals. The team delivers strategic messages across a variety of digital, video and print platforms to inspire, educate and equip Chick-fil-A Operators and Support Center Staff.

 

The Sr. Principal Team Leader leads a team within Restaurant & Operator Communications (ROC) to develop, execute and align communications strategies across major adjacent departments and enterprise strategies. This individual is responsible for developing the systems and processes that enable their team to be successful in managing dynamic, high-volume workloads and adopting new communications capabilities, such as writing for AI, content targeting and customization.

 

This leader plans and directs communications for highly complex initiatives, provides oversight for communications efforts for the Executive Committee members and Officers for the functions they support, and provides guidance on the strategies led by their teams. They also serve as the crisis lead for Corporate Communications, working cross functionally to plan, coordinate and execute communications in these areas.

 

To be successful in this role, the communicator must have experience navigating complex business challenges, think systems-minded, and be resourceful, collaborative and able to quickly learn the business, its audiences and their needs.

Responsibilities

• People leadership: Provide formal supervision and coaching for three or more Staff members and informal oversight of five or more vendor contractors with full technical responsibility for results. Partner with ROC leadership to align on priorities and team development opportunities.
• Communications consulting: Build understanding of departments and organizational priorities to effectively create strategic communications plans for highly complex initiatives. Execute tactics to help business partners and Operators achieve their goals.
• Strategic alignment: Ensure alignment of strategies and messaging with those developed and executed by supporting team members and vendor contractors, including documentation and socialization of plans and priorities with functional leaders.
• Executive communications: Consult with Executive Committee members, Officers and leaders of strategic business initiatives on thought leadership messages and platforms, as well as leadership messaging on strategic change and/or chainwide initiatives.
• Communications capabilities expansion: Understand new communications approaches and help develop strategies for using these capabilities to reach target audiences, ensuring the team is prepared to execute effectively. Desire to learn, evolve and incorporate different approaches with new communication trends like AI and Smart Brevity into the into the fast-paced, rapidly growing Chick-fil-A business[MK1.1].
• Crisis Communications leadership: Represent Corporate Communications in cross-functional tabletop exercises, maintain crisis response processes, procedures and documentation for team, serve on department crisis team as needed, and oversee severe weather and natural disaster communications.
• Change communications: Identify the impact on target audiences, develop messaging to create commitment and capability, and determine channel strategy to support internal audiences through change.
• Cross-functional team representation: Provide leadership and strategic business thinking around key strategies and initiatives, connecting to broader enterprise strategies.
• Project oversight: Oversee major deadline-driven communications initiatives, on budget and on time, using appropriate combinations of vendors, contractors, agencies and in-house services.
• Relationships: Establish and maintain strong, ongoing relationships with Corporate Communications team, key business partners and Operators. Build and leverage relationships to consult with and influence key stakeholders on business priorities, timing and approach.
• Audience: Understand Operator and Restaurant needs to tailor communications in the appropriate manner. Participate in regular Restaurant visits, reporting and applying key takeaways to better inform work initiatives.

Required Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities)

• Experience leading enterprise-wide change communications and transformation initiatives
• Experience leading and developing high-performing communications teams
• Experience serving as a strategic communications advisor to executives and senior leadership teams
• Experience leading agency/vendor resources and budgets
• Experience using audience insights and engagement analytics to shape strategy and improve outcomes
• Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal skills
• Track record as a communicator who thrives on managing a variety of initiatives concurrently, and on deadline
• Self-starter able to work independently or in a group, adapt to shifting priorities, and who enjoys creating and implementing systems and processes

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities)

• Comfortability leveraging AI-enabled communications tools or other emerging communications technologies
• Experience leading crisis communications and issues management efforts
• Experience across a variety of internal communications fields/focus areas
• Experience within a franchised and/or highly matrixed organization
• Experience supporting franchisees, operators, or other distributed frontline audiences within a hospitality, restaurant, retail, or consumer-facing industry

Required Years of Experience7 Preferred Years of Experience10 Travel Requirements10% Required Level of EducationBachelor's degree or equivalent experience Preferred Level of EducationBachelor's Degree Preferred Major/ConcentrationA Bachelor27s degree in Mass Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, English, or similar Relocation Assistance ProvidedNo