Communication Operations Manager

Communication Operations Manager, IKEA Oy., IKEA Palvelutoimisto, Espoo

Who you are

We are looking for you who are passionate about the power of strategic communication and motivated about leading, inspiring and influencing people both inside and outside the company, as well as by working agile and being open to change.
Energized by working both independently and interdependently with global communication network and cross functions, you appreciate the mix of strategic thinking and turning communication trends into practice.
You know, share and live the IKEA Brand, culture, values and way of working.

To be successful in this role you have proven advanced training in strategic communication and/or business leadership or equivalent, and 5-8 years of both external and internal communication experience.
You have strong documented leadership- and project leading skills as well as experience with crisis communication and leading people in change.
Your communication skills in English and in Finnish (spoken and written) are excellent, and preferably, you have had a previous management role.

You have knowledge in following areas:

– strong knowledge and capabilities in communication strategy and operational planning
– experience in managing teams, budgets and plans effectively
– deep knowledge of using insights to formulate communication strategies to drive IKEA business and meet receiver needs
– knowledge on how to leverage communication to enable better business outcomes, today and tomorrow
– good understanding and rich experience in leading and executing 360 campaigns and storytelling techniques
– understanding of relevant analytics for assessing communication impact, and for developing this area further
– extensive knowledge of how to lead communication by defining, planning, executing and follow-up communication to relevant stakeholders and to keep our co-workers well informed, engaged and empowered
– proactive communication and related processes – strong in crisis
– deep understanding and experience in utilizing Social Media as a powerful tool to convey our messages
– understanding of PA and passion for driving and developing IKEA Finland’s Public Affairs agenda further, together with Country Communication Manager
– stakeholder mapping and understanding of stakeholder drivers within the key target audiences
– strong knowledge in change and transformation techniques
– experience in leading a close collaboration with PR agencies
– curiosity and understanding of how to utilize AI as a tool for communication is seen as an advantage
– IKEA identity, core values and vision of creating a better everyday life for the many people, to ensure right representation

In addition to this you demonstrate strong leadership skills and use sound judgment to make timely and effective decisions. You hold excellent interpersonal skills and capability to manage internal and external stakeholders in a high-level business environment, together with the ability to communicate verbally, visually and in writing in an inspirational way with the desired tone of voice.

You know how to lead change through fully integrated communication with the business goal and the key target audiences in focus, and have the ability to understand the complexity of IKEA business and the role of communication as an integrated part of the business, as well as understanding of communication trends and the ability to turn them into practice.

Your responsibilities

The purpose with this job is to lead the Communication Operations team in the market, and contribute to the purpose of the function by leading, steering and ensuring the implementation of integrated communication – in line with IKEA values.
You handle communication both internally and externally and secure the communication process by defining, planning, executing and following up communication to relevant stakeholders (including media, decision makers, NGO’s and other influencers), and drive an open and sharing climate, being a role model of the IKEA values where our co-workers are informed, engaged and empowered.

You will:

– be responsible for implementing the communication strategy (aligned with Ingka Group strategy) & operational planning as well as the related measurement/analytics
– lead and develop the Communication Operations team (currently 3 direct reports)
– be responsible for the development and delivery of the market Integrated Communication agenda, providing support and business partnering to the market
– be accountable for all communication within and from market Integrated Communication team
– secure the preconditions of 360 integrated campaigns, aligned with Global Communication
– secure sufficient communications resources & expertise to drive work in the Communications team
– build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders (such as key editors, decision makers, NGO representative as relevant) in selected focus areas, in order to act proactively and reactively with press contacts and Social Media
– apply stakeholder management to develop a deep understanding of stakeholder drivers and target communication effectively.
– set local standards and guidelines on market communication in line with global stands
– actively push for improvement of communication areas within scope, driving effectiveness and efficiency in communication fit for the rapidly changing communication landscape
– handle performance-management: Set clear goals and KPI’s to measure the impact of communication and secure the budget connected to it
– lead agency co-operation and the related budget

In this role you will report to the Country Communication Manager.
This role is located in IKEA Service office, Espoo.

About this work area

We strongly position IKEA as a truly meaningful & trusted brand in people’s hearts & minds, with a focus on us as a retailer and our positive societal impact.
At the same time, we contribute to the growth and transformation of Ingka by ensuring we lead with communication. We do this by taking a strategic approach to reactive, proactive and activist communication.

Apply now!

If this sounds like a perfect job for you, send us your CV and cover letter along with your salary request already today, but no later than Sunday, May 19th!
If you have job specific questions please contact Country Communication Manager Kirsi From, kirsi.from@ingka.ikea.com.

Osaamisalue: Media & viestintä