Team Context

Digital Services in Aflac Northern Ireland provides the latest technical capabilities to our parent organisation.  We deliver high quality software using Agile methodologies, using some of the latest technologies including Pega, AWS, Data, Web, Mobile, Cognitive Science & Engineering – all so that our customers have the best digital experience when they need us.  We are leading innovation capabilities for the company, and driving best practices in QA & Testing, DevOps & Continuous Improvement, and Production Support & Monitoring.  And we are leading the organisation in Product thinking, ensuring we build the right things for our customers as well as building things right.

The team is now approaching it’s target size of 120 people, consisting of 8 different teams across 3 engineering practices.  We have some fantastically talented people who want to continually learn, adapt and reinvent their skills and capabilities over time as technologies change and evolve.

Role Context

We are looking for a Communications & Strategy Manager who will help to enable the implementation of the Digital Services Strategy for Aflac Northern Ireland.  This will require someone who is as comfortable developing strategic plans with executive leaders, as they are spending time in day-to-day operational activities that “get the job done”.  We want someone who is self-motivated, uses their own initiative and will enable the effectiveness of all of our teams.  You will play a key role supporting the Head of Technology in refining the strategy for the organisation, acting as an adviser and co-ordinating key initiatives for our Agile teams.  You will lead the communications strategy for the organisation, providing regular updates upwards, downwards and outwards across the organisation, so that everyone can connect with the strategy, clearly understand why we are doing what we are doing, and help to drive change across the broader organisation.  We will provide you with extensive opportunities to learn and grow, and want you to bring creativity, ingenuity, experience, and insight into the design & execution of communication strategies in a modern IT organisation.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the Head of Technology in defining and capturing the Digital Services strategy for Aflac Northern Ireland
• Develop a Communications Strategy for Digital Services that will clearly articulate the vision and the purpose, and resonate with a range of stakeholders
• Act as an adviser/sounding board for the Head of Technology and senior leadership team; assisting the Head of Technology in facilitating effective decision-making
• Develop a suite of business review documentation to inform executive sponsors of progress, including business case development and report submission to external bodies
• Co-ordinate the execution of key initiatives and workstreams that deliver on the strategy
• Participate in meetings with the SLT to discuss businesses process and strategic plans
• Manage projects across the staff population that ensure adherence to standards, and continuous improvement of processes
• Support key internal events that help to maintain employee engagement and build the culture of the organisation
• Support recruitment activities and training programs alongside Learning & Development and Talent Partners
• Ensure smooth on-boarding of new employees as they join their teams, in coordination with Talent & Culture and Hiring Managers
• Actively participate in tactical and operational tasks that help the team to meet upcoming deadlines

Skills and experience

Essential

• 5+ years in a Communications, Strategy or Analyst role
• Commercial experience in a consultancy or advisory role, preferable within a global consultancy company
• Commercial experience leading or executing a Communications strategy
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to tailor communication depending on the audience, in order to deliver highly successful outcomes for stakeholders
• Proven track record producing high quality materials used to convey concepts, strategy, and execution plans
• Demonstrated ability to work independently focusing on priorities, and managing a high volume of tasks, deadlines, requirements, and decisions
• Highly effective at making informed decisions and delivering great outcomes in line with IT strategy
• Evidence of collaborative working to freely share knowledge and experience
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to successfully engage, influence and develop a broad range of individuals across various internal and external businesses and support functions
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail
• Practical experience with MS Office 365, Confluence, SharePoint, or similar documentation & presentation tools
• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in a business-related discipline. Comparable commercial experience may also be considered

Desirable

• Experience working with a Technology company in Northern Ireland
• Experience in a consultancy or advisory role
• Experience of delivering for the insurance industry
• Knowledge of IT strategy engagements

So that’s us. Thanks for taking the time to read this far (pretty impressive in the era of the 280-character tweet). We look forward to hearing from you if you fancy joining a tech innovation company with the agility of a start-up and the stability of a Fortune 500 U.S. company.