About Us:
Water technology is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. As a leading global water technology company, A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS) is at the center of the trend. We are a $3 billion company with over 140 years of history and more than 15,000 employees worldwide. Our emphasis is on hot water and clean water; we are one of the world’s largest manufacturers of residential and commercial water heating equipment as well as a supplier of water purification products in a number of emerging countries.
Headquartered in Milwaukee, WI with manufacturing operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, India, and Europe, we have the global reach to serve customers worldwide. A. O. Smith is committed to continuous improvement and maintaining a culture that values and respects our employees. Recently named one of Milwaukee’s Top Places to Work, we care about our associates and have programs in place to help ourteam members achieve their potential. When you join our team, you will receive rewards and recognition for your contributions, training and professional development opportunities, as well as a variety of benefits to support you and your family's health, well-being, and financial future. If you are inspired to learn, take risks, and succeed as a team, you can build an amazingcareer at A. O. Smith.
Primary Function:
The Director - Corporate Communications develops the company’s internal and external communications strategy, is responsible for managing and implementing communications programs throughout the organization and overseeing the Corporate Communications organization. Communications media include web/digital, print, video production, speechwriting, and social media. In addition, the Director works closely with Investor Relations, Human Resources, Marketing, and the executive team to ensure the company’s communications programs are effective.
What is Great about this Opportunity?
- Join a stable and growing organization committed to strong financial performance, strategic acquisitions, global expansion and the highest ethical standards of conduct.
- Represent a well-known brand whose products improve quality of life and are considered top-of-the-line within the industry
- This role is a nice mix of both strategic and hands-on communications that provides a broad range of organizational exposure.
Scope of Responsibility:
This position has overall strategic and tactical responsibility for the communications function at A.O. Smith and is global in nature.
Responsibilities:
Financial Communications:
- Responsible for the design, photography, content, and printing of the wrap-around portion of the Annual Report to Shareholders as well as the printing and distribution of the entire document.
- In conjunction with the Vice President - Investor Relations, responsible for drafting and distributing all quarterly financial press releases.
- In conjunction with the executive staff, legal, and corporate development, drafts all internal and external communications relating to acquisitions, joint ventures, or divestitures.
Responsibilities (continued):
Media Relations:
- Drafts all corporate press releases including executive promotions, awards, plant openings and closings, and major product announcements and determines the distribution for these releases.
- Serves as company spokesperson in absence of Senior Vice President-Human Resources and Public Affairs.
- Works with individual reporters who are writing articles about A. O. Smith to obtain information, photos, or fulfill interview requests with executives.
- Provides media spokesperson training to members of executive team.
Crisis Communications - responsible for updating company’s crisis communication plan, serves as communications lead person during any crisis.
Executive Communications - provides communications services to executive team including speechwriting and presentation development.
Measurements - identifies and implements appropriate measurements and KPI’s to evaluate department’s effectiveness and identify opportunities for improvements.
Role Specific Responsibilities:
Digital Communications:
- Responsible for the design, content, SEO capabilities of www.aosmith.com. Serves as liaison with third-party sites shareholder.com and aosmith careers.
- Responsible for design and content of A.O. Smith’s intranet site (AOSNET), working with the team to identify content opportunities, make assignments, train content editors, supervise web developers, and serve as liaison with third party sites SuccessFactors, TRIP (expense reporting), and SAP.
- Works with IT to integrate newly acquired employees into AOSNET groups.
- Supervises social media activities, primarily LinkedIn, contributing content ideas.
Video Production
- Overall responsibility for the annual Executive Report video including executive interviews, scriptwriting, location video, overseeing translations, graphics creation, and editing. Works with Human Resources to distribute the finished video worldwide.
- Provides corporate video service to internal clients. Determines scope of video project, develops and secures approval for subject treatment, hires video talent for project, develop or oversees development of script, supervises editing process.
Corporate Recognition Program Management:
- Overall responsibility for the annual Values Recognition program. Develops promotional materials, promotes program, works with Human Resources teams to identify and process nominations. Submits nominations and background material to Blue Ribbon Committee. Once selections are made, notifies recipients, schedules and plans annual Values & Patents Recognition Ceremony. Publicizes recipients on a variety of internal media.
- President’s Safety and Chairman’s Green Star awards. Oversees the ceremonies related to these awards including ordering awards and employee gifts, coordinating event with recipient location, develop award presentation program, executive speechwriting, press release development and distribution, and internal announcements.
- Oversees company’s global Service Awards program working with outside supplier to select awards and maintain process.