Manager, Communications and Public Relations

At Batesville, you will be a part of a dynamic team committed to excellence and innovation. A recognized leader in the death care industry in North America, we are committed to our mission of helping families honor the lives of those they love®. We are currently seeking a Manager, Communications & Public Relations to join our team in Batesville, IN. This position is a Hybrid role, with the opportunity to work both remote and in-office.

Your Role at Batesville:

As a Manager, Communications & Public Relations, you will be responsible for leading the development of communications and public relations area which connect organizational business goals with specific issue campaigns and projects, both internally and externally. This position is responsible for planning, developing, and implementing communications and public relations strategies to enhance the company’s reputation, credibility, and competitive position. In this role, you will work with executive leaders and others to identify opportunities to highlight activities, achievements, products, thought leadership, and other topics across the company that will enhance its brand with internal and external audiences. In addition, this position creates and manages communications plans and tactics, including message and content development, for key product launches, sensitive situations and company positioning. As a partner supporting the company’s spokespeople, the Manager Communications and Public Relations builds and manages relationships with media and ensures a unified voice and consistent public identity.

How You’ll be Rewarded:

• Batesville is a family. You will be part of a family of highly committed associates who are passionate about our company, committed to our customers and excited about our future.
• Competitive pay
• IMMEDIATE ELIGIBILITY – Comprehensive medical, dental and vision insurance, as well as prescription coverage, short-term disability, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and more.
• Generous 401K Matching Program
• Paid time off
• Opportunities for development and advancement

What You’ll Do:

• Write press releases, feature articles, and pitch story opportunities for placement in print and digital communications as well as podcasts and awards; Solicits opportunities to gain exposure for the company and executives in targeted industry and media outlets that advance thought leadership, enhance our market position.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with industry media outlets, journalists, influencers as well as top-tier key industry stakeholders and consumer reporters to enhance and protect the company’s reputation.
• Serve as one point of contact, among other company spokespeople for media and industry associations to ensure alignment and consistency of messaging and facilitate coverage of the company.
• Develop and manage comprehensive communication plans and tactics for sensitive situations such as workforce changes, crisis communication, and unplanned events. This includes the development or oversight of development of talking points, media statements, press releases, internal communications, and Q&A.
• Create and present communication information for internal and external stakeholders including message maps, key message documents, FAQs, letters, and other communication tools as needed.
• Provide communication counsel and advice to business leaders on reputation and business impact, including competitive response teams, executive presentations, customer events, product launches, pricing activities, and other special projects, regarding the best message strategies to frame a discussion and optimal channels to effectively handle issues. Train and coach leaders and spokespeople on delivery of these key messages.
• Oversee comprehensive internal employee communication calendar and channels to ensure a consistent message across the business, including company’s intranet site, videos, emails, PowerPoint presentations and other emerging technologies.
• Assist with the development of strategic messaging for key associate meetings, awards programs, leadership meetings, and customer visits and meetings that drive engagement with the company’s mission, and business goals.
• Keeps a pulse on today’s industry trends and environment to maximize company opportunities. Leverages research, analysis, and insights to develop appropriate communications strategies to achieve business objectives.
• Leads the development of annual and ad hoc strategic communications plans and responsible tactics, guided by key messages, brand platforms, guidelines, and policies for the corporation.
• Evaluates effectiveness of external communication strategies relating to PR performance metrics, media coverage and earned third-party recognition.
• Other duties may be assigned.

What You’ll Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree (B.S./B.A.) or equivalent from a college or university in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, or related field; and a minimum of 5 years related public or media relations, corporate communications, and/or strategic campaigns experience and/or training.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with executive leaders, senior managers, and internal constituents as well as broad experience implementing plans across communications areas.
• Experience with strategic communications, including development of narrative themes and messaging.
• Superior writing, editing, and verbal communication skills.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of public relations, traditional and electronic journalism, social media, and emerging media.
• Strong and proven planning and story development skills.
• Experience in and proven ability to understand of the company’s operations, business plan and goals, brand and value proposition, customer segmentation, and product portfolio.
• Proven experience to create and nurture positive relationships, even in adversarial situations.
• Experience in managing external communication partners and media.
• Ability to work with highly confidential information; prioritize and work under urgent deadlines while maintaining attention to detail.

Nice to Haves:

• Strong sound judgement and decision-making skills.

Physical Requirements:

To perform this job successfully, the physical demands listed are representative of those that must be met by an employee. Reasonable accommodation(s) may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, use hands to handle and feel, reach with hands and arms, talk, and hear. The employee may occasionally be required to crouch, or lift items as heavy as 25 lbs. This job may require the employee to see with clarity at both near and far distances.

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Join the Batesville family and today!

Who We Are:

A cornerstone in the death care industry, Batesville has distinguished itself from all others through our commitment to quality, service, and innovation. For more than 115 years, Batesville has been dedicated to serving the needs of licensed funeral professionals and helping families honor the lives of those they love.® With annual revenues of approximately $600 million, Batesville is a leader, providing a comprehensive portfolio of burial and cremation products, memorialization offerings, profit-enhancing merchandising systems and leading-edge technology solutions.

At Batesville, our associates are our strongest asset. We strive to attract, hire, and develop the best and brightest to ensure our place in the future. Batesville has a strong culture of achievement, which is underpinned by these five core values:

• Individual worth and integrity
• Excellence in execution
• Spirit of continuous learning and improvement
• Courage
• Customer focus and partnership

What Sets Us Apart:

Making a difference: Helping families honor the lives of those they love® isn’t just our mission. It’s why we do what we do every day to make every Batesville product the best it can be.

Development is a priority: We promote learning and development from Day 1. From our Experience Batesville onboarding program to self-guided courses on Batesville University, there are numerous opportunities to advance your skills. We encourage associates to create Individual Development Plans (IDPs) to help drive career-focused discussions and advancement.

Putting customers first: We value the funeral professional’s role in serving families and are committed to doing our part to ensure their success.

We Have Fun! We work hard, but when it’s time to play, we get creative – and competitive. We provide numerous engagement activities to bring people together across the organization.

We Give Back: We support our communities by assisting in fundraising events and volunteer programs to help those in need. *These services are not available at all Batesville locations.

DISCLAIMER: The above information in this job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by the employee within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of any employee assigned to this job. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

At Batesville, we strive to build a diverse workforce through equal-opportunity employment that embraces and leverages the differences each individual has to offer. We are an Equal Employment Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Employer of minorities/females/disabled/veterans.