Senior Manager Of Communications - Lives & Livelihoods Powerhouse (Long Term Temp Assignment - 9-12 Months)

You will join a group of communications professionals within the firm's Reach and Engagement (R&E) function. These colleagues help ensure that appropriate insights reach designated audiences, building awareness and engagement with McKinsey's distinctive knowledge on a variety of topics. They shape the way the firm connects with people, from clients to employees to alumni, strengthening institutional relationships, connections, and affiliations.

Through leadership across communications initiatives, you will shape the development and implementation of best-in-class global communications programs, events, and publications.

You will be part of the Lives & Livelihoods Powerhouse marketing and communications team, supporting the SHaPE (Social Sector, Healthcare & Public Sector Entities) and Life Sciences practices. Your immediate team will comprise eight communications professionals, and an extended team of 10-12 colleagues affiliated to the powerhouse through R&E global capabilities teams including the strategic communications team on risk management, media relations, and global publishing. You will also work closely with regional communications teams in priority markets and the SHaPE & Life Sciences Client Activation (CA) teams.

Your focus will be supporting in-region priorities for the SHaPE & Life Sciences practices in Europe (30%), overseeing global client disclosure management, storytelling, and research collaborations efforts (40%), and advancing our global public sector priority initiatives (30%). The role has 2 direct reports.

You will be a thought-partner for senior leaders and partners, and work to strengthen external relationships. You will proactively shape creative communications strategies to showcase McKinsey's knowledge and assets, maintain the firm's reputation, and bring campaigns to life for SHaPE (Social Sector, Healthcare, & Public Sector Entities) & Life Sciences.

In terms of creating effective communications: you will drive high-quality writing and editing by leading/enabling teams to develop clear, structured and engaging written communications that rigorously follow conventions of written English. With cell leaders, you will manage the firm's reputational risk by mapping strengths/weaknesses and handling opportunities/threats. You will anticipate, identify, and respond to reputational risk issues to protect and enhance McKinsey's reputation by reviewing materials and proactively shaping the narrative. You will be expected to establish high-quality and consistent branding (i.e., firm's signature voice, visuals, and narrative) across communications platforms and channels in support of relevant brand pivots.

In terms of project management and creation: you will play the role of a thought-partner for senior leaders and partners in developing networking programs to strengthen relationships with clients, potential clients, and media, and drive meaningful impact through execution and delivery. You will independently define and direct complex communication strategies, and advance short-term and long-term programs. You will effectively and independently manage large-scale, often global, interdependent, complex projects/initiatives. You'll develop and execute reputation-building programs through a mix of publishing activities (e.g., monitoring of media relations and public relations, targeted knowledge dissemination). You will build a network of key editors, journalists, policymakers, senior executives, and academics, and focus on identifying and securing regional partnerships with relevant stakeholders.

Specifically, the role focuses on 3 core areas:

Communications strategy and execution in Europe (30%)

You will collaborate with our media, digital and publishing teams to support the regional dissemination of priority publications across media and on social media. You will also support partnerships, events, and research collaborations with public policy, healthcare and non-profit partner organizations.

You will advise and support practice partners on their individual external positioning, including speaking opportunities, development of thought leadership and social media presence.

Priority projects include:

Events: World Health Summit, Jeffries 2024, Davos

Storytelling: European public and social sector storytelling efforts

Thought leadership and campaigns, tied to CA goals on themes including economic competitiveness and regional security & defense for SHaPE and GenAI and technology, operations & productivity for SHaPE and Life Sciences

Global client disclosure management, storytelling, and research collaboration (40%)

You will anticipate, identify, and respond to reputational risk issues to protect and enhance McKinsey's reputation by reviewing broadcast materials and proactively shaping and iterating on our SHaPE and Life Sciences narratives.

You will support our cell leaders and CSTs in navigating our top global reputation issues and priorities, including assessing live reputation issues, managing disclosures of our work for public sector agencies, amplifying our positive impact in measurably improving lives and livelihoods, and identifying opportunities for longer-term storytelling campaigns.

You will oversee the powerhouse's storytelling efforts, leading liaison with the Firm's STORI committee to identify and pursue named cases studies and associated campaigns that illustrate the work we do, and why we do it. You will then bring these stories to life through articles, interviews, or videos, in close collaboration with the Firm Brand Marketing team and a Reputation Specialist on the team. Examples JobsOhio (US Public Sector) and Manufacturing Africa (EEMA Public Sector).

You will guide CSTs on our research collaborations with third parties, advising on requests from clients and CSTs to determine co-branded reports that will contribute meaningfully to our SHaPE themes and broaden our reputation.

Specific priority projects include:

Client disclosure management: Rolling out and operationalizing the firm's revised use of name policy; convening a group of 4-5 global Senior Partners as part of SHaPE's Communications Sounding Board (CSB)

Storytelling and named impact stories in development requiring oversight and communications expertise: Dewpoint Therapeutics (Life Sciences); Veterans Administration, US Department of Energy. University of Chicago Medicine (SHaPE)

Research collaborations: Women in the Workplace, Nigeria, Kenya & India report launches in partnership with Gates Foundation; and additional co-branded partnerships as needed

Global public sector priority initiatives (30%)

You will oversee the delivery of Public Sector "How To" webinar program (led by a dedicated BUILD Fellow), to include scheduling, panel formation, content development and execution of live webinars, which take place every 6-8 weeks. Provide strategic guidance and communications counsel to ensure the program reflects the best of the firm's public sector expertise to a priority audience of 5,000+ career civil servants in priority markets (US, Middle East, UK, Germany, Australia, Japan etc.).

You will collaborate with our global public sector leader and 12 Senior Partners leading our global client communities (Reinvesting in Economies, Government Productivity, Operations & Transformation, Digital & Analytics, Citizen Experience, Strengthening Resilience and Public Sector Talent & Capabilities). Working closely with CA, you will drive priority multi-channel communications campaigns around rewiring governments, public sector excellence (modeled after CEO excellence) and government transitions; and provide ongoing counsel on external communications opportunities, e.g., media, speaking opportunities, etc.

You will work closely with Strategic Communications and Public Affairs to develop a proactive and reactive strategy to new priorities as they emerge with government transitions as major markets enter election season (US, UK) .

The role also oversees two direct reports - a Communications Specialist and a BUILD Fellow - and will have additional leadership responsibilities within the powerhouse to apprentice team members and foster a collaborative and inclusive working environment.

• Bachelor's/university degree required

• 10+ years of experience in a business communications-related field, a benefit if in a professional services environment, corporate communications role, government, or communications agency background

• Highly credible expert within public sector/social sector/life sciences/healthcare sectors

• Proficiency and fluency in verbal and written English is required; Mastery of Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Teams) and firm related tools (Box, Slack)

• Excellent skillset across relevant communication service lines and platforms (e.g., external/internal comms, media relations, events, executive comms)

• Outstanding communication skills across formats (e.g., written, verbal/presentation, digital-ready content) and ability to apply them to develop and execute a strategy across portfolio of communications channels

• Clear understanding and quick grasp of complex business principles, with the ability to manage and shape McKinsey's overall content agenda to further the firm's strategic objectives

• Outstanding organizational and project management skills; ability to execute with speed, high level of accuracy and efficiency, attention to detail, and follow-through

• Exceptional ability to develop an internal network and exhibit presence, credibility and confidence in advising and guiding partners and senior colleagues, with instinct for mitigating reputational risks

• Exceptional at reconciling conflicting priorities and coordinating different efforts within a fast-paced, influence-driven, fluid, and ambiguous environment

• Ability to provide excellent leadership for junior colleagues, enabling team psychological safety and inclusion, and be receptive of feedback