Senior Communications Manager (m/w/d), EMEA

Who we are:
Founded in Japan in 1887, Kao is passionate about making a difference in people’s lives with our high quality products and services to create a Kirei Life for all – a beautiful life that respects the needs of our consumers and customers as well as the planet. We never compromise on quality and craft our products with care for the consumer and the environment.  As a company driven by purpose and strong corporate values we pride ourselves to be listed among the World´s Most Ethical Companies since 16 consecutive years. Our corporate philosophy, the Kao Way, guides us in everything we do – acting with integrity, courageously driving innovation and treating each other with trust and respect.

The Role:

In this role, you will be working closely with the Head of Corporate Communications EMEA on key Corporate Communications activities for the EMEA Region, including corporate reputation building, digital and social media as well as supporting Employee Communication and Employer Branding activities in the region.  

You will engage with various internal stakeholders across the business including sector, function, and country leaders as well as our Communication Teams in our Tokyo headquarters and collaborate closely with our colleagues in the Americas region. In addition, you will support in managing external PR and design agencies and be in close contact with our media relations across the region.

The role reports to the Head of Corporate Communications EMEA based in Darmstadt.

This is a fixed-term (6 months), full-time position (hybrid, within commuting distance to our offices in Darmstadt, alternatively in London or Amersfoort) with the potential to become permanent after the initial FTC.

What you will do:

• Corporate Reputation Building:
  • Develop storytelling and messaging for our corporate reputation building activities in close collaboration with the Business and Functions.
  • Write press releases, Q&As, story pitches and interview briefings and set up media strategies.
  • Co-manage the PR and Social Media agency
  • Manage media relations and press queries in the region
  • Media Monitoring and Reporting
• Social Media:
  • Lead the content and paid strategy as well as content creation for the corporate Linkedin account
  • Work with the Employer Branding Manager on the development and execution of Employer Branding campaigns
• Website
  • Lead the content strategy for the EMEA corporate website including continuous updates
• Employee Communication:
  • Support on employee communication with content development for the intranet

What you will need:

• University degree in Journalism, PR, or equivalent
• Multiple years of profound experience in Communications, preferably in the Beauty Industry or B2B including Corporate PR, Digital Media, as well as Employee Communication
• Sound digital skills, including CMS/website management and preferably Linkedin
• Excellent writing and communication skills in both German and English
• Experience in the development of video, photo and creative content
• Excellent networking skills with the ability to influence and consult others
• Experience in operating in complex matrix organizations and international teams
• Robust strategic thinking and business acumen
• Strong project management skills with a focus on excellence in execution and priority setting
• Working with clear KPIs

How we work: Having been selected among the World´s Most Ethical Companies for 18 consecutive years, we are a company with a purpose and strong corporate values. We never compromise on quality and craft our products with care for the consumer and the environment. At Kao, each employee can actively shape their job and their career. We work collaboratively to achieve our common goals, always aiming to deliver the best for our customers.
What we offer: A friendly and flexible work environment with competitive salaries, benefits package, ongoing development and the opportunity to enhance your skills and deliver tangible results. At Kao your voice will be heard. Your opinion really counts. We believe that change comes from taking opportunities into your own hands, so we value and reward entrepreneurial thinking and innovation.
Hiring Process: Kao embraces the diversity and the individual personalities of its people because we believe it is diversity that makes us strong. This is why we welcome applications from all areas of the global community. 
Want to learn more: If you feel you are as unique as our products and want to find out why 33,000 people across the globe opted for a career with us please visit https://www.kao.com/emea/en/