Salary Range: $109,900.00 – $164,900.00 Annually
The stated pay range is based on a national-average location. Actual salary is determined by factors including relevant work experience, skills and location. This position is bonus eligible.
CNO Financial Group’s is hiring an External Communications Manager to play a pivotal role in helping to formulate, execute and sustain an external communications strategy for CNO Financial and its family of brands that create and maintain a favorable public image. This is your opportunity to be a part of our dynamic Communications department. The ideal candidate is a creative communicator who has strong writing and storytelling skills, can juggle several projects, works well under pressure with tight schedules, presents creative content ideas, supports team members, is an excellent coach and adviser, and knows how to establish collaborative relationships with subject matter experts and CNO department partners.
As a key member of the Corporate Communications team, this position is responsible for strategic planning and implementation of all external communications activities for the enterprise, providing proactive and reactive media relations; creating targeted social and content campaigns to support business goals; and building, protecting and extending CNO and its family of brands to internal and external stakeholders.
The External Communications Manager will work directly with the Director, Communications and manage two communications analysts.
If you have strong communication and organizational skills, are self-motivated, can work well both independently and as part of a team, and have a flair for storytelling? We want you to join our fast-paced communications team.
As an External Communications Manager, your responsibilities will include:
- Proactive and Reactive Public Relations: m anage and execute traditional and digital media initiatives to support business goals for the parent company and business brands. Includes writing, using research and survey data, media pitching, distribution and measurement of PR content including press and mat releases, media advisories, authored articles, and digital/social media content. Effectively manage incoming media inquiries for the parent company and brands.
- Media relationships: build relationships with key national, local, online media, and influencers, and serves as a company spokesperson, as necessary. Brand: ensure the core brand identity and brand promises are communicated through internal and external touchpoints; oversee the updates for the CNO corporate brand identity guide, corporate messaging materials; support all CNO creative services requests
- Investor Relations Communications: support the IR team on the production of the CNO annual report, environmental, social and governance (ESG) report, Proxy, earnings, and Investor Day events.
- com Media Maintenance: responsible for content management of company’s public-facing website, CNOinc.com, including working with the Media Room, Human Resources and Investor Relations to manage their pages.
- Social Media: generate highly creative and measurable social media strategies and campaigns; including engagement plans, communication calendars and structures for reporting campaign effectiveness.
- Media Monitoring and Tracking: u tilize media monitoring platform for daily monitoring and tracking of media coverage for parent company and brands; compile and distribute daily media coverage report; maintain media coverage archive for all brands; and compile media coverage reports.
- Corporate Communications: As a member of Communications Team, support all company events as needed and develop/implement internal communications strategies on key business initiatives.
The External Communications Manager position is well-suited for you if you have:
- Excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills as well as the journalistic ability to source stories from associates.
- Ability to design and execute strategic communication strategies and be able to execute flawlessly.
- Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills to work with communications and business partners.
- Confidence to deal with senior executives and explain communication techniques to them.
- Ability to devise creative communication strategies and campaigns.
What you’ll need:
- Bachelors’ Degree in Public Relations, Journalism, Communications, Marketing or related field
- 5-7 years of experience at a large corporate organization or agency
- Proven ability to develop and implement communication strategy for key initiatives.
- Strong ability to favorably represent the PR effort on multiple enterprise-wide initiative teams.
- Willingness to work central or eastern time zone business hours.
What will set you apart:
- Preferred experience in the insurance or financial services industry
- Previous PR agency experience
- Prior experience as a dynamic people leader
- Experience supporting Investor Relations Communications
The Company offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:
- medical insurance
- dental insurance
- vision insurance
- 401(k) retirement plan with company match
- short-term & long-term disability insurance
- Paid time-off and corporate holidays,
- paid parental leave
- company paid life insurance
Click on this link for additional information.
CNO embraces flexibility and encourages you to work where you’re most productive. Associates who live within a 60-mile radius of a corporate office (Birmingham, Carmel, Chicago, Orlando and Milwaukee) have access to come into that office.
Associates who live outside of a 60-mile radius of a corporate office (Birmingham, Carmel, Chicago, Orlando and Milwaukee) may perform this role full-time work from home (WFH) from any US based location, as long as you are willing to work central or eastern time zone hours.
All associates may be asked to travel to varying corporate offices periodically. Work cannot be performed from outside of the United States.
CNO provides life and health insurance, annuities, financial services, and workforce benefits solutions through our family of brands and supported by our associates and agents. Our customers work hard to save for the future, and we help protect their health, income and retirement needs with 3.2 million policies and more than $35 billion in total assets. Our 3,400 associates, 8,600 exclusive agents and independent partner agents guide individuals, families and businesses through a lifetime of financial decisions.
We are financially strong and well positioned for continued growth, and we are grounded in our core values of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I); Integrity, Customer Focus, Excellence, and Teamwork. We have offices in more than 260 communities in the U.S., including our headquarters in Carmel, Indiana, and corporate offices in Birmingham, Chicago, Philadelphia, Orlando and Milwaukee.
At CNO Financial Group, we’re always looking forward-to the security and stability we help create for our insurance brands’ customers, and the growth we create within our own company. We’re looking for ambitious people who want to do more. We’ll provide you with opportunities to grow your skills through challenging professional experiences.
If you’re looking for a culture that encourages development, helps you reach your potential, and rewards you for your contribution, then CNO Financial Group is right for you. For more information, visit CNOinc.com.
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
#LI-KD1
ReqID: JR167410
Category: Marketing/Communications
Job Type: Full-Time
Additional Locations: Birmingham, AL; Milwaukee, WI; Carmel, IN; Philadelphia, PA; Orlando, FL; Houston, TX; Austin, TX; Madison, WI; Carmel, IL; Carmel, IN; Louisville, KY; Charlotte, NC; Atlanta, GA