Principal, Communication Consulting Practice

Every business knows that a passionate workforce is infinitely more productive than one packed with people counting down the seconds from nine to five. But how do you get employees genuinely fired up about work? Well, that’s where we come in. 

At Gallagher, we’re much more than emails and home mailers. We’re driving behaviour change at scale for some of the biggest household names on the planet.

Could you launch a mental health campaign for the world’s biggest sportswear brand? Do you have what it takes to change perceptions about healthcare? Have you got the persuasive power to convert millennials from frivolous consumers to long-term savers?We’re on the hunt for fresh perspectives and new ideas to revolutionise the way we reach over 40 million people every single year. Join our 240-strong multinational team of passionate employee communicators and start making a difference today.

As a member of our US Communication Consulting Practice, you’ll be part of client teams dedicated to helping improve engagement, attraction and retention through creative benefits and well-being communication.The Principal is a lead strategist, day-to-day client contact and senior project manager responsible for driving behavior change for global brands through world-class strategic planning and executional excellence, overseeing complex projects from concept to delivery. 

You understand the client’s strategic goals and the problem you are trying to solve for their employees and their business. You strive to create beautiful, relevant experiences that deliver results. You know the ‘why’ behind every decision and present the work with confidence, and clients love you because you ‘get’ them. You personally ensure all deliverables meet your high standards and the client’s expectations, and that they are completed on time and on budget. Principals contribute value to our organization over and above their direct billings by bringing in sufficient work to keep other consultants busy. By managing a profitable and growing portfolio of clients/projects, Principals contribute substantially to the success and vitality of our organization as a whole.

While there is no one “right” employee for this position, individuals who are most likely to succeed in the Principal role must have a proven record in supporting new business development and delivering successful communication campaigns, preferably with knowledge of human resources (especially benefits and compensation) and expertise spanning internal employee communication. You will demonstrate proficiency in communication consulting, client delivery, business development, financial management and talent development (as detailed below).

Consulting, client delivery and business development

• Lead the development of creative, strategic, proactive and technically correct consulting recommendations to clients.
• Facilitate meetings, new business presentations and communication strategy sessions with clients and prospects to gather information, establish needs and success factors, scope work, clarify expectations, develop strategies, draft proposals, price projects, obtain feedback and negotiate contracts.
• Develop, manage and implement strategic communication campaigns for all types of benefit communications including defined benefit, defined contribution, health and wellbeing, compensation, human resources, leadership, employee listening and change management communications.
• Expertise in all types of media including print, digital, video, face-to-face and social media.
• Ability to conduct/lead audience research and communication audits.
• Review the design and content of communication materials; this includes ensuring consistency, accuracy and appropriate tone, as well as reviewing the work of less experienced colleagues.
• Demonstrate project/team leadership that leads to high-quality service delivery and client retention/satisfaction.
• Work with client executives and the Market Development Team to identity and pursue cross-sell opportunities with existing clients.
• Use network of contacts to identify and target prospective clients.
• Contribute to and help maintain sales pipeline and financial forecasts.
• Network and maintain positive working relationship across our organization, beyond the local and national teams, to earn the respect and confidence of colleagues at every level.
• Contribute to the advancement of the practice and firm by contributing to and sharing best practices on internal calls both within and beyond the Communication practice.
• Promote the visibility of our organization and develop contacts through speaking engagements, publications and thought leadership.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the market and competitors.
• Contribute to the growth of the practice through innovation of our service offers.

Financial management and operations

• Prepare campaign/project budgets and schedules resulting in on-time and profitable projects.
• Participate in billing decisions and bill preparation assuring high collection rates and retention of clients; submit bills timely.
• Sales and new business development responsibilities that include an sales and revenue under management annual target.
• Operational proficiency in the lifecycle of client engagements – including timely SOW development and execution, diligent management of salesforce.com opportunities, ensuring accurate billing rules and project code set-up, adherence to time entry deadlines, timely pro-forma and third-party invoice processing, and accounts receivable management to minimize past due payments from clients.

People development

• Delegate work to the most qualified and cost-effective team members, so that junior-level team and direct reports meet billable goals
• Manage and/or mentor less experienced staff, including providing recommendations for training and development opportunities.
• Conduct meaningful reviews of performance of project team members.
• Use network of contacts to identify, recruit, interview and recommend new talent.

Technical Requirements & Expertise

• Proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, Excel and Adobe Acrobat.
• Knowledge of communication business (e.g., content, design, production, technology) and Human Resources, with deep expertise in one or more areas (e.g., defined benefit plans, defined contribution plans, health and welfare benefits, compensation, talent, employee listening, change management).

Person Specification

• Experience: 12+ years of work experience in communications and/or Human Resources. Likely to come from corporate communications, public relations, journalism, advertising, marketing, corporate benefits, or benefits industry. Consulting background preferred.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree, preferably in English, business, communications, or a related field.·       Certifications (e.g., CEBS and/or investment/finance related) and industry affiliations (e.g., IABC, IFEBP) are a plus but not required.
• Soft Skills: A "can-do" attitude, excellent communication skills (written and oral), and the ability to work efficiently in a remote, multi-time-zone setting. Must be able to juggle multiple projects and deliverables simultaneously.

·       Core Values: Must demonstrate client excellence, innovation, and an ability and desire to respond quickly

and think nimbly.

Behavioral Compete

• Innovation & Resourcefulness: Drives results through fresh perspectives and new ideas.
• Client Excellence: Deeply understands the client's strategic goals and manages conflict effectively
• Teamwork: Actively supports the creative team and maintains a collaborative, optimistic environment.
• Leadership: Ability to remain calm in crisis, create excitement and motivate others.