Lead, Corporate Communications job in North Sydney

New Forests (www.newforests.com.au) seeks a motivated and suitably experienced Communications professional for this newly created position of Lead, Corporate Communications. In this role you will be responsible for coordinating and directing New Forests’ corporate communications initiatives in order to promote and protect the company’s brand and reputation, support capital raising and business growth objectives, engage stakeholders in the company’s vision and mission, and support regionally focused investment activities. You will develop and execute a corporate communication strategy aligned with these core communications objectives. You will engage in a wide range of activities related to media and publicity, thought leadership and content development, corporate communications tools and mediums, crisis communications readiness, and issues management in our assets and investment regions. Candidates must have the capability and interest to flex their communications muscles to deal with issues ranging from institutional investment, real assets, and forestry investment to sustainability and climate change to developed and emerging market contexts. This role is well suited to candidates seeking a senior role in a relatively small but complex investment management business with an array of issues to engage with. The role will report to the Managing Director, Investor Services and will be based in Sydney, Australia.

New Forests is an investment management business offering leading edge strategies in forestry, land management, and conservation. We seek to manage sustainable landscapes for production and conservation and to generate shared value for our clients and the communities where we operate. Founded in 2005, we offer institutional investors dedicated investment strategies in Australia‐New Zealand, the United States, and Southeast Asia and have more than AUD 6 billion in assets under management. We manage sustainable forestry assets, forest carbon projects, rural land, and timber processing infrastructure. New Forests is headquartered in Sydney with offices in San Francisco, Singapore, New Zealand, and Melbourne.

Specifically, you will be responsible for:

• Developing and overseeing execution of corporate communications strategy for New Forests in order to promote and protect the company’s brand and reputation, support capital raising and business growth objectives, engage stakeholders in the company’s vision and mission, and support regionally focused investment activities.
• Directing brand promotion in alignment with the needs of an institutional investment management business, including media/public relations and publicity, including sourcing and pitching relevant media contacts; support for thought leadership and content development; and developing strategic marketing engagements.
• Overseeing corporate communications tools and mediums, including corporate website, social media platforms such as LinkedIn, videos and photo library, design and visual objectives, and templates. A review and overhaul of website and related corporate materials/templates is a key 2021 project.
• Collaborating with stakeholders in the business to create content and materials for internal and external communications, ranging from press releases to case studies to reports.
• Partnering with Investor Relations team to elevate fundraising campaigns and promote across external platforms (events, blogs, virtual convenings, publications, industry networks, etc.).
• Collaborating with Head of Risk and Compliance and other stakeholders in the business to ensure crisis communications readiness.
• Managing copywriting, proofreading, and design of public materials, such as reports, presentations, and research articles, as needed, and ensure deliverables meet compliance requirements.
• Sourcing and being a point of contact for relationships with external communications providers, including strategic communications, PR, creative, and design.
• Maintaining communications procedures/systems, such as press logs, media lists, media monitoring, and campaign reporting as well as content, editorial, and event calendars.
• Being a steward for communications infrastructure, systems, and resources to ensure effective and efficient corporate communications, including oversight for corporate templates.

We are looking for candidates with:

• 8-10+ years of relevant experience with requisite competencies in corporate communications.
• Prior experience with a number of the following areas: brand promotion, communications materials development, crisis communications management, regulatory affairs, and content and thought leadership development.
• External communications and/or journalism experience in relevant industries such as financial services and asset management is preferred.
• Track record of successful communications campaign development, management, and results.
• Degree qualified in relevant discipline or equivalent experience.
• Ability to excel at working collaboratively and cross-functionally with both team peers and leaders within and outside the communications function; ability and desire to build strong working relationships.
• A keen and natural communication style, highly capable across written and oral communications.
• Demonstrated business acumen and ability to exercise sound business judgement.
• Demonstrated situational and cultural fluency with the ability to adapt to working with diverse clients, peers, and stakeholders and in an international, cross-cultural business context.
• A curiosity and interest in storytelling and building compelling narratives.
• Superior attention to detail and quality control including a focus on compliance.
• Mission alignment with New Forests and desire to work collaboratively toward vision, mission, and purpose.
• Strong time management and organisational skills.
• Excellent Microsoft Office skills including Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Prior experience updating and maintaining website content a plus; familiarity with WordPress or similar an advantage.
• A demonstrated interest in/knowledge of sustainability.

What can we offer?

Our environment is busy and supportive, and the team is professional but relaxed. If you join us, you would be joining a growing, fast-paced business that is an environmental and sustainable leader in forestry investment. You will also be working with professionals who are passionate about their work!

To apply, please provide your resume and cover letter, explaining your interest and qualifications for the position, in PDF format, to careers@newforests.com.au.

Phone calls will not be accepted.

Note: previous applicants for the Communications Manager role need not re-apply.

New Forests is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values diversity and inclusion. We offer flexible working arrangements to all employees to support their work/life balance. We are also a Certified B Corp.