Director of Marketing Communications

Reports to Title: Vice President of Marketing & Strategy

Department/Division: Marketing

Primary Work Location: Bloomington/Shakopee

Job Code/Classification: Exempt

Position Overview

As the Director of Marketing Communications, you will lead a strategically important role centered at the very heart of our commercial operations. You’ll be responsible for establishing and driving our “Commercial Heartbeat” which will require both vision and a pragmatic approach to delivering results through the team.

Serving as a bridge between key stakeholders including our commercial organization (sales, marketing, customer care, etc.) and our various support partners located regionally and globally in Denmark you’ll forge meaningful relationships that allow you to be successful in implementing and advancing a wide range of projects and initiatives.

The projects and initiatives you’ll lead include the go-to-market plan for product and service introductions, integrated marketing campaigns, and business impact and continuous improvement projects. Further, the scope of your role encompasses multiple brands covering multiple channels across multiple markets in North America.

You’ll be part of a dynamic Marketing Leadership Team and will directly lead the Brand and Channel Marketing, Creative Services, Marketing Operations, and Digital Marketing Teams within the department. This is a group of engaged and passionate team members who are looking for a servant leader to join the group. You’ll be operating in a company that has more of an entrepreneurial feel with a great mix of tenure and infusion of external talent. Serving our customers in primarily a business-to-business fashion we require the formation of long lasting and trusting partnerships to be successful.

To be successful in the role you’ll require a unique mix of experience and hard skills paired with excellent soft skills. You’ll have the opportunity to utilize an intrapreneurial spirit to own your business, identify and seize opportunities, embrace what is working well, and modify areas that could be improved.

If the idea of being part of a growing team and company, leveraging your skills and experience to help us keep our momentum as the fastest growing hearing aid manufacturer in the world, and working with a team that wins together and loses together then you should consider our company and this role.

Essential Functions (Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.)

Leadership & Culture

• Lead and motivate a diverse team of professionals towards a people-focused, results driven, high performing culture that is healthy and inspired.
• Confidently and collaboratively represent the MarCom function as part of the North American Marketing Leadership Team as well as within the global marketing network.
• Identify and nurture key strategic relationships throughout the organization globally to influence desired outcomes not least sales channel leads and the Central Marketing Team located in the Global HQ.
• Develop commercial strategies aligned with the respective goals and objectives of each brand and channel and execute these plans through the teams.
• Ownership of the creation, maintenance, and coordination of the Commercial Heartbeat aimed at aligning the commercial ambitions on a running 24-month time horizon.
• Provide strategic leadership to ensure resources and investments are aligned with the priorities of the business.
• Ensure fiscal responsibility by being accountable to adhering to stated budgets.
• Continuously optimize the functions under management to ensure world class execution in marketing communications.

Brand & Channel Management

• Support the evolution of branding and positioning for GN Hearing North America and ensure the consistent delivery according to the unique needs of each brand and channel.
• Lead the introduction of products, services, and unique campaigns across the brands and channels including:
  • ReSound in the Commercial and Government Services channels
  • Jabra in the Key Retail channel
  • ReSound under the AGX private label for our Audigy sister company
  • ReSound under the Smart Hearing Alliance partnership with Cochlear
  • Other brands and channels as they may evolve
• Own, execute, and optimize the end-to-end launch process to ensure efficient and effective methods for delivering on time and on budget in a high paced environment while continually raising the bar on quality.
• Ensure all marketing communications consistently reflect corporate and product brand standards and deliver core key messages.
• Obsess over performance metrics to ensure data-driven marketing activities are used, refined, and in case of non-performance avoided.

Creative Services and Marketing Operations

• Ensure the efficient and effective management of marketing assets throughout their lifecycle including campaign and PoS materials, print materials, and digital materials.
• Drive accountability to the allocated budget while also supporting the annual budgeting and resourcing process to ensure sufficient funds for subsequent years.
• In partnership with the branding and positioning lead the evolution of our creative and visual identities to maintain an innovative edge.
• Facilitate the regulatory review processes for the Marketing department and ensure adherence to governing protocols to ensure compliance and audit readiness.

Digital Marketing

• Guide the Marketing function through a multi-year digital transformation project by running point with the project team to ensure the MarTech stack aligns with the needs of the department.
• Establish a distinct Digital Marketing Team locally in North America in partnership with the extensive digital team housed in the Central Marketing Team in Denmark.
• Champion data integrity and data literacy while also influencing the data governance landscape across the organization.
• Lead the team in the creation of a digital content across our various mediums.
• Own and deliver customer relevant information aligned to the customer journey across our consumer, professional, and ad hoc micro-sites.
• Ensure the team focuses on the review, analysis, and optimization of the effectiveness of the digital content for continuous improvement.

Competencies (Knowledge and Skills needed for this position.)

• Leadership: You’ll embody and champion our Leadership Commitments at GN which include: Being a Customer Geek – knowing the customer better than they know themselves, Making it Happen – taking ideas to action, and Embracing to Win – leveraging the diversity of our team to win together.
• Marketing & Communications Acumen: A mastery of proven marketing strategies and tactics accompanied by exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, you’ll be our guiding star for what great marketing looks like.
• Commercial Mindset: You’ll be part of our commercial organization and while longer range planning and execution are central to your role so too is being solution oriented. Supporting our commercial ambitions requires an appropriate amount of flexibility to capitalize on new opportunities that no amount of planning could predict.
• Intrapreneurship: Entrepreneurs, at least the good ones, understand the environment in which they operate, they see a vision not for what is but what could be. They take ownership of seizing the opportunities in front of them, knocking down the roadblocks that stand in their way, and pivot when new insights are gained. They cannot accept excuses because success is the only option, they deploy their resources to maximal effectiveness. Being an intrapreneur requires the same mentality, however, rather than operating in the open market you’ll be operating within the constraints and confines of GN.
• Ability to lead and motivate a team of individuals
• Proven track record of managing multiple projects at once and driving results
• Ability to think strategically, prioritize tasks and oversee execution with attention to detail
• Relationship building; ability to collaborate across the organization
• Strong decision-making skills and a willingness to adapt with changing priorities
• Strong flair for great design, messaging and supporting copy
• Content creation experience, strong skills in creating original content that targets a specific audience and meets company objectives
• Solid knowledge of the customer journey and the ability to develop solutions to ensure customers/prospects will have the information/experience they need to progress through the funnel
• Experience with digital marketing tools and best practices, key metrics in B2B and B2B2C digital marketing and lead generation
• Experienced with Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, Excel and Adobe Acrobat
• Knowledge of customer relationship management (CRM) and sales channels is preferred

Desired Qualifications

Preferred Education: 

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, business, communication, journalism or related fields.    
• Graduate level degree is a bonus.

Experience:

• +10 years in marketing communications with a minimum of 5 years leading teams. Experience managing managers is a bonus.
• A proven track record of marketing in a Business to Business industry. Experience in medical device, hearing or pharmaceutical industry is a plus.
• Experience with creative development, possibly from advertising agency is a plus, but not required.

Travel: 20% with potential international travel

Other:

Other Information

Direct reports: Yes

Working Environment: Hybrid – combination of office and remote (home-based) work

Physical Demands: Prolonged periods of sitting or standing at a desk/workstation are required. Regular use of phone, computer and email is essential. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds.

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work: Full-Time: 40 hours/week

Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm

About Us

At ReSound, people with hearing loss are at the heart of what we do. In an ever-smarter world, we think big and challenge the norm so that we can transform lives through the power of sound. A life that empowers you to hear more, do more and be more than you ever thought possible.
What We Offer
As a leading medical device manufacturer, we value our employees and offer competitive wages and benefits including:
- Generous Benefits including PTO and Paid Holidays
- 401k with Company match
- Paid Parental Leave & Transition Back to Work Benefits
- Company HSA Contributions
- Free Hearing Aids for Family Members

We encourage you to apply

Even if you don’t match all the above-mentioned skills, we will gladly receive your application if you think you have transferrable skills. We highly value a mindset, motivation, and energy, that aligns with our core values, to not only ensure growth for you, but for your team and the wider GN organization as well.

We are committed to an inclusive recruitment process

GN ReSound welcomes applicants from all backgrounds and applicants will receive equal consideration for employment. We make life sound better by developing intelligent sound solutions that transform lives through the power of sound, enabling you to hear more, do more & be more than you ever thought possible. Our integrated headset and communications solutions assist professionals in all types of businesses in being more productive. Our wireless headsets are designed to fit any lifestyle - from sports enthusiasts to commuters and office workers. ReSound is part of the GN group, which operates in more than 90 countries across the world. Founded in 1869, GN group today has more than 7,000 employees. 

Pay Transparency Notice: 

Depending on your work location, the target annual salary for this position can range from $140,000 to $160,000.  In addition, you may be eligible for a discretionary bonus.  Compensation for roles at GN depend on a wide array of factors including but not limited to location, role, skill set, and level of experience.  To remain competitive, GN offers a competitive benefits package, including annual bonuses, health insurance, a 401(k) plan, paid time off and paid holidays.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.