Horace Mann is seeking a collaborative and results-driven Senior Enterprise Communications Specialist to develop clear, engaging communications that advance business priorities and connect employees and other audiences to the information that matters most.
In this role, you'll partner with stakeholders and subject-matter experts across Horace Mann to develop employee communications, corporate announcements, leadership messaging, and other internal and external communications. You'll independently manage communications projects from planning through delivery, bringing together strong writing, thoughtful project management, and creative problem-solving to make every interaction matter.
The ideal candidate is an exceptional writer and storyteller who can quickly understand complex business topics, translate them into relevant and engaging communications, and keep audience needs and business objectives at the center of the work.
Key Responsibilities
Communications Planning & Business Partnership
- Develop and manage communications plans for enterprise-led projects, programs, and business initiatives.
- Create communications approaches that consider audiences, key messages, channels, timing, tactics, deliverables, and desired outcomes.
- Partner with stakeholders and subject-matter experts to understand communications needs and recommend effective approaches.
- Build strong cross-functional relationships and serve as a trusted communications partner within assigned areas.
- Support employee and change communications that build understanding, engagement, and alignment around business priorities and organizational initiatives.
Writing, Editing & Storytelling
- Write and edit clear, compelling content for employee, leadership, corporate, and other internal and external communications.
- Translate complex business information into simple, relevant, and engaging content tailored to the audience.
- Adapt messaging, tone, and content for different leaders, audiences, and communication channels.
- Develop leadership communications for defined business needs and support more complex executive communications.
- Identify stories and content opportunities that reinforce Horace Mann's enterprise messaging, brand, culture, and priorities.
- Maintain strong editorial standards while ensuring communications are accurate, consistent, and engaging.
Communications Channels & Coordination
- Develop and maintain communications calendars, coordinating messages and timing across channels, projects, and initiatives.
- Identify competing messages, dependencies, and timing considerations and recommend adjustments to improve the audience experience.
- Independently manage assigned communications channels, platforms, or processes as appropriate.
- Coordinate with internal partners and vendors to ensure communications are delivered accurately and effectively.
Project Management & Execution
- Independently manage communications projects from planning through delivery, including timelines, workflows, approvals, dependencies, and competing priorities.
- Coordinate stakeholders and resources to keep communications initiatives moving forward.
- Proactively identify risks, issues, or potential communications considerations and recommend appropriate solutions.
- Manage multiple priorities while maintaining quality, accuracy, and timely execution.
Measurement & Continuous Improvement
- Use channel and content performance insights to evaluate communications effectiveness.
- Identify trends and recommend improvements that strengthen audience engagement and communications outcomes.
- Support reporting and dashboards that provide meaningful insights into communications performance.
- Identify opportunities to improve communications workflows, tools, processes, and technology.
- Bring new ideas and approaches to communications challenges while balancing creativity with business objectives and audience needs.
Brand & Reputation
- Ensure communications consistently reflect Horace Mann's enterprise messaging, brand, culture, and reputation priorities.
- Support external communications, proactive storytelling, media relations, and thought-leadership initiatives as assigned.
- Recognize potential reputation or communications considerations within assigned work and raise them appropriately.
Qualifications & Experience
Required
- Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, English, Marketing, or a related field, or equivalent relevant professional experience.
- Progressive communications experience demonstrating increasingly independent responsibility.
- Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills with the ability to simplify complex information.
- Strong project management and organizational capabilities with experience managing work from idea through execution.
- Demonstrated ability to build relationships and collaborate effectively with stakeholders and subject-matter experts.
- Strong creative thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Sound judgment and ability to independently manage multiple priorities.
- Ability to adapt communications for different audiences, leaders, channels, and business needs.
- Experience with communications platforms, technology, and/or measurement tools relevant to assigned responsibilities.
Skills & Competencies
- Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling
- Employee and enterprise communications
- Communications planning
- Leadership communications
- Project management and execution
- Stakeholder partnership and relationship building
- Audience-focused communication
- Creative problem-solving
- Content and channel management
- Communications measurement and insights
- Strong organization and prioritization
- Independent judgment and accountability
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Brand awareness and reputation management
Salary Range:
$66,500.00 - $92,000.00 + bonus
Salary is commensurate to experience, location, etc.
Horace Mann was founded in 1945 by two Springfield, Illinois, teachers who saw a need for quality, affordable auto insurance for teachers. Since then, we’ve broadened our mission to helping all educators protect what they have today and prepare for a successful tomorrow. And with our broadened mission has come corporate growth: We serve more than 4,100 school districts nationwide, we’re publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: HMN) and we have more than $12 billion in assets.
We’re motivated by the fact that educators take care of our children’s future, and we believe they deserve someone to look after theirs. We help educators identify their financial goals and develop plans to achieve them. This includes insurance to protect what they have today and financial products to help them prepare for their future. Our tailored offerings include special rates and benefits for educators.
EOE/Minorities/Females/Veterans/Disabled. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status
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