Head of Global Communications

KEO is a creative enterprise, where innovation is a way of life. We are uniquely resourced with end-to-end services to take clients from inspiration – through conceptualization – to realization of planning, design or project delivery in the built and natural environments. For over 60 years we've led with vision, contributing to many of the world's most ambitious projects, iconic places, remarkable experiences and prosperous communities.

As a highly integrated and agile AEP/PMCM firm, KEO is recognized by ENR as one of the Top 225 International Design Firms and one of the Top 20 International PM/CM Firms. We are also ranked by World Architecture as the 51stlargest global architecture firm and the #1 Firm in the Middle East Region in their 2024 WA100 Survey.

We invite you to join us. Why?

When you join KEO, you'll discover more than just a job – you'll find a supportive environment that fosters your professional development through internal global mobility and career development and does so within a culture that supports company-wide health and well-being through on-demand counselling services and regular workplace clinics. You will be invited to celebrate community events such as sports days, fun-runs, in-house sports teams and beach clean ups. In addition to your competitive package and benefits you will have access to a suite of policies that include hybrid working arrangements, individual athletic sponsorship, study assistance sponsorship, employee referral rewards.

Our newest opportunity is for a talented Head of Global Communications to join our Global Marketing Divisionbased in Dubai, United Arab Emirates . This position is an integral contributor to the Global Marketing team, driving and helping to define the global communications strategy within our markets, allied practices and business segments.

Along with new leadership, the Global Marketing team has recently refreshed its strategy and approach. There is real energy and enthusiasm to make an impact, as experts in our fields. This will require us to ask difficult questions at times, to be bold in our decision-making, and to be resilient and creative in a fast-paced environment. We collaborate daily with our colleagues and are closely aligned with the firm's leadership. As we build a high-performing corporate marketing team to take the organization to the next level, we are looking for a cadre of talented and enthusiastic professionals to join us as we articulate the future

Job Summary :

Reporting to our Executive Director of Global Marketing and working closely with our Marketing and Business Development teams, senior leadership, allied practices, and other colleagues, the Head of Global Communications will be responsible for strengthening KEO's brand profile by designing and implementing a proactive, multi-faceted communications platform for the global business. This role will be pivotal in professionalizing KEO's marketing function across the Gulf Region, Europe, and within new offices around the globe. It is also an exciting opportunity to build a fully integrated and best-in-class communications function from the ground up.

To be successful, the candidate must be able to create and lead the corporate communications function across the enterprise and demonstrate a sound understanding of marketing strategy and campaign management. This individual must think strategically, communicate clearly and be able to work with stakeholders to help formulate a viewpoint on complex issues, creating concise and well-written narratives. They will develop effective approaches to communications challenges and will nurture highly collaborative internal client relationships with segment/service line professionals and SMEs to drive an integrated approach to corporate communications.

We envisage success in this role to include;

External communications

• Responsible for the development and implementation of a global communications strategy, in partnership with the Executive Director of Global Marketing.
• Be accountable for KEO's owned, earned and paid media channels, including social media channels, global website, and allied practice sites.
• Oversee and lead external communications activity across the global business and within key markets and service lines, including media relations, social media, digital communications, marketing channels, award submissions, and associated profile-raising activities
• Devise and deliver media relations campaigns to increase awareness of our brand, coordinating with reporters, influencers, editors, and stakeholders at targeted media and industry outlets.
• Work directly with KEO's executive team to provide strategic and crisis communications counsel.
• Direct external events and conference strategy and participation; coordinate across workstreams and teams to allocate appropriate resources and support.
• Leverage and manage global sponsorships and memberships to maximize engagement and deliver ROI.
• Direct the production of marketing materials for relevant in-region execution of global campaigns.
• Produce various playbooks for external communications processes and procedures (media, social, events, awards), including guidelines for practical execution.
• Compile and maintain an annual global calendar of external events and communications campaigns.

Internal communications:

• Responsible for the development and implementation of an internal communications strategy, in partnership with the Executive Director of Global Marketing, Global HR and FM&A teams.
• Deliver inspiring brand-led communications content and activities to the KEO employee audience, ensuring consistency, quality and excellence.
• Oversee, edit and produce content for a variety of internal communications channels, including the intranet internal publications, newsletters, and email bulletins, including ensuring compliance with corporate branding guidelines and best practices.
• Oversee and/or support internal events across the global business, including working with local offices to obtain approvals, secure venues, enlist speakers and attendees, liaise with vendors/suppliers, manage budgets and invoicing, and handle logistics, promotion, reporting, and the creation of any related materials.
• Produce various playbooks for internal communications processes and procedures, including guidelines for practical execution.
• Compile and maintain an annual global calendar of internal events and communications campaigns.

Strategic planning and best practice:

• Help guide the global strategic planning process and facilitate the implementation of the communications strategy across KEO's offices and allied practices.
• Implement firm-wide communications goals, strategies, and new campaigns, initiatives and programs in partnership with the Executive Director of Global Marketing.
• Supervise performance of diverse communications and marketing professionals within global offices; mentoring and developing staff as needed and ensuring a fit-for-purpose communications team.
• Deploy a PR/communications training framework and playbooks that deliver necessary skills to the marketing team, leadership and the broader business.
• Establish measurement and tracking to ensure and demonstrate the ROI of all communications activities.
• Produce and/or contribute to departmental, leadership and corporate-level reporting, as needed.
• Ensure all work is performed accurately, on time, cost effectively and according to KEO's high-quality standards for content and design.
• Act as guardian of the KEO brand ensuring consistency across the region.

To be successful in this dynamic opportunity, we envision that your career journey to date will include 10+ years of corporate communications experience, preferably operating within a B2B professional services environment at a strategic level.

Required competencies include:

• Bachelor's degree, or the equivalent in prior marketing, journalism or communications experience. Master's degree, highly desired.
• 10+ years of experience across corporate marketing/communications, preferably within the construction consultancy, advisory, legal, architecture, or real estate industries.
• A comprehensive knowledge of the construction consultancy/advisory business that adds value or strategically enhances deliverables and initiatives.
• Practical experience of how professional service organizations build brand and win work; and of the communications approaches that underpin them.
• Superior written, analytical and oral communications skills; very detail oriented. Strong copywriting skills and ability to identify and shape key messages.
• An ability to identify critical messages and unique selling points, and clearly and effectively communicate them, and to modify standard text to meet the specific requirements of each new assignment.

KEO's performance is founded upon integrity, results, innovation, safety and our people. We embrace diversity and recognise its' contribution to client success wherever we work.

We are excited to hear how you can partner with our award-winning team and treat all expressions of interest confidentially.