Communication Specialist at The Payments Association of South Africa (PASA)

Overall job purpose

• The Payments Association of South Africa (PASA) payment system environments are responsible for the design, implementation, maintenance and support services for the National Payment System (NPS) of South Africa, PASA members and the greater payments industry, also contributing to the safety, efficiency and effectiveness of the global financial system.
• The Communication specialist will be required to create, oversee and drive internal and external communication programmes for PASA through various communication channels, such as the PASA website, PASA social media channels, project communication, conferences, events and other interventions, in alignment with PASA’s communication strategy. This broadly includes public relations, media relations and communication, and being the custodian of the PASA brand and corporate identity.
• Additionally, the role will ensure predefined and timeous communication outputs are effectively planned and scheduled.
• Key stakeholder management including communication and engagement.
• Internal: Internal PASA functional areas, PASA Executive Committee (ExCo) and PASA employees.
• External: PASA structures and members, South African Reserve Bank (SARB), Banking Association of South Africa (BASA), payment system operators (PSO's) South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC), media, media agencies and representatives, service providers, as well as forums with an interest in the payments industry of South Africa.

Core accountabilities
Core responsibility 1 – Managing public relations and media liaison.

• Assisting with media engagements and press releases, assessing and managing media requests, formulating responses to ad hoc written media requests and providing support for media interviews.
• Drafting media releases and/or articles and managing the effective distribution thereof.
• Ensuring that scheduled and ad hoc PASA media communication is tracked and reported on as well as the monitoring of external media referencing PASA or key projects/topics.
• Working with the project and change resources to maintain an up-to-date repository of media FAQs for all major PASA projects and topics.
• Compiling of holding statements in the event of risk and crisis mitigation.

Core responsibility 2 – Managing PASA’s social media platforms.

• Maintaining and growing PASA’s social media presence by identifying new communication opportunities and current trends.
• Providing guidance and assistance to executive management and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in producing relevant content (articles, thought leadership pieces) for social media and media publication.
• Creating and managing social media content, as and when required and using various social media channels to display the content.
• Monitoring, managing and reporting on social media activities as it pertains to PASA, identified stakeholders and relevant topics and/or projects that are the current focus.
• Supporting key PASA events by drafting and executing social media activities for each event.

Core responsibility 3 – PASA brand management and profiling.

• Assisting with effective maintenance and building of the PASA brand through assessing, securing and managing external communication and profiling opportunities for PASA.
• Coordinating PASA’s participation in external campaigns and events by assessing opportunities and assisting with the preparation for such campaigns and/or events.
• Overseeing the PASA website to ensure brand and messaging coherency and consistency.
• Fulfilling the role of ownership of the PASA brand and corporate identity.

Core responsibility 4 – Supporting internal communication, project communication as well as industry communication and education efforts.

• Providing communication expertise into internal and external communication plans and strategies, as and when needed.
• Ensure PASA communication is executed to the satisfaction of the commissioning person or team as well as per the applicable communication plan, PASA brand and communication guidelines.
• Working with Change management and Communication specialists by obtaining expert input into topic-specific industry campaigns.
• Assessing timelines, narratives and collateral of different campaigns, creating a consolidated view and ensuring optimal alignment and output.
• Ensuring all communication and education campaigns align with PASA’s communication strategy, principles and guidelines.
• Attendance and representation at key project and industry events, as and when required.

Core responsibility 5 – Other external communication support.

• Supporting the output of defined communication, through writing, editing, proofreading and ensuring graphic design is included per the approved PASA branding and playbook.
• Being the custodian of formal external communication templates and guidelines, including letterheads, and presentation templates.
• Ensuring all PASA employees are aware of and have access to the latest PASA templates and guidelines.
• Custodian of the PASA Language and Style Guide, ensuring that all employees are made aware of and comply with the Style Guide.
• Ensuring a methodical and concise communications review process within the agreed timelines.
• Build and nurture relationships with partners and stakeholders to ensure consistent and timeous messaging throughout the industry.
• Define and deliver relevant reporting as required internal and external on the communication function of PASA.

Role/person specification

Preferable education and experience.

• A minimum of 8-10 years of hands-on experience in communication and/or public relations in payments and/or banking environments.
• An undergraduate qualification in communication, journalism, marketing or public relations.
• The completion of the PASA Certificate in Foundational Payments will be advantageous.

Skills and knowledge.

• Experience working in a collaborative environment and achieving results through collaborative platforms.
• Development and implementation of strategic communication plans and strategies for complex projects and programmes.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including report writing, copywriting and presentation creation.
• Excellent command of the English language.
• Expert knowledge of news media and media relations, digital media, social media and other communication channels with proven ability to apply these for effective communication.
• Proven ability to develop internal and external partnerships for communication and stakeholder management.