Head of Narrative, Reputation & Content at Ernst & Young Global Limited (EY)

Role Overview

• The Head of Narrative, Reputation & Content is responsible for shaping and activating EY Africa's strategic narrative, ensuring the firm is credible, distinctive, and discoverable across both human and AI-driven audiences. This includes defining narrative frameworks and standards while working in partnership with channel and Go-To-Market (GTM) teams who execute across campaigns, events, digital platforms, and media.
• This role leads the development of integrated narrative frameworks, executive positioning, and reputation strategies, while overseeing the creation of scalable, high-quality content systems that support business priorities, go-to-market activity, and brand objectives.
• The role brings together strategic communications, content, and influence, moving beyond traditional channel execution to deliver measurable impact through coordinated audience engagement and modern amplification models.
• This position requires an individual skilled in developing and implementing strategic communications by enabling the input, customization, and integration of messages across appropriate channels within a fast-paced, agile environment. The role integrates external and digital communications and is responsible for managing vendors that support the execution of communications campaigns.

Role Detail

• Define and own EY Africa's overarching narrative framework, ensuring clear, compelling, and consistent positioning across markets, sectors, and audiences.
• Translate business strategy into distinct, repeatable storylines and points of view on priority topics (e.g., growth, AI, and sector themes).
• Act as a trusted strategic advisor to the Africa Leadership Team on messaging, positioning, and reputation.
• Lead the development of executive and leadership communications that influence internal alignment, external perception, and high-impact moments (e.g., results announcements and reputation issues).
• Ensure alignment and consistency across internal, external, and leadership communications.
• Design integrated influence strategies across earned, owned, and emerging channels, working with PR, digital, and campaign teams to activate them.
• Evolve traditional PR into a modern influence model spanning media, digital platforms, and ecosystem amplification.
• Define and enable an always-on content ecosystem, including editorial governance, content reuse models, and clearly defined roles across teams.
• Oversee the development of high-quality, modular, and reusable content frameworks that can be deployed across channels and formats.
• Provide editorial leadership across all major outputs (EY.com, social media, and thought leadership), ensuring content is insight-led and optimized for discoverability.
• Design audience-led engagement strategies, ensuring content is tailored to audience needs and drives meaningful interaction.
• Partner with Go-To-Market leadership to ensure narrative informs campaigns, content supports pipeline growth, and communications drive measurable engagement.
• Use audience insights, content performance data, and market signals to continuously refine messaging and optimize impact, establishing clear feedback loops with Analytics and GTM teams.
• Define governance models and decision rights for narrative, messaging, and content approval across the organization.

Communication Objectives

• Build and maintain a strong, differentiated EY Africa narrative in the market.
• Drive measurable improvement in:
• Leadership visibility
• Quality of engagement
• Content consumption and relevance
• Ensure consistency, clarity, and quality across all communication outputs.
• Strengthen EY's position as a trusted advisor on priority issues, supported by clearly defined KPIs and baselines aligned to business priorities.

Analytical / Decision-Making Responsibilities

• Manage and ensure the effectiveness of all communications processes, including identifying and mitigating strategic risks, and driving alignment of narrative and messaging decisions across teams.
• Contribute to budget planning, ensuring appropriate resources are allocated to achieve divisional objectives.
• Manage project demand and prioritize resources accordingly.
• Lead projects from inception to completion, including project management and stakeholder engagement.
• Balance competing priorities and multiple concurrent projects.
• Engage effectively with senior stakeholders who may have differing perspectives and priorities.
• Challenge the status quo with appropriate diplomacy and professional judgment.

Knowledge and Skill Requirements

• Strong strategic storytelling and narrative development capability, with the ability to translate complex concepts into clear, compelling messages.
• Excellent editorial judgment, ensuring high-quality, consistent, and impactful content across all platforms.
• Deep understanding of modern content ecosystems, including digital platforms, search optimization, and AI-driven discoverability.
• Proven ability to operate as a trusted advisor to senior executives and confidently influence leadership-level decision-making.
• Strong integration mindset, with the ability to collaborate effectively across Marketing, GTM, Business Development, and Leadership teams.
• Broad marketing and communications expertise, with experience across multiple channels and disciplines.
• Advanced written and verbal communication skills, ideally gained within a professional services environment.
• Strong leadership capability, with the ability to inspire, guide, and develop high-performing teams.
• Highly organized and results-driven, with the ability to prioritize effectively, manage complexity, and deliver in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong attention to detail combined with strategic thinking and commercial awareness.

Behavioural Requirements

• Build a reputation among internal and external stakeholders as a subject matter expert within your functional discipline and programme areas.
• Identify and share best practices by leveraging an understanding of leading practices and market developments, identifying gaps in current ways of working, and initiating improvements.
• Seek and value input from others in decision-making and problem-solving processes.
• Serve as a positive role model by demonstrating EY's values through words and actions.
• Support the development of a strong team culture and provide constructive feedback on strengths and development opportunities.
• Demonstrate the ability to adapt to diverse cultural and interpersonal styles.
• Translate complex ideas into simple, clear, and compelling messages.
• Effectively manage and resolve conflict.
• Work independently with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrate a collaborative, enthusiastic, and results-oriented mindset with a commitment to excellence.
• Display flexibility regarding working hours when required.
• Influence senior stakeholders and build strong, lasting working relationships.
• Adapt to changing business requirements while assimilating new information and applying sound judgment.
• Bring innovative thinking to content development opportunities.
• Take initiative and remain proactive in a fast-paced, high-performance environment.
• Quickly define problems, gather input, conduct assessments, draw conclusions, and implement solutions.

Education

• Recognized qualification in Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, or a related field.

Experience

• 8-10 years of relevant experience, including:
• A minimum of 3 years at Senior Management level; or
• A minimum of 5 years at Management level.
• Professional services experience, or experience managing a communications function within a complex matrix organization, is preferred.

About the Role

• The role is based in Sandton, South Africa, and forms part of the Africa Brand, Marketing & Communications (BMC) team, which is responsible for external brand and communications, design, digital communications, events, thought leadership, the alumni programme, and internal communications.
• The Brand, Marketing & Communications team forms part of Accounts & Business Development (ABD) within Core Business Services.

The Africa Region operates as a single business across 33 countries and includes more than 260 partners and over 5,000 employees. It is one of EY's largest and most diverse regions and comprises four service lines:

• Assurance
• Consulting
• Tax
• Strategy and Transactions