Internal Communications Specialist (12-month fixed term contract) at Yum! Brands

The role primarily requires an advanced level of writing for an array of platforms and audiences, including but not limited to newsletters, podcasts, emailers, mobile-app, and video, as well as scriptwriting and executive communication crafting. Much of the role entails editing, proof-reading, re-writing, enhancing copy; however, a fair amount of the role would be to create content with a very basic brief with the intent of ensuring we deliver superior brand messaging on every piece of material developed.

A knack for clever copy, on trend colloquial speak, and solid writing abilities, that can tell compelling stories is critical to this role.

Brand Communications:

• Complete oversight of all Field and RSC Communication platforms, with responsibility for its performance, governance, and compliance thereof
• Copywriting, proof-reading, editing, and deploying of internal communication messages across companywide platforms and stakeholder events, with a sense of agility.
• Crafting stakeholder communication for leadership team and franchise community, as well as thought leadership pieces and citations when required.
• Develop communication plans, that assist in landing internal campaigns, with desired audiences, through carefully considered messaging
• Take responsibility for timeous delivery of messaging into the field by partnering with all business functions and by consulting HR, Marketing, Ops, Supply Chain, and Training calendars and developing corresponding communications/ lead-time schedules for each platform.
• Create content for sharing on all internal communication platforms, that’s educational, entertaining, inspiring, or purposefully created – to further tell our brand story.
• Ensure tone of content is aligned to established Brand Guidelines
• Evaluating communication briefs from internal stakeholders and establishing most appropriate platform, to efficiently deliver on-brand content into the system.
• Once evaluated, assist with scripting content briefs for internal brand campaigns, that will be trafficked into the Internal Brand Studio
• Constant evaluation of messaging to ensure it’s aligned to the KFC Brand’s values, broader business objectives, to always deliver an innovative and positive internal brand experience, that shifts the dial on employee engagement
• Link supporting documentation, and final published content, on tool agreed upon with IT, for ease of audience retrieval
• Ensure continuous improvement in communication by tracking and monitoring message dissemination, identifying opportunities for more effective communication;
• Ensure communication execution is aligned to the budget
• Video Creation as required for amplification of content: End to end Creative Process & People Management (Conceptualisation, copy crafting and compiling, postproduction management, Location identification and Franchise Partner involvement)
• Managing compliance to all editorial policies and guidelines for each of the communication platforms;
• Make informed recommendations on when and how messages are disseminated

Internal Brand Studio: Team Collaborator

• In partnership with the rest of the Internal Brand Studio team, the Internal Brand Communications Specialist would need to constantly look to create catchy / attention-grabbing messaging for regular and specialist campaigns, in collaboration with Project Lead, fellow Brand Studio team members and other stakeholders, to ensure successful cross-functional ideation and implementation of campaigns.
• Archiving and Retrieval of all communication in a systematic manner, for ease when auditing
• Recommending innovations within the internal brand communication space to continuously improve processes, outputs, platforms - and remain relevant as a brand, as we do externally

Stakeholders

The incumbent will have frequent interactions and dialogues with Restaurant Support Centre (RSC) team members across different levels and functions. The incumbent should have superior interpersonal skills, and should be able to conduct dialogue and discussions, skilfully influencing and diffusing resistance to good communication practice:

• Executives (Leadership Team) and Senior leaders (SLT)
• Managers of different functions
• RSC
• Franchisees
• Internal Brand Studio Core Team

Working model

Hybrid working model with 3 days of the week in office. The role is based at the RSC for KFC Africa, and occasionally the incumbent will be required to conduct restaurant visits, or communication platform shoots. The role calls for flexibility in working hours (after-hours, weekend, and holidays) to handle urgent, late, unplanned design/ creative requests.

Qualifications

• Completed Matric and a Bachelor's degree in Communications/ Journalism/ Social Media Management

Experience

• Minimum of 3 to 5 years of Copywriting Experience

Knowledge and Skills

• A driven and diligent go-getter who is able to deliver with minimal oversight from the manager (coach)
• A confident self-motivated individual, who exudes confidence, a positive attitude and professionalism
• A copywriter who has a strong command in verbal and written communication in English and skillful in converting standard/ordinary messages into creative, compelling content that’s relevant and edgy
• Excellent time management skills - Proven ability to simultaneously manage multiple communication requests/ projects, and the goalposts/milestones within each and deliver professionally on all projects
• Judgment and decision making
  • Make recommendations for the selection o f most appropriate platforms for messaging and timing thereof, and best copy to deliver messaging effectively
  • Good judgement to identify poor communication/ requests and to come up with alternative practical solutions in consultation with the coach
• Problem-solving and analysis: Resistance to recommended timing, method of communicating and general adherence to communication processes, standards and policies is expected, which is why the incumbent of this role would need to be skilled in communication, a proficient communicator with exceptional copywriting skills, and very confident about communication best practice. Influencing and negotiating skills are a must, to convince internal clients to follow recommendations and advise in support of best communication practise.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Copes well under pressure
• Passionate about creating clever copy
• Able to navigate through courageous conversations
• Flexible and able to deal with changing business needs