VP, Communications - EMEA in London

This job is with Aristocrat, an inclusive employer and a member of myGwork – the largest global platform for the LGBTQ+ business community. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and strategic communication professional to join our new Global Communications & Brand team within our group Corporate Affairs function. The Vice President Communications EMEA will lead the EMEA Regional Communications team who are responsible for developing and executing internal and external communication programs that support business strategy and reputation within the EMEA region.

The EMEA Regional Communications team will business partner Aristocrat Interactive and Product Madness to develop and execute the business units’ global internal and external communications strategies including the media/PR / reputation management strategy. Reporting to the SVP, Global Communications & Brand, the VP Communications EMEA will be a core member of the Global Communications & Brand leadership team and the broader Corporate Affairs function.

The VP, Communications EMEA will collaborate with the SVP Global Communications & Brand, VP Corporate Communications, VP Communications Americas, VP Communications APAC to support the development and implementation of the enterprise and BU communications strategies, bringing innovation and thought-leadership and ensuring EMEA communications are effective, and best-practice in all respects. The role will manage a highly engaged team of communication professionals, drive and champion informative and engaging communication projects and ensure effective EMEA communication channel management and resource management.

With particular responsibility for developing and executing EMEA regional communications, including managing media enquiries and leading crisis communications across EMEA and managing media monitoring across the region. The VP Communications, EMEA will business partner the CEO Aristocrat Interactive, be a member of the Aristocrat Interactive Leadership team and be an influential and visible business leader in the region.

• Lead the development and execution of effective communication strategies within the EMEA region that respond to the needs of the business and support the EMEA execution of the enterprise, group functional and BU internal and external communication strategies.
• Provide strategic communications advice and support to leaders, including being a strong Business Partner to the CEO Aristocrat Interactive and Aristocrat Interactive business and be a key contributor to the Aristocrat Interactive Leadership team.
• Provide leadership and support to the Corporate Communications Director, EMEA as they business partner the Product Madness leadership team.
• Lead the development and oversee execution of the global Aristocrat Interactive and Product Madness internal and external communications, including media/PR strategies.
• Lead, manage and develop EMEA Regional Communication team direct reports and effectively allocate resources, including management of vendors.
• Lead the delivery of internal and external communications to leverage key enterprise programs including Sustainability and Responsible Gameplay activity and progress within EMEA, in consultation with SVP Global Communications & Brand, CCAO, IR, GR, Group Sustainability Team and other key internal stakeholders.
• Manage media enquiries and provide issues management and crisis communications support within EMEA.
• Thought leadership – develop thought leadership program for key leaders across Aristocrat Interactive and Product Madness.
• Partner with the Global Communications & Brand, P&C and BU Teams to manage the local execution of any community giving partnerships/volunteering in EMEA.
• Ensuring compliance with the Aristocrat Cares enterprise guiding principles, linking to business strategy and corporate values, and overseeing the governance framework.
• Anticipate emerging communications and reputation challenges and needs, and champion continuous improvement, in order to deliver high-quality, engaging and purposeful communications for our diverse and growing business.
• Measure the effectiveness of EMEA communications through data and analytics, bringing forward opportunities for improvement, including use of new technologies and tools where relevant.
• Support as relevant in the preparation of market materials, Group publications and disclosures and the leveraging of same within EMEA.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in Corporate Affairs and/or Communications leadership roles, ideally in complex businesses and with international experience.
• A strong track record of successfully setting and executing communication strategy.
• High quality written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to anticipate business requirements, leading and developing proactive and reactive communication solutions to support the business and key stakeholders.
• Ability to identify and interpret business requirements and develop strategic, targeted communications activities to support business priorities via a wide range of communication channels.
• Strong issues management experience including leading crisis communications and media/reputation management.
• Experience managing external stakeholders, including NGOs, and diverse internal audiences.
• Ability and experience leading an engaged team and effectively managing and developing people, managing budgets, and allocating resources.
• Strong business partnering skills with the ability to build relationships and trust across internal stakeholders, including senior leaders, in a diverse and complex organisation.
• High level of personal probity, influencing and relationship building skills.
• Ability to provide strong corporate communications thought leadership and contribute to ensuring a positive culture at a team (and ideally, organisational) level.

Aristocrat is a world leader in gaming content and technology, and a top-tier publisher of free-to-play mobile games. We deliver great performance for our B2B customers and bring joy to the lives of the millions of people who love to play our casino and mobile games. And while we focus on fun, we never forget our responsibilities. We strive to lead the way in responsible gameplay, and to lift the bar in company governance, employee wellbeing and sustainability. We’re a diverse business united by shared values and an inspiring mission to bring joy to life through the power of play.

We aim to create an environment where individual differences are valued, and all employees have the opportunity to realize their potential. We welcome and encourage applications from all people regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, cultural background, disability status or LGBTQ+ identity.

Depending on the nature of your role, you may be required to register with the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) and/or other gaming jurisdictions in which we operate. At this time, we are unable to sponsor work visas for this position. Candidates must be authorized to work in the job posting location for this position on a full-time basis without the need for current or future visa sponsorship.