VP Communications (External, Internal, and Social Media)

Overview

Sage is building a world‑class Global Corporate Affairs function to support its long‑term growth ambitions. Corporate Affairs joins up Sage’s story for all stakeholders – influencing, creating and connecting to transformative effect. As Corporate Affairs evolves from a communications delivery function to a strategic influence function, this role is designed as a leadership position of the future – enabled by data, AI and automation, and grounded in integrated narrative leadership.

Purpose of the role

• Lead Sage’s reputation and influence across external communications, colleague communications, and social/digital channels, ensuring a single, coherent corporate narrative.
• Transform how Corporate Affairs operates – shifting from execution‑heavy communications delivery to insight‑led, AI‑enabled strategic influence.
• Provide senior leadership cover and continuity for the EVP, Corporate Affairs as required, representing the function in priority forums and during high‑stakes moments.
• Build and lead high‑performing global teams that focus on high‑value advisory, reputation intelligence and governance, while automating or exiting work that no longer differentiates Sage.

Integrated Portfolio

• External Communications & Reputation (corporate and financial communications, media relations, executive profile, issues & crisis, thought leadership)
• PR & Ecosystem Influence (product PR alignment, industry analyst relations, partnerships and third‑party advocacy)
• Colleague Communications (strategy, transformation and leadership communications; channel strategy, automation and governance)
• Corporate Social & Owned Digital (corporate social channels, executive social support, digital storytelling, governance)
• Reputation Intelligence & AI Enablement (listening, insight, automation, governance and performance optimisation)

Key Responsibilities

• Corporate narrative, trust and influence: Own and evolve Sage’s integrated corporate narrative, ensuring consistency and impact across external media, colleague channels and social platforms. Translate Sage’s corporate strategy into clear, credible storytelling that builds confidence in Sage’s SaaS transition and long‑term growth ambitions. Identify the debates that matter to Sage’s stakeholders and shape Sage’s participation with clarity, courage and relevance – informed by data, insight and reputation intelligence.
• External communications & reputation leadership: Lead all aspects of external corporate communications, including corporate and financial communications, media relations, executive positioning, issues and crisis communications. Partner closely with Investor Relations, Finance and Legal to ensure disciplined disclosure, message integrity and reputational risk management. Act as a senior spokesperson as required and ensure robust spokesperson preparation across the organisation. Build a proactive agenda that strengthens Sage’s reputation as a trusted technology leader and champion of SMBs.
• Colleague communications & organisational engagement: Set the strategy for colleague communications, ensuring employees understand Sage’s strategy, priorities and performance – and see themselves as ambassadors for the brand. Lead communications for change and transformation programmes, partnering closely with People, Strategy, Product and Business Unit leaders. Establish a modern channel strategy and editorial architecture (e.g., intranet, video, live forums, manager enablement), leveraging automation to improve speed, consistency and reach.
• Social, digital and owned channels (corporate and executive): Own Sage’s corporate social and digital content strategy, ensuring platforms are used to build influence, engagement and trust – not just reach. Strengthen executive social presence through clear positioning, AI‑supported content systems and risk‑aware guidance. Drive innovation in formats, channels and storytelling (including emerging discovery and generative search), using experimentation and insight to improve impact. Ensure strong governance, tone of voice and risk management across all owned channels.
• Reputation intelligence, AI and automation: Build a reputation intelligence capability that integrates media, social, colleague and stakeholder data to provide real‑time insight, early‑warning signals and decision support. Embed AI and automation across Corporate Affairs workflows – from listening and insight to content creation, channel optimisation and performance reporting. Focus human effort on high‑value activities (executive advisory, judgement‑based decision‑making, narrative leadership), while automating or retiring low‑value, repeatable work. Establish clear AI governance for Corporate Affairs, including ethical use, quality control, risk management and alignment with Sage’s broader AI principles.
• Issues, crisis readiness and “seeing around corners”: Build a best‑in‑class issues and crisis capability: scenarios, playbooks, escalation routes, simulations, decision forums and rapid response. Use data, horizon scanning and AI‑enabled insight to anticipate emerging issues and reputational risk, turning external signals into actionable advice for leaders.
• Measurement, insight and performance management: Define and run a clear measurement stack across reputation, colleague engagement and digital/social influence. Use insight to steer strategy, prioritisation and resource allocation; report impact in a way that is meaningful for the business and leadership.
• Leadership, operating model and deputising: Build, lead and develop diverse, high‑performing teams across geographies and disciplines; set standards for craft excellence, pace and judgement. Evolve the Corporate Affairs operating model to reflect future‑ready capability needs, workforce mix and ways of working. Provide leadership cover for the EVP, Corporate Affairs when needed – including representing Corporate Affairs in senior forums, supporting urgent decision‑making, and leading communications during high‑stakes moments.

Skills, know‑how and experience

• Proven experience designing, embedding and leading integrated reputation and communications strategies, ideally within a FTSE 100, global technology or SaaS‑led organisation.
• Significant experience operating at Executive Committee and Board level, with the credibility to provide challenge as well as counsel.
• Deep expertise across external communications, colleague communications and social/digital channels, with a track record of integrating these disciplines effectively.
• Demonstrated leadership in data‑driven communications, reputation intelligence or AI‑enabled operating models.
• Strong commercial and business acumen, with the ability to connect communications outcomes to enterprise value.
• Experience leading global, matrixed teams and evolving capability models over time.
• Excellent judgement under ambiguity; calm under pressure; high personal resilience.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; journalist‑calibre writing and executive coaching capability.

Technical and professional background

• Recognised communications or related professional qualifications, or equivalent experience.
• Extensive senior level‑in‑house leadership experience.
• UK PLC experience essential; US and international experience highly advantageous.
• Broad understanding of the global technology and software industry, including SaaS business models and AI‑driven transformation.

Key performance indicators

• Reputation and trust metrics across priority stakeholder groups.
• Quality and timeliness of executive decision support and risk anticipation.
• Colleague engagement and understanding metrics, including employee sentiment and advocacy.
• Social and digital performance metrics, including engagement, sentiment, reach and influence.
• Adoption and impact of AI and automation across Corporate Affairs workflows.
• Team health and effectiveness, including eNPS and retention.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Sage is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals, employment decisions at Sage will be based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. Sage does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.