Head of Employee Experience & Internal Communications

Simon & Schuster was named to Forbes magazine list of America's Best Mid-Size Employers 2022. Simon & Schuster is a global leader in general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages, and in all printed, digital and audio formats. Its distinguished roster of authors includes many of the world's most popular and widely recognized writers, and winners of the most prestigious literary honors and awards. It is home to numerous well-known imprints and divisions such as Simon & Schuster, Scribner, Atria Books, Gallery Books, Pocket Books, Adams Media, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing and Simon & Schuster Audio and international companies in Australia, Canada, India and the United Kingdom, and proudly brings the works of its authors to readers in more than 200 countries and territories. For more information visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com.

About the Role 

Simon & Schuster is seeking a hands-on strategic leader for a newly created role that will connect employee communications, experiences, and change management to amplify the impact of our people and their work. 

Our employees bring extraordinary creativity, expertise, and commitment to publishing. This leader will help that talent travel further across the company, making knowledge easier to share, strengthening collaboration, connecting colleagues with our business priorities, and creating opportunities to learn from one another. The role will build on the relationships, traditions, and passion for books that make Simon & Schuster special, while introducing new ideas that enrich the experience of working here. 

Reporting to both the Global Head of Communications and Marketing and the Chief HR Officer, this role will partner with senior leaders, Human Resources, publishing groups, and teams across the business to develop an integrated approach to employee communications and experience. They will combine strategic judgment with hands-on execution, translating ideas into well-designed programs that employees find useful, engaging, and worth their time. 

This is a global role based at our Rockefeller Center headquarters in New York, requiring an active, regular presence in the office. A particular focus will be making headquarters a vibrant place for collaboration, learning, and connection, while partnering with colleagues across our offices and distribution centers on experiences that reflect local needs and connect our broader company. 

Key Responsibilities 

Strategic Employee & Executive Communications 

·       Develop and execute an integrated employee communications strategy that connects colleagues across divisions, functions, and locations to company priorities, publishing achievements, and one another. 

·       Partner with the CEO and senior leaders on executive messages, town halls, leadership conversations, videos, and other communications that provide context, insight, and opportunities for dialogue. 

·       Translate business strategy and company developments into clear, relevant communications that help employees understand how their work contributes to our success. 

·       Strengthen digital communication channels, including Microsoft Teams, to make information easier to find and encourage knowledge sharing and collaboration. 

Employee Experience, Learning & Connection 

·       Develop an employee experience agenda that supports business priorities and builds on Simon & Schuster’s distinctive strengths, informed by employee perspectives and close partnerships across the company. 

·       Design and deliver a year-round calendar at Rockefeller Center that combines valuable learning and collaboration with creative, enjoyable experiences employees look forward to. 

·       Bring together employees, authors, leaders, and external experts for conversations, skill-sharing, problem-solving, and programming that draws on the breadth of talent within our publishing community. 

·       Create opportunities for colleagues to understand one another’s work, exchange ideas across teams, and develop relationships that support more effective collaboration. 

·       Partner with Human Resources, Facilities, and local leaders to connect programs across locations and bring a thoughtful employee perspective to onboarding and other important career moments. 

Employee Insight & Program Effectiveness 

·       Build on existing employee dialogue through conversations, forums, surveys, and other feedback opportunities that inform priorities and program design. 

·       Partner with employees and leaders to identify practical improvements and develop solutions that address their needs. 

·       Communicate how employee feedback has informed decisions, sharing progress and maintaining clear follow-through. 

·       Establish meaningful measures of program value, including usefulness, learning, collaboration, and adoption, and use those insights to refine investments and activities. 

Inclusion, Belonging & Giving Back 

·       Embed diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility into employee programs and communications so colleagues across backgrounds, roles, and locations can participate and contribute. 

·       Partner with Employee Resource Groups and employee-led initiatives to bring different perspectives, expertise, and ideas into company programming. 

·       Develop partnerships that connect our publishing capabilities and employees’ talents with opportunities to promote literacy, expand access to books, and inspire a love of reading. 

·       Collaborate with publishing teams, authors, schools, libraries, and community organizations on book donations, volunteering, mentoring, and other opportunities to give back through books and storytelling. 

Change Management 

·       Partner with business leaders, Human Resources, Technology, and project teams to support initiatives that improve how employees work and help the company achieve its goals. 

·       Develop change plans that translate an initiative’s purpose into clear implications for employees, with communications, learning, and support tailored to affected teams. 

·       Involve employees through demonstrations, pilots, and feedback opportunities that improve solutions and build confidence before broader implementation. 

·       Track adoption and employee feedback with initiative owners, adjusting support so changes deliver their intended value. 

Qualifications 

·       12+ years of progressive experience in employee or internal communications, employee experience, engagement, change management, Human Resources, or a related field. 

·       Demonstrated success developing communications strategies and employee programs across a complex organization. 

·       Exceptional writing, storytelling, executive communication, and stakeholder management skills. 

·       Experience translating business priorities into clear communications, practical programs, and effective change management. 

·       A record of creating valuable learning, community, or employee experiences, with strong planning and execution skills. 

·       Ability to use employee insights and program results to set priorities, assess value, and make improvements. 

·       Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to influence and collaborate across functions, levels, and locations. 

·       Strategic judgment and a hands-on approach: comfortable advising senior leaders, developing original ideas, and managing the details that make them successful. 

·       Enthusiasm for publishing and an appreciation for the creative and commercial work that brings books to readers. 

·       Bachelor’s degree or equivalent relevant experience. 

·       Ability to maintain an active, regular presence at our Rockefeller Center headquarters in New York and build strong partnerships globally.