AddressHello. We’re Virgin Australia. We’re the airline that’s always done things a little different. Our way. The Virgin way. We’re on a mission to make flying better than ‘nice’. And to do that, it takes a team of talented people who are passionate about our customers, our team and building the trust and support of key stakeholders – our business!
What you’ll be doing
The General Manager Communications & Reputation role is a unique opportunity to join one of Australia’s most loved brands, in one of Australia’s most exciting industries and at a pivotal moment in Virgin Australia’s transformation.
Reporting to the Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer and working closely with the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), you will – first and foremost - lead both the strategic development and tactical execution of Virgin Australia’s group-wide external and internal communication strategies.
At the core of your skill set will be an extensive knowledge of Australia’s media landscape. This will include well-established and trusted media relationships. And you will have a proven track record of excellence in leveraging communications tools to deliver outcomes directly related to your employer’s corporate strategy.
That excellence will be reflected in the innovation you have brought to the task of corporate communications, including through digital channels. You are naturally curious regarding the ever-changing and fast-moving pace of the external landscape, and how that informs your decision-making. To that end, you can clearly demonstrate the ability to bring structured thought processes and frameworks to your work, including a campaign-like mindset to achieving objectives. That will include proven excellence in driving the tight integration of comms expertise with a broader corporate affairs endeavour.
You will also be a proven leader of people. You will inspire and empower a high performing team as it goes about the task of managing Virgin Australia’s engagement with media stakeholders, as well as shaping Virgin Australia’s group-wide internal communications in support of our broader employee engagement strategy. You are passionate about creating opportunity for career growth and development for your team. You lead with a ‘we’ mindset and humility, and at your best when under pressure.
In addition, the team you lead, and the strategic vision you bring, will proactively manage Virgin Australia’s reputation and ensure that our corporate communications and wider advocacy effort is focused on those issues that matter most to Virgin Australia. This extends to the critical role corporate communications plays in Virgin Australia’s crisis management plans. You will, of course, be a key representative of Virgin Australia with relevant media / comms stakeholders, just as you will be a highly trusted internal advisor to the ELT and Group Leadership Team (GLT) on all matters corporate communications and reputation.
If you have read this far and think this role is made for you, then here are a few other – albeit non-exhaustive - tasks that will fall into your portfolio and help define the overall effort of your team:
- quality control of all communications materials – short, sharp and powerful;
- management of Virgin Australia’s Value at Play Register (Issues Management), and prepared to a standard readily digestible for the ELT, GLT and Board as required;
- curation of Virgin Australia’s plain-English narrative on all key advocacy and reputational issues, ensuring Virgin Australia can engage both with humility and an informed and persuasive voice with all relevant stakeholders;
- understanding and deployment of emerging technologies – including AI - to support more productive work practices across the Corporate Affairs domain;
- curating and explaining the Virgin Australia story to our people via CEO, ELT and GLT Communications;
- oversight and management of Virgin Australia’s Crisis Management preparations as they relate to internal and external communications;
- design and communication of strategies that ensure Virgin Australia’s Corporate Communications effort, including reputation management, can be monitored and performance accurately measured; and
- support for shaping and communicating Virgin Australia’s community relations endeavour
You’ll be great in this role if you…
- possess an advanced knowledge of how to navigate Australia’s media landscape;
- are already a highly experienced General Manager of Corporate Communications (or similar role);
- have experience working within a large and complex, ideally ASX-listed, business;
- have a proven ability to manage a busy and diverse – but never dull – portfolio of issues, including the task of crisis management;
- have a strong ability to think strategically but also to act asymmetrically, as required, in order to deliver initiatives that help to secure key business outcomes;
- ability to ‘look over the horizon’ in order to anticipate and interpret market changes;
- have superb communication and relationship building skills;
- are comfortable embracing transformational change; and
- you are passionate about aviation / travel.
Where is this role based, and what about Work from Home?
- As a senior management role working closely with the CEO and ELT, and with an overwhelmingly Brisbane-based team, the strong preference is for the successful applicant to reside in Brisbane. A relocation package will be available to support such a shift, if so required.
- A Sydney base is possible, but regular (weekly) staff travel to Brisbane would be required (and provided).
- Virgin Australia expects corporate roles to be present in the Office for at least three days a week.
We’re committed to looking after you, with some of the best benefits and conditions in the industry – including (but not limited to):
- Discounted flights for you and your loved ones (including $1000 worth of travel credits per year)
- One of Brisbane’s best head office locations, with South Bank train station, a supermarket, pharmacy, and lunch options downstairs plus a 5-minute walk to the Busway, a rooftop restaurant and onsite gym (with a low membership fee) and South Bank Parklands just across the road
- Discounts on travel insurance, lounge membership, car hire, accommodation, and experiences worldwide
- Cheaper hospitality, retail, technology, beauty and wellness services
- Free counselling and access to a wellbeing app to support your physical, mental, social and financial health
- ‘Dress for Your Day’ – enjoy the freedom to wear whatever makes you feel great for the type of work you do and the day you have ahead of you.
When everyone is included, everyone wins
We’re all individuals. And we love that. That’s why we encourage applications from Indigenous Australians, people with disability, those from diverse cultural backgrounds, our friends in the LGBTQI+ community, and anyone else who wants to join our family.
Ready to apply?
We’re ready to hear from you. Apply now.
