Corporate Internal Communications Director, Rakuten Rewards

Job Description:

*Writing Samples Welcome!

Rakuten International oversees 7 businesses with over 4,000 employees globally. The brand is recognized for its leadership and innovation in e-commerce, digital content, advertising, entertainment and communications, bringing the joy of discovery and access to more than 1 billion members across the world. Our teams deliver on the company’s mission to delight merchants and customers through innovation, optimism, and teamwork.

We are seeking a dedicated internal communications director for Rakuten Rewards, a leading shopping platform that offers Cash Back, deals, and rewards from all your favorite brands. By partnering with thousands of brands in apparel, health and beauty, dining, grocery, travel, on-demand services, subscription boxes, and more, Rakuten helps members save and get more on everyday purchases. Since its founding in 1999, Rakuten has become the largest and most rewarding shopping experience, and its members have earned $4.6 billion in Cash Back just for shopping through Rakuten.

As a trusted confidante of the leaders of Rakuten’s ‘Cash Back’ business, the successful candidate will lead the strategy for conveying all 'inflection point' moments to employees and create awareness and engagement for critical employee-focused programs such as AI adoption and career development activities. While this role will primarily focus on internal communications within Rewards, collaboration with its parent company Rakuten International will be essential to ensure alignment and support for broader initiatives.

Specifically, this person will:

• Collaborate closely with leadership to develop and refine messaging strategies, crafting impactful presentations and communications for C-level executives that resonate with both internal and external stakeholders.
• 'Own' bi-weekly All Hands meetings and key get-togethers like the semi-annual Leadership Summit, ensuring that executive messaging is clear and aligned with company objectives.
• Connect and coordinate internal teams on complex, multifaceted projects to ensure alignment and effective communication across departments, maximizing employee awareness of product evolutions and enhancing overall engagement.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Internal Communications Planning and Development

• Develop and implement internal communication plans for key initiatives and internal announcements within Rakuten Rewards.
• Create and manage content for various internal communication channels, which may include newsletters, digital signage, blog posts, intranet updates, and video content.
• Improve employee engagement and awareness of the company's mission and goals through targeted communication strategies.

Executive Partnership

• Collaborate with the executive team to create and execute communication plans for key business imperatives and cultural moments within Rewards.
• Develop high-quality presentations and talking points for other executives for company meetings, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.
• Manage the agenda and 'story' of key executive meetings (Leadership Summit, annual offsite, other cadenced meetings).

Content Direction and Creation

• Create and manage the content and calendar for bi-weekly All Hands meetings.
• Develop decks and storytelling approaches for bi-annual leadership summits, weekly executive meetings, and other key events.

Alignment and Professionalism

• Ensure all internal communications are professional, aligned, and convey a unified story to employees about the company.
• Oversee the consistency and quality of regular communications, including newsletters and other internal updates.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities)

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• 5-10 years of experience in communications, employee engagement and/or corporate events.
• Experience managing communications for executives and businesses.
• Knowledge of the consumer software and/or e-commerce industries, and their internal processes.
• Experience balancing the varying needs of cross-functional teams in business areas including Product, Marketing, Technology, and Human Resources.
• Experience in a global or multinational company is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate complex organizational dynamics, fostering trust and respect from the C-suite and other senior team members.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

• Exceptional writing and editing skills with a keen eye for detail.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to influence without formal authority.
• Executive presence with the ability to work confidently and clearly with executives, anticipating their communication needs and providing counsel.
• Proficiency in applying various communication mediums such as presentations, speeches, videos, etc., separately and together to convey a story effectively.
• Proficiency in using modern communication technologies and platforms.

#LI-TL1

Five Principles for Success
Our worldwide practices describe specific behaviors that make Rakuten unique and united across the world. We expect Rakuten employees to model these 5 Shugi Principles of Success.

Always improve, Always Advance - Only be satisfied with complete success - Kaizen
Passionately Professional - Take an uncompromising approach to your work and be determined to be the best
Hypothesize - Practice - Validate – Shikumika - Use the Rakuten Cycle to succeed in unknown territory
Maximize Customer Satisfaction - The greatest satisfaction for our teams is seeing their customers smile
Speed!! Speed!! Speed!! - Always be conscious of time - take charge, set clear goals, and engage your team

At the time of posting, Rakuten expects the base compensation for this role to be within the range shown below. Individual compensation will vary based on job-related factors, including the skills, qualifications, and experience of the successful candidate as well as business need and geographic location. The successful applicant for this role will be eligible for discretionary bonus, health, vision, dental insurance, 401k matching, PTO, Volunteer Time Off (VTO), and other employee benefits as the company implements.