Communications Lead - Thought Leadership

It Starts Here

Santander is a global leader and innovator in the financial services industry and is evolving from a high-impact brand into a technology-driven organization. Our people are at the heart of this journey and together, we are driving a customer-centric transformation that values bold thinking, innovation, and the courage to challenge what’s possible. This is more than a strategic shift. It’s a chance for driven professionals to grow, learn, and make a real difference.

The Communications Lead – Thought Leadership will join the Santander US Communications team reporting to the SVP, External Communications and serve as both a strategist and individual contributor for the US enterprise. The person in this role will be responsible for developing and managing data-driven thought leadership programs, supporting external distribution campaigns, and general media relations initiatives. This Communications Lead will be responsible for communications-based research development, thought leadership content writing, and supporting national and local media relations campaigns, social media content development and executive visibility on behalf of the Santander US brand and lines of businesses.

This person brings a multi-stakeholder, business-driven mindset to communications, with the ability to be proactive while also seeing around corners for both opportunities and potential reputational risks. As a subject matter expert within the Communications team, this person will possess effective partnership skills with an ability to be collaborative while also continuing to advance the work. This Communications Lead will have a combination of experiences and transferrable skills that enable them to bring outside‑in thinking to storytelling, with the ability to identify desired data points to support business narratives and opportunistically participate in news cycles.

This role blends the art of communications with the science of research. The role represents equal parts of strategy, creativity, execution, and measurement.

• Accountable for day-to-day execution of thought leadership programs, including the development of communications-based research, content development and support materials, and external distribution campaigns.
• Conducts primary and secondary research to discern consumer and industry trends, while uncovering opportunities for the Santander US brand to participate in news cycles.
• Collaborates regularly with business communications strategists and relevant SME partners to identify desired headlines and narratives to advance the brand before multi-stakeholder audiences.
• Coordinates with research vendors and external agencies to develop relevant data to support external storytelling on behalf of the Santander US brand and lines of businesses and opportunistically participate in news cycles.
• Supports the development of a wide range of external communications content and support materials, including news releases, infographics, social media posts, bylines, and talking points.
• Engaging with media as part of an active media relations team, including managing inquiries and opportunities to support economic commentary program.

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.

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent work experience:
  Communications, Marketing, Business or equivalent field. – Required.
• Master's Degree:
  Communications, Marketing, Business or equivalent field. – Preferred.
• 9+ Years of communications and PR experience with proficiency working on communications- or marketing-based research projects. – Required.
• Strong multi-tasker with the ability to tackle the timely and the strategic simultaneously.
• Combination of reactive and proactive media relations experience. Agency experience is a plus.
• Banking and/or broader Financial Services knowledge. Public company…