Director, Corporate Affairs - EMEA
Airwallex
London, UK
Posted on Saturday, April 22, 2023
Airwallex is the leading financial technology platform for modern businesses growing beyond borders. With one of the world’s most powerful payments and banking infrastructure, our technology empowers businesses of all sizes to accept payments, move money globally, and simplify their financial operations, all in one single platform.
Established in 2015 in Melbourne, our purpose is to connect entrepreneurs, business builders, makers and creators with opportunities in every corner of the world. Today, Airwallex has a global footprint across Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America.
As the company scales its reach and deepens its offer, we are looking for a seasoned corporate affairs leader to join the team as Director of Corporate Affairs, EMEA.
Reporting to the Head of Corporate Affairs for Americas and EMEA, with a dotted line to the General Manager for EMEA, you will be part of the EMEA leadership team as well as the Global Corporate Affairs leadership team, and will play an instrumental role in helping to promote and protect Airwallex’s reputation at a time of rapid expansion.
We seek a seasoned corporate communicator with public affairs, issues management, media relations and thought leadership expertise to help Airwallex further penetrate EMEA’s crowded landscape through differentiated narratives, scrappy newsjacking and targeted stakeholder engagement. Your role requires extensive communication engagement and relationship-building with external stakeholders including media, conference organisers, industry leaders, customers and regulators – as well as internal stakeholders across the company. This role will have significant c-suite exposure and requires executive presence, strategic sensibility and business savvy. You will also be representing Airwallex as a spokesperson with seniority and with credible knowledge of our business.
The ideal candidate has at least 15 years experience, with a blend of agency and in-house roles, including experience in highly-regulated industries and B2B technology, prior fintech or payments experience preferred but not required.
As a leading member of our high-performing team, you will have an opportunity to join and strengthen our vision to shape Airwallex’s successful growth trajectory.
Responsibilities
- Lead and implement a wide-ranging stakeholder communications and engagement strategy for Airwallex’s EMEA business, focussing particularly on media, industry influencers and government relationships
- Devise and implement a holistic engagement program that includes providing access to senior media contacts to strengthen Airwallex’s reputation
- Help shape the external profile of our global leadership and what they should be known for in the region, and how it fits into the company’s global corporate affairs strategy
- Contribute to and work with the Corporate Affairs team to update Airwallex’s messaging playbook including on key policy issues
- Represent Airwallex as a key spokesperson and manage all “press office” duties for the EMEA region
- Proactively initiate campaigns including media placements and conference keynote opportunities to position Airwallex as a thought leader in tech and business
- Partner deeply with marketing and sales colleagues for media and conference opportunities
- Provide counsel as a trusted advisor, help assess reputational risk matters and handle sensitive and crisis communication Implement all external and internal communication efforts in EMEA, including corporate, product, customer and partnership announcements
- Supervise agency relationships, provide guidance and optimise output
What You Bring
- Solid domain knowledge in public affairs and policy development, media relations, internal and external communications
- Direct experience and working relationship with journalists, producers and editors
- Understanding of leading industry groups and other thought leading organisations in our space
- Proven track record and ability to deliver tangible outcomes
- Exceptional written and verbal communication ability, strong executive presence
- Strong management skills and proven ability to influence and collaborate across functions
- Experience working across international markets with a culturally diverse team
- Proven consensus building and interpersonal skills
- Comfort with ambiguity and the ability to problem solve, test and learn. The resilience to try and try again
- Comfortable in a fast-pace environment, highly-adaptable, able to reprioritise and change gears quickly
Tools For Success
- A strategic thinker, do-er and self-starter who is able to operate at a high level to understand strategic objectives while not being afraid to roll up your sleeves to execute and implement with good attention to detail
- A quick learner who acts in real-time and able to problem-solve and respond to fast-changing situations
- A team player with excellent collaboration and interpersonal skills who knows how to adapt to different cultures and personalities
- A grounded person who exhibits high-degree of professional objectivity, integrity, awareness and maturity with values aligned to Airwallex’s
- A strong communicator and culture-carrier who is able to exert influence and impact with executives and senior leaders in the company
At Airwallex you’ll have the ability to make an impact in a rapidly growing, global fintech. We want you to share in our success, which is why you’ll be offered a competitive salary plus valuable equity within Airwallex. We also like to ensure we create the best environment for our people by providing a collaborative open office space with a fully stocked kitchen. We organise regular team building events and we give our people the freedom to be creative.
Airwallex is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and anyone seeking employment at Airwallex is considered based on merit, qualifications, competence and talent. We don’t regard colour, religion, race, national origin, sexual orientation, ancestry, citizenship, sex, marital or family status, disability, gender, or any other legally protected status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.
Airwallex does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms/recruiters. Airwallex will not pay any fees to search firms/recruiters if a candidate is submitted by a search firm/recruiter unless an agreement has been entered into with respect to specific open position(s). Search firms/recruiters submitting resumes to Airwallex on an unsolicited basis shall be deemed to accept this condition, regardless of any other provision to the contrary.
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