Sempra Services Corporation
Director-Communications, Branding and Marketing (Hybrid)
Sempra Services Corporation, San Diego, CA, United States
Job Description
Sempra: Where opportunity powers impact
At Sempra, we tackle the biggest energy challenges that face our industry. Our high-performing team leverages the full capabilities of our organization to serve 40 million consumers across North America. By collaborating and challenging one another across multiple disciplines, we inspire our best work, ideas and innovation. From increasing liquified natural gas (LNG) capacities to reducing carbon emissions to helping people prepare for the realities of climate change, we are committed to building a better energy future for all.
Primary Purpose
The Director is responsible for all aspects of communications, branding, and marketing to enhance the Sempra brand and its positioning with key stakeholders. This includes managing brand architecture, ensuring cohesive messaging, and driving positive reputation and stakeholder engagement to support company growth. The Director oversees media relations, issues management, and crisis communications, serving as a spokesperson when needed. This role is central to strategic message development, cross-functional collaboration, and proactive thought leadership to position Sempra as a leading energy infrastructure expert. Additionally, the Director manages corporate and financial communications related to earnings and other financial matters, and advances Sempra's digital media strategy to enhance its online presence and stakeholder engagement. By connecting business goals to integrated brand, marketing, and communications plans, the Director supports Sempra's mission to be North America's premier energy infrastructure company.
Duties and Responsibilities
Education
This position is eligible for a referral bonus.
Total Rewards Philosophy
Note: Sempra strives to ensure that employees are paid equitably and competitively. Starting salaries may vary based on factors such as relevant experience, qualifications, and education.
Sempra offers a competitive total rewards package that goes beyond base salary. This position is eligible for an annual performance-based incentive (bonus) as well as long-term incentive plans and other merit-based recognition. Company benefits include health and welfare (medical, dental, vision), employer contributions to retirement benefits, life insurance, paid time off, as well as other company offerings such as tuition reimbursement, paid parental leave, and employee assistance programs.
Sempra: Where opportunity powers impact
At Sempra, we tackle the biggest energy challenges that face our industry. Our high-performing team leverages the full capabilities of our organization to serve 40 million consumers across North America. By collaborating and challenging one another across multiple disciplines, we inspire our best work, ideas and innovation. From increasing liquified natural gas (LNG) capacities to reducing carbon emissions to helping people prepare for the realities of climate change, we are committed to building a better energy future for all.
Primary Purpose
The Director is responsible for all aspects of communications, branding, and marketing to enhance the Sempra brand and its positioning with key stakeholders. This includes managing brand architecture, ensuring cohesive messaging, and driving positive reputation and stakeholder engagement to support company growth. The Director oversees media relations, issues management, and crisis communications, serving as a spokesperson when needed. This role is central to strategic message development, cross-functional collaboration, and proactive thought leadership to position Sempra as a leading energy infrastructure expert. Additionally, the Director manages corporate and financial communications related to earnings and other financial matters, and advances Sempra's digital media strategy to enhance its online presence and stakeholder engagement. By connecting business goals to integrated brand, marketing, and communications plans, the Director supports Sempra's mission to be North America's premier energy infrastructure company.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Brand Reputation Management: Develop and implement campaigns that support and advance the Sempra brand and positioning with key stakeholders with the objective of generating strong positive reputation and stakeholder engagement to support the company’s future growth. Recommend and deliver advertising/publicity/earned media campaigns, influencer marketing initiatives, and tactics to advance the brand and support stakeholder engagement. Introduce innovative strategic thinking and broad perspective to the communications approach. Hold ultimate responsibility for Sempra’s brand architecture, set brand guidelines for both the Sempra holding company and its subsidiaries, and ensure cohesion and consistency of messaging between corporate parent and all operating entities.
- Media Relations, Issues management Crisis Communications: Oversee media relations for Sempra to ensure comprehensive and positive media coverage. Craft and disseminate press releases, statements, and other official communications to ensure consistent messaging. Build and maintain relationships with journalists, editors, and media outlets to secure positive coverage and manage inquiries. Monitor and manage the company’s public image and addressing any issues that could impact its reputation. Work closely with counterparts at Sempra’s operating companies to ensure a robust contingency and anticipatory planning program in relation to issues management and crisis communications. Participate in leading the response for Sempra and its subsidiaries to all issues and crises as they may arise. Act as spokesperson, and work to minimize any potentially detrimental impact to the company, advising Senior Management on sound courses of action as related to the media.
- Strategic Message Development: Oversee Sempra’s media/messaging strategy, advancing the company's brand and stakeholder engagement with target audiences. Determine the core messages that need to be communicated to various stakeholders. Understand the needs, preferences, and behaviors of different audience segments to tailor messages effectively. Ensure message consistency across different channels and touchpoints to reinforce the company’s brand and values. Align messages with the company’s strategic objectives to support business goals and drive desired outcomes. Continuously gather feedback and monitor the effectiveness of messages to make necessary adjustments and improvements.
- Cross-functional Collaboration: Interface frequently with the external affairs organizations within Sempra’s operating companies on matters of news releases and timing coordination, financially material matters at the operating companies that may affect the parent, brand guidelines, and company-led internal brand campaigns. Collaborate with Investor Relations, Corporate Citizenship, Sustainability, External Affairs (Government Relations) and Human Resources teams within the Sempra holding company.
- Thought Leadership Positioning: Proactively engage mainstream, financial, business, trade, and digital media and key stakeholders in other to showcase the expertise and vision of Sempra’s business leaders and subject matter experts, with a view to positioning Sempra as foremost energy infrastructure thought leader. Ensure Sempra remains relevant and present in positive fashion by shaping the conversation in these areas across key public forums.
- Corporate Financial Communications: Liaise with Investor Relations, Senior Management, and other necessary partners, to drive high quality, timely earnings news releases, acquisition-related publications, and other such financial communications, as needed, to internal and external stakeholders in adherence with SEC requirements and regulations.
- Digital Engagement: Develop and advance Sempra's digital media strategy, enhance Sempra’s global online presence, and drive online reach and leadership. Drive Sempra’s online stakeholder engagement and brand reach through social media and innovative digital platforms.
- Performs other duties as assigned (no more than 5% of duties).
Education
- Requires a Bachelor's Degree in communications, public relations, marketing, political science, public policy, related field, or equivalent training and/or experience.
- Master's Degree in communications, public relations, marketing or related field is preferred.
- 8 years of corporate communications, public relations, media relations or related experience in positions of increasing responsibility is required.
- 5 years in a significant management/supervisory capacity at a large/mid-cap public company is preferred.
- Must reside in Southern California or be willing to relocate upon hire.
- We offer a hybrid work environment. Although the schedule may vary, typically this will allow you to work from the office three days per week and work remotely on the remaining workdays.
- Advanced expertise in handling financial communications, such as earnings releases, for large public corporations, in line with SEC rules and regulations is required.
- A proven track-record of proactively engaging with press/media both domestically as well as internationally, across a variety of outlets, including New York business and financial press, mainstream media, trade publications, key online outlets, peer-review journals, and broadcast/cable/streaming networks is required.
- Requires extensive experience in developing and executing overarching Communications strategies for a holding company with multiple subsidiaries, and a successful track record of success in utilizing Communications strategies to enhance corporate brand, reputation, and standing.
- Strong and advanced capabilities in social media and Digital Communications, including previous experience building Social Listening programs, using online advertising tools, developing Search Engine Optimization/Search Engine Management infrastructure, initiating influencer channels, and including other forms of paid media in integrated plans is required.
- Highly developed and advanced skill-sets in leading issues/reputation management, crisis communications, and ensuring structured and effective planning for fielding media inquiries in a highly matrixed environment is required. Strong familiarity counseling Senior Management in media response scenarios is required.
This position is eligible for a referral bonus.
Total Rewards Philosophy
Note: Sempra strives to ensure that employees are paid equitably and competitively. Starting salaries may vary based on factors such as relevant experience, qualifications, and education.
Sempra offers a competitive total rewards package that goes beyond base salary. This position is eligible for an annual performance-based incentive (bonus) as well as long-term incentive plans and other merit-based recognition. Company benefits include health and welfare (medical, dental, vision), employer contributions to retirement benefits, life insurance, paid time off, as well as other company offerings such as tuition reimbursement, paid parental leave, and employee assistance programs.