Director, Corporate Communications

Get to know The Pokémon Company International

The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world.

Learn more online at Pokemon.com and on Facebook (facebook.com/pokemon), YouTube (youtube.com/pokemon), Twitter (twitter.com/pokemon), and Instagram (instagram.com/pokemon).

Get to know the role

Job Title: Director, Corporate Communications

Job Summary: The President’s Office seeks a proven leader to execute impactful corporate communication strategies. Based in Bellevue, Washington, you will:

1. Drive employee engagement: Foster a sense of community, excitement, inspiration, and belonging for employees across our global offices.
2. Build our corporate brand image: Communicate our mission, values, and programs internally and externally to build TPCi’s reputation as a strong employer and purpose-driven corporation.
3. Manage crisis communication: Partner with the crisis management team to protect TPCi’s corporate brand image for internal and external audiences.

You’ll lead a small team in Bellevue and London and report to the Chief of Staff and Head of Corporate Development in strong partnership with the President and Executive team. You’ll collaborate closely with various departments like People, DEI & CSR, Legal, Marketing, and brand and business function leaders.

FLSA Classification (US Only): Exempt

People Manager: Yes

What you’ll do

Responsibilities for this role are categorized into three key areas:

1. Internal Corporate Communications Leadership (Majority focus)
   • Employee Experience Advocate: Develop a deep understanding of TPCi’s brand, culture, business plans, the global landscape, and employee perceptions. You will leverage this understanding to craft impactful communication that strengthens the employee experience and cultivates our culture.
   • Internal Communication Strategist: Lead our corporate communications function to amplify our company vision and objectives on behalf of our leadership in alignment with our core values. You’ll work directly with Executives and business leaders to identify communication needs, objectives, and strategies.
   • Global Communication Architect: Employ global best practices to build, manage, and continually improve communication channels and tools for maximum effectiveness. This includes creating new channels to reach employees with core messages, implementing creative messaging strategies to drive engagement, oversee and continuously innovate the format of hybrid all-company meetings to enhance employee engagement for our global offices.
   • Team Leader and Coach: Build a best-in-class corporate communications team. You will hire top talent, lead and coach them on developing internal communication standards and processes, to ensure the team delivers impactful communication and high-quality visual assets.
   • Operational Efficiency Champion: Be a positive change agent for leading operational communication improvements and supporting consistent messaging aligned with the rhythm of the business. This includes building strong internal processes to ensure stakeholders are informed at the right time.
   • Data-Driven Approach: Leverage data and metrics to measure the impact of internal communication initiatives, ensuring they are effectively driving employee engagement and alignment with company goals.
   • Global Collaboration with The Pokémon Company, Japan: Work with the Pokémon Company Japan PR team to create consistent employee messaging when necessary.
2. External Communications Leadership
   • Company Advocacy: Manage and monitor all external corporate communication channels to ensure messaging is consistent with company leadership and reflects TPCi’s mission, values, and achievements.
   • Employer Branding & Business Storytelling: Develop and execute communication strategy to showcase our history, legacy, and inspiring achievements in the entertainment industry, as well as TPCi’s commitment to social responsibility and DEI initiatives.
3. Crisis Communications Leadership
   • Safeguard TPCi Reputation: Partner with the crisis management team, and key internal stakeholders such as Marketing/PR and executive team during critical events for internal and external audiences, collaborating with external partners to monitor and address public perception where necessary.

The Impact you’ll make

Within 3 months

• Rapid Immersion: Gain a comprehensive understanding of TPCi and the Pokémon business through in-depth discussions with key stakeholders and leadership.
• Stakeholder Alignment: Build strong relationships across the organization and work collaboratively to define short-term and long-term communication goals and strategies.

Within 6 months

• Strategic Impact: Develop a long-term communication strategy aligned with TPCi’s overall business objectives. Includes developing a streamlined communications review processes for all corporate communications with a tight methodology for External and Crisis Communications review. Lead the execution of this strategy for sustained positive impact.
• Efficiency Enhancements: Identify opportunities and lead implementation to streamline communication processes and optimize current systems to improve efficiency.
• Crisis Readiness: Develop and operationalize a comprehensive crisis communication system to ensure effective messaging in unforeseen situations.

Within 12 months

• Corporate Comms Team is Built for 2025 and Beyond: Plan, design, and build the Corporate Communications Team to create scalable, global impact.
• Data-Driven Decisions: Implement clear metrics to track progress towards communication goals, using data to refine and iterate strategies for long-term success.

What you’ll bring

• Seasoned Communications Leader (12+ years): Extensive experience in leading and executing comprehensive corporate communications strategies (internal and external) for a dynamic, diverse, multinational organization experiencing significant growth.
• Global Leadership (5+ years): Proven ability to lead and mentor high-performing teams across diverse locations and cultures. International work experience a plus.
• Executive Presence: Confident communication style, who excels at presenting and facilitating impactful meetings and events.
• Global Audience Focus: A keen ability of how to read the room of a global audience, adapting communication styles and messaging accordingly. Experience navigating communication nuances across various cultures a must (US, Europe, LATAM, Japan with potential future expansion). Experience being based outside of US a plus.
• Data-driven approach: Strong grasp of communication measurement principles. Experienced in developing and implementing metrics to assess campaign effectiveness and translate data insights into action.
• Transformation Champion: Proven ability to drive transformational change within the communications function, fostering a culture of excellence and innovation. Experience building and implementing a strong internal consulting model is a plus.
• Industry Acumen: Knowledgeable on industry best practices and trends for both consumer goods and the communications discipline, readily incorporating them into communication strategies.
• Storytelling Expertise: Strong ability to craft compelling narratives that bring internal marketing and communication strategies to life.
• Creative Visionary: An entrepreneurial mindset that brings creative and innovative communication approaches to build a strong company culture.
• Strategic Influencer: Proven record of influencing key business stakeholders and securing buy-in for communication initiatives.
• Thriving in Change: Experience working in a fast-paced, transformative environment with the ability to influence positive change and lead others through ambiguity.
• Collaborative Builder: Experienced at building strong global relationships across cultures with business partners and team members, fostering a successful hybrid work environment.
• DEI&CSR Champion: Experience amplifying Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) principles. You’ll integrate these values into communication strategies to foster a more inclusive and responsible corporate culture.
• Passionate About TPCi: Aligned with TPCi’s mission and core values, understanding the current and future workplace priorities. A passion for Pokémon and the impact it has on various stakeholders is highly desirable (preferred experience in tech, gaming, or entertainment is a plus).
• Technical Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, SharePoint, HRIS, and ATS is expected. Proficiency in graphics/presentation development tools is a plus.
• Language Fluency: Fluency in Japanese or Spanish is a plus, with the ability to understand cultural nuances for communication purposes.

How you’ll be successful

• Passion for Pokémon: Develops an understanding of the Pokémon brand, the impact it has on our people, culture, business, fans, and communities, and applying that knowledge and passion to everything you do.
• Challenging the Expected: Approaches challenges with curiosity and creativity, embracing the possibility of failure as an opportunity to learn something new, develop innovative ideas, solve complex problems and identify unique opportunities.
• Integrity and Respect: Demonstrates integrity and respect by leading with empathy, listening to others, seeking out different perspectives, and taking personal responsibility for decisions, actions, and results.
• Dedicated to Quality: Takes ownership to maintain and promote high standards, looks for new ways to learn and improve, and embraces a growth mindset to seek and apply feedback from others in an effort to continuously improve.
• Building Relationships: Develops and strengthens relationships, adopting a “team first” mentality and working collaboratively to solve problems and meet shared goals.
• Delighting Customers: Listens and understands the interests and needs of our customers and stakeholders, making them feel heard and important, and embracing these learnings to continue delivering a unique Pokémon experience.

What to expect

• An employee first culture
• Company events that celebrate the spirit of Pokémon
• Competitive cash-based compensation programs
• Base salary range: For this role, new hires generally start between $178,000 – $211,850. The full range is $178,000 – $267,000. This range is applicable for the labor market where the role is intended to be hired. Final base salary is directly related to each candidates’ qualifications and professional experience uniquely.
• 100% employer-paid healthcare premiums for you
• Generous paid family leave
• Employer-paid life insurance
• Employer-paid long and short-term income protection insurance
• US Employees: 401k Employer Matching
• UK/IRE Employees: Pension Employer Contributions
• Fitness reimbursement
• Commuter benefit
• LinkedIn learning
• Comprehensive relocation package
• Hybrid work environment

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this role. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required. Employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed. For roles in the United Kingdom, candidates will need the right to work. In some cases, and for some roles, the Company may be able to arrange a visa. For roles in Ireland, this role requires candidates to have the right to live and work in the Republic of Ireland. However, we welcome applications from all nationalities and may consider supporting an employment permit application, in appropriate and suitable cases.

Learn more here