Job Description

Job Category: CM - Communications, Public Relations & Marketing
:
Under the direction of the Area Presidency and the Area Communication and Publishing Director and in partnership with the originating departments, the Manager of Experience and Product helps to increase the reach and power of localized messaging from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They lead a team of 1-2 people that will help to enhance Christ-centered messaging through a centralized area design, development, and production approach. They provide product management services to the Area Presidency and originating departments in the area. This will help areas to communicate with one voice to priority audiences, thereby assisting the work of salvation and exaltation in the area. The Manager of Experience and Product accomplishes this purpose by:

• Unifying the work of departments by creating a unified communication strategy and centralizing all area-led products to meet the needs of priority audiences and help them come to Jesus Christ and make and keep sacred covenants.
• Coordinating closely with Church headquarters and other areas on global products that may need to be filtered and localized for the area to assure that the right people get the right message at the right time and avoid messaging and product overload in the area.
• Extending the reach of Church communication (for example: identity, unified messaging, and communication channels) in a way that reflects a desire to understand and minister to the needs of priority audiences as identified by the Area Presidency.
• Ensuring area products meet the needs of audiences, are appropriately researched, have a strong product plan, communicate clearly, and perform effectively.

Responsibilities:
Centralize product management in the area to support the Church Content and Messaging Plan and Budgeting Process.

• Together with the Area Communication and Publishing Director, the Manager of Experience and Product collaborates with all relevant area departments, headquarters, other regional and global area offices, and local area vendors to localize and execute area and headquarters communication initiatives.
• Provides a voice for product needs for area leadership priorities as they relate to audience needs and area growth-while also helping the Area Presidency ensure that members and leaders are not being overburdened and made to feel guilty due to the volume of products and communications.
• Creates and manages products, creates product roadmaps, initiates effective awareness campaigns, launches products effectively, identifies and mitigates product risks, and aligns scope with budget and schedule. Manages the complete product lifecycle-from initial research to retirement.

Manages all area product plans on behalf of the Area Presidency. This effort centralizes the area councils, committees, and departments to effectively communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ and help individuals to make and keep sacred covenants:

• Works with initiating departments to understand and implement product strategies, objectives, and deliverables in alignment with the area plan. Collaborates on relevant area product plans.
• Serves as a gatekeeper of product plans together with the Area Correlation Manager.
• Manages area-based content and messaging product budgets and ensures area products are effectively using sacred resources of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• Communicates product needs clearly with vendors and other collaborative partners.
• Works closely with the Area Correlation Manager to utilize various forms of research, prototyping, and pilot testing to understand how a product can bring the most value and have the best impact for its audiences.
• Works with the Area Presidency to retire area products that no longer meet area needs.
• Provides input on audience and product-related needs to the Communication and Publishing Director and Area Correlation Manager during the annual opt-in planning process.

Assists in the development of an area communication plan with input from all relevant departments. The plan reflects the global prophetic and area vision, direction, priorities, deliverables, and timelines:

• Develops expertise around the elements of the area product plans: audience understanding, successful key messaging, appropriate channels, and measurement.
• Oversees the development of clear audience profiles for all internal and external audiences.
• Creates two types of audience profiles: 1) an in-depth and comprehensive profile that clearly outlines our audiences and their needs. This assists employees as they prepare to communicate to these key audiences, and 2) simplified and clear profiles that inform leaders as they prepare to minister to those key audiences.

Works closely with the Area Correlation Manager to certify all area product plans and plan any associated audience or product research.
Oversees the measurement of the timing, quality, and impact of all area communications.
Based on the area's size and needs, this role may be the first contact point for some national or coordination council communication councils.
Qualifications:
Required: Bachelor's degree in communication-related field or equivalent (i.e., public relations, communication, journalism, marketing, government relations, international relations, political science, social science). Seven years of professional-level experience.
Preferred: Master's degree
Required skill set:

• Experience in developing, designing, and executing strategic outreach plans.
• Strong experience in product management, product management training, or willing to complete the Church product management certification training.
• Extensive experience with a wide variety of communication channels.
• Ability to think critically and solve problems.
• Skilled at utilizing research methods and strategies to address practical problems.
• As areas grow, may build a team of product managers and work to develop them professionally.
• Ability to communicate complex ideas and processes in a straightforward way to leadership and communication teams at all levels.
• Excellent writing and editing skills both in the local language (if applicable) and English, preferably English at an advanced level.
• Ability to function in a team setting and collaborate with other members of the area team.
• Competency in the use of technology, including the Microsoft Office product suite.
• Willingness and demonstrated ability to collaborate with others in a team environment to address audience and product-related needs.

Skills Required