Communications Specialist
The Communication Specialist is responsible for development, management and execution of communications projects that align with the Land O'Lakes, Inc. Communications strategy, drive business growth and enhance engagement with key stakeholders including media and industry contacts. This role will focus on internal and external audiences, building effective relationships with stakeholders across the enterprise as well as content delivery for a variety of publishing platforms and communications channels.
Research, conduct interviews and write stories that support the Communication department's editorial story lines of business model growth, tech & innovation, talent & culture, and trust & good; write to specific audiences/objectives/outcomes, for publication on a wide variety of platforms (internal, external); secure appropriate review of all writing before publication (Legal, subject-matter experts, peers, manager - if appropriate, etc.)
Develop and execute public relations priorities: build and develop relationships with trade, local and national media, including tracking coverage.
Build and engage with the Communications team on industry trends and the intersection with enterprise priorities.
Research, draft and prepare materials for appropriate channels to support media relations and external efforts.
Leverage strong relationships with cross-functional partners, senior leaders and business units to develop and deliver valuable and effective content through a variety of communications channels.
Provide strategic and tactical communications support for large-scale proactive and reactive business priorities and emphasizes our co-op structure.
Measure content effectiveness and continually refine creative content approaches to drive results.
Develop and establish effective metrics, in line with industry best practice, to measure creative content aligned to business objectives and adjust approaches as needed.
Demonstrate return on communication investment.
Apply learnings from initiatives to future communication planning
Knowledge & Experience:
Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Communications, PR, Advertising, Marketing or related field, plus 5+ years of relevant work experience.
Strong project management, and organizational skills; able to write persuasively and adapt writing style depending on audience and communication objectives.
Proven ability to manage multiple projects to successful outcomes in a fast-paced, deadline-driven, and highly collaborative environment
Arden Hills, MN
Land O'Lakes, Inc. is a member-owned agricultural cooperative based in the Minneapolis-St. Paul suburb of Arden Hills, Minnesota, focusing on the dairy industry. The cooperative has 1,959 direct producer-members, 751 member-cooperatives, and about 10,000 employees who process and distribute products for about 300,000 agricultural producers; handling 12 billion pounds of milk annually. It is ranked third on the National Cooperative Bank Co-op 100 list of mutuals and cooperatives.
The co-op is one of the largest producers of butter and cheese in the United States through its dairy foods business; serves producers, animal owners and their families through more than 4,700 local cooperatives, independent dealers and other large retailers through its Purina Animal Nutrition business; and delivers seed, crop protection products, agricultural services and agronomic insights to 1,300 locally owned and operated cooperative and independent agricultural retailers and their grower customers through its WinField United business.