Internal Comms Partner

About the role:

Join Shoprite as an Internal Comms Partner in Cape Town, playing a pivotal role in driving internal communication strategies within dynamic portfolios such as Technology, People, and Business & Retail. Leverage your expertise in internal communications, stakeholder engagement, message development, and channel planning to translate complex business initiatives into clear, impactful messaging that boosts understanding and adoption across the Group. This senior-level position demands over five years of experience in corporate communications, change management, or employee engagement within complex organisations, along with proven skills in communication strategy, content coordination, and measurement of engagement outcomes. As the trusted advisor to portfolio leaders, you will own communication planning, delivery oversight, and continuous improvement, collaborating with content and traffic teams to ensure coherent, timely, and high-quality internal communication outputs aligned with organisational goals. Embrace the opportunity to influence and enhance employee experience, embed change initiatives, and contribute to the sustained success of Africa's largest retailer, benefiting from a vibrant workplace culture, comprehensive development opportunities, and a commitment to innovation in communication practices.

What you'll do:

• Develop and implement comprehensive internal communication strategies aligned with business priorities and portfolio objectives.
• Serve as the primary communications advisor to portfolio leaders and key stakeholders, fostering trusted relationships to facilitate clear and effective messaging.
• Translate complex business initiatives, risks, and priorities into accessible, sequenced communication plans that enhance employee understanding and engagement.
• Coordinate closely with the Internal Communications Content Team and Traffic Manager to ensure timely, coherent, and high-quality delivery of content across appropriate channels.
• Manage the communication cadence and message load within the assigned portfolio, balancing the demands of project, portfolio, and group communications.
• Oversee the briefing of design and multimedia requirements, ensuring alignment with brand and communication standards through collaboration with content specialists.
• Monitor and measure engagement, adoption rates, and communication effectiveness using feedback and performance metrics to inform continuous improvement initiatives.
• Lead communication planning and governance in accordance with the Centre of Excellence standards, delivering consistent, template-driven outputs for repeatable or urgent communications.
• Advocate for employee experience by embedding change initiatives through clear, impactful internal communication that supports business transformation and cultural objectives.
• Contribute to the integrated communications schedule, prioritising communication timing and delivery to optimise stakeholder engagement and business impact.

What you bring:

• Diploma or Advanced Certificate in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, Business, Change Management, or a related field (essential).
• Minimum of five years' experience in internal communications, corporate communications, stakeholder communication, change communication, or employee engagement within a complex organisational environment (essential).
• Proven ability to develop comprehensive communication plans, messaging strategies, channel recommendations, and delivery timelines tailored to assigned business portfolios or projects.
• Demonstrated experience advising business stakeholders, translating business priorities into effective communication outcomes, and coordinating delivery through collaborative teams.
• Strong skills in stakeholder advisory and influence, building trusted relationships with portfolio leaders and key stakeholders to provide clear communication guidance.
• Competence in communication planning, with sound judgement in selecting appropriate audiences, messaging approaches, channels, timing, and sequencing to support understanding and adoption.