Director - Issues Management

LivCor, a Blackstone Portfolio Company

Jul 13, 2024

Applications are closed

Job
Full-time
Expert Level
Business, Operations & Strategy
Chicago

Requirements

Thrive working on a tight-knit team who does serious work (but doesn’t take itself too seriously!).
Develop strong relationships, work collaboratively, and lead through influence – balancing competing perspectives and needs of stakeholders at all levels.
Think big picture to foresee reputational risks and opportunities within the broader Blackstone ecosystem, and zoom into critical details, nuances, and variables to inform issues management strategy and response.
Expertly navigate issues with LivCor and Blackstone stakeholders (asset management, legal, executive leadership, etc.), third-party partners (property management companies, external PR agencies and law firms, key vendors, etc.), and external audiences (residents, media, elected officials, etc.).
Only read further if you are:
Kind
Humble
Honest
Relentless
Smart with Heart
You should be:
Authentic. You do you. Together, we’ll do something amazing.
A passionate person with a love for real estate and investing; and believes that helping others win is a noble cause, essential to our success.
An excellent team player who enjoys working with others and has strong interpersonal skills.
Highly motivated, energetic, and organized.
Bachelor’s degree in communications, political science, or related field (discipline agnostic if you can demonstrate strong experience relevant to the role). Maybe you think you would have made a great attorney in another life?
10 + years of high-stakes reputation management experience with a keen public affairs eye.
A strong understanding of, previous exposure to, and proven experience resolving the types of issues we deal with (customer service matters, media/government outreach, legal issues, environmental issues, etc.) – bonus points if you have experience working in private equity, with an asset management firm, or with a large REIT or real estate investment firm.
A track record demonstrating how you understand risk in all its forms and view every situation through the lens of: how can we work in the background to prevent issues from surfacing and if they do, how do we eliminate repetition?
Experience visioning, building, and executing issues and crisis communications protocols, playbooks, and scenario plans
Strong ability to tailor your communications style, strategy, and tactics to audiences with varying levels of sophistication to tell a clear and compelling story – and to prevent issues from escalating into crises.
Outstanding writing skills and experience communicating directly with executive leadership, coupled with a strong understanding of the local media, national media, and political landscapes.
Stellar leadership and teamwork skills, including the ability to collaborate with business partners and mentor others as well as the confidence and skill to communicate your ideas clearly.
Who You Are:
A team player with a can-do attitude and the ability to work across functional departments and projects, who can deliver on deadline and thrive in a fast-paced environment.
A critical, analytical thinker who enjoys challenging work to achieve strategic goals and understands the business implications of the projects they work on and the importance of mitigating risk.
A process-oriented human who understands that the best ideas still need to be executed by people who need to not only believe, but also need to understand why.
An executor who is passionately committed to excellence and will relentlessly pursue the team’s – and the company’s – goals.
A culture champion who believes that organizational culture has a significant impact on business and people results and leads accordingly.
An owner who takes responsibility.
A strategist who believes everything should be done in an organized and efficient manner.
A passionate teammate who believes that helping others win is a noble cause and that proactive hands-on leadership is the only course of action.
Gumby. Things change.
Funny with a sense of humor, because being able to laugh when you’re under pressure is key.

Responsibilities

As a member of the Issues Management team, you will work closely with LivCor and Blackstone leaders on crisis/issues prevention and management – protecting and enhancing our reputation by managing a wide variety of issues and escalated matters that occur across our portfolio.
We’re looking for a strategic thinker and creative problem-solver, with a proven track record in solving complex reputational issues in both corporate and political arenas.
We want a passionate and engaging leader who views every challenge as an opportunity, is happiest when intellectually challenged by diverse and interesting issues, cares deeply about doing important work with incredible (+ fun!) humans, and has creative vision to help shape the future of the Issues Management team.
Most importantly, we want someone who is humble, kind, and compassionate with a great sense of humor.
Leveraging your deep corporate reputation and crisis/issues management background, you will be one of the Issues Management team’s go-to experts on the full range of issues that arise in our portfolio.
Work closely with LivCor’s functional teams (asset management, legal, capex, etc.) and third-party partners to expertly manage sensitive issues and matters.
Take on a central role in both preventing issues before they happen and managing (“owning”) them when they do (gathering facts, identifying reputational vulnerabilities, solving for problems, creating solutions, executing effectively, and understanding how, when and to whom to escalate sensitive matters, etc.).
Advise stakeholders on communications and reputational issues both big (lawsuits, environmental disasters, material crime, etc.) and small (escalated customer service matters, asset / operational disturbances, etc.) to minimize reputational risk.
Know how to effectively brief up and summarize extremely complex issues to senior LivCor and Blackstone leaders (think: be brief, be brilliant, be gone.).
Draft communications materials (media statements, talking points, Q&A’s, etc.) to prepare stakeholders and spokespeople for escalated issues and matters that may become public.
Recognize and navigate public affairs issues (local elected official or government department outreach) when they have a reputational component.
Support development and implementation of crisis preparedness work, including standards, playbooks, and protocols.
Help gather, input, track, understand, trend spot, and report on data accretive to the business and LivCor’s ability to effectively manage issues.
Work with PR agencies and external law firms to support communications efforts as needed, including research, material development, and media and social media monitoring.

FAQs

What is the main focus of the Director - Issues Management role at LivCor?

The main focus of the Director - Issues Management role is to work closely with LivCor and Blackstone leaders on crisis and issues prevention and management, protecting and enhancing the company's reputation by managing a variety of escalated matters across their real estate portfolio.

What qualities does LivCor seek in the ideal candidate for this position?

LivCor is seeking a strategic thinker and creative problem-solver, who is passionate, engaging, and views challenges as opportunities. They also want someone who is humble, kind, and compassionate, with a great sense of humor.

What types of issues will the Director - Issues Management be responsible for?

The Director will be responsible for managing a wide range of issues including high-stakes reputation management cases such as lawsuits, environmental disasters, and customer service matters, as well as smaller escalated issues.

What kind of experience is required for this position?

A candidate should have at least 10 years of high-stakes reputation management experience, ideally with exposure to private equity, asset management, or real estate investment firms. Experience in resolving issues related to customer service, media/government outreach, legal, and environmental matters is also required.

What responsibilities will the Director - Issues Management have?

Responsibilities include leveraging reputation and crisis management expertise, advising stakeholders on communication and reputational issues, drafting communications materials, managing sensitive issues, supporting crisis preparedness development, and collaborating with various functional teams and external partners.

How does LivCor define its company culture?

LivCor emphasizes a culture that is ego-free, focused on collaboration and support, where good people do good work together. They value diversity, transparency, mutual respect, and a sense of humor in the workplace while striving continually for improvement.

What are some of the key skills required for this role?

Key skills include exceptional writing and communication abilities, strong interpersonal and leadership skills, the capability to tailor communication strategies, the ability to navigate complex issues, and the analytical capability to foresee reputational risks.

What benefits does LivCor offer to its employees?

LivCor offers competitive pay commensurate with market rates, a full slate of benefits, which includes things like paid parental leave, and a commitment to employee growth and support in achieving their career goals.

What is the ideal educational background for candidates applying for this role?

Candidates should have a Bachelor's degree in communications, political science, or a related field. However, candidates can demonstrate their relevant experience even if their discipline differs from these areas.

How important is teamwork in the Director - Issues Management role?

Teamwork is crucial in this role. The ideal candidate should thrive in a tight-knit team environment, working collaboratively with others across various departments, balancing differing perspectives and needs to achieve common goals.

What are LivCor's key values as an organization?

LivCor's key values include being authentic, caring for others, having courageous curiosity, helping others win, relentless hustle, and combining heart and humility to make better decisions and create a positive impact.

LivCor, a Blackstone Portfolio Company

Leaving people and places better than we found them.

Real Estate

Industry

201-500

Employees

2013

Founded Year

Mission & Purpose

LivCor, a Blackstone portfolio company, is a real estate company specializing in multi-family housing. Currently, LivCor is responsible for a portfolio of over 400 Class A and B properties comprising more than 150,000 units in markets across the United States. Formed in 2013 and headquartered in Chicago, LivCor is committed to creating great places to live, work, and grow.