Sr Principal, Corporate Communications

Nintendo of America

About Nintendo of America: From the launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System™ more than 30 years ago, Nintendo’s mission has been to create smiles through unique entertainment experiences. Here at Nintendo of America Inc., we deliver on this mission by partnering closely with Nintendo Co., Ltd., to bring Nintendo’s iconic and cherished franchises including Mario™, Donkey Kong™, The Legend of Zelda™, Metroid™, Animal Crossing™, Pikmin™ and Splatoon™ across the Americas through our video games, hardware systems, and collaborations with partners on a range of other entertainment initiatives like feature films and theme parks.

We are an equal opportunity employer offering a welcoming and inclusive environment in service to one another, our products, and the diverse consumers and communities we call home. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at https://www.nintendo.com/. 

Team/Position Summary: The Sr Principal, Corporate Communications will serve as the primary day‑to‑day partner on crisis communications execution, executive messaging, and high‑impact writing across Nintendo of America (NOA). This role emphasizes proactive preparedness, clear decision support, and thoughtful message development to help the organization communicate with credibility and confidence during complex or high‑visibility moments. This role will provide senior‑level counsel, writing, and coordination to ensure communications are clear, consistent and aligned with Nintendo’s values – supporting internal and external stakeholders during moments of ambiguity, change or heightened attention.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

• Creates, provides oversight, and editorially reviews and shapes key messages, press releases and Q&As across the organization for corporate, crisis, brand, and product-specific initiatives, ensuring consistency and alignment with company beliefs and values; serves as a primary day-to-day partner to communications leadership on crisis message development and execution across internal and external channels.
• Creates a clear and repeatable process to vet, clarify, tune, sharpen and distill messaging into clear persuasion points for use with global and U.S. audiences; develops and maintains crisis communications frameworks, playbooks, and message libraries to ensure organizational readiness.
• Leads creation of original, breakthrough messaging for executive speeches and presentations, reputation management, corporate social responsibility and high-stakes communications (including crisis statements, holding language, executive talking points, and sensitive correspondence).
• Develops thought leadership reports based on key trends, media activities, and academic studies; proactively monitors media, industry, and cultural developments to identify reputational risks and brings recommendations to leadership based on research and observations.
• Leads creative development of presentational materials and prepares, briefs, and coaches executives and designated spokespeople for media interviews and high-visibility engagements, ensuring message alignment and issue preparedness.
• Proactively reviews analyst and media reports, identifying key trends that could impact strategic planning and supporting analyst, investor, or government-related communications activities in coordination with global and functional partners.
• Liaises with department leads and executive management to design, coordinate, and execute communication content, ensuring integrated approaches, aligned responses, and a unified voice; oversees global communications alignment across regional teams.
• Acts as company spokesperson with media and analysts at trade shows, product launches, and ongoing interactions; maintains strong relationships with business, consumer, and trade media.
• Provides senior level judgment and recommendations to communications leadership during fast moving or ambiguous situations, supporting timely and well informed decision making and ensuring responses reflect company values and long-term brand considerations.
• Directs and manages external PR agency support on a program and project basis, particularly for high-profile issues and crisis situations; reviews and edits agency and internal deliverables, assuming primary writing responsibility when sensitivity or impact requires.
• Partners across internal and external stakeholders to problem-solve and ensure the company’s position is clearly communicated across critical channels, maintaining alignment on messaging, timing, and tone.

SUMMARY OF REQUIREMENTS

• Eight (8) to ten (10) years of experience in corporate communications, public relations, journalism, or a related field, with significant responsibility for crisis communications and executive messaging.
• Demonstrated experience writing and shaping communications for sensitive, high visibility, or time critical issues.
• Experience advising, briefing, or preparing senior leaders or spokespeople for external and internal communications.
• Strong judgment and ability to operate autonomously, clearly, and collaboratively under pressure.
• Experience with media relations preferred; analyst or investor relations experience helpful.
• Japanese language ability helpful but not required.
• Undergraduate degree in Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, a related field, or equivalent.

Applicants must be legally eligible to work in the United States to be considered. Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

This position is hybrid in Redmond, WA. Hybrid positions require regular onsite work following the schedule and guidelines for their division. This position is not open to fully remote status at this time.