Communications Manager

Cummins•Indianapolis, IN

About The Position

Cummins is looking for an experienced and strategic corporate communications professional to lead the development and execution of global communications strategies for the corporate functions, specifically Human Resources Global Talent Development. The Communications Manager serves as a strategic translator and connection-maker, transforming complex talent strategies, research insights, and evidence-based frameworks into actionable guidance that helps leaders and employees understand why initiatives matter to them and what they should do differently. This role reports to the HR Communications leader with close connection to the Executive Director of TD Insights, Innovation & Integration. This position manages the sustained change narrative for Cummins' evolving talent development approach, connecting disparate strategic initiatives into coherent stories that build understanding over time. Rather than traditional program marketing, this role focuses on enabling action at the point of need - ensuring that when a manager has a question about career progression, performance conversations, or leadership expectations, they can find clear, connected answers that reflect our evidence-based approach to talent development. In this role, you will make an impact in the following ways: Customer focus - Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions. Brand Management - Creates competitive advantage through brand recognition; positions the brand to meet or exceed stakeholder expectations; applies brand standards to create a consistent perception and defend the company reputation. Creative Communication Design - Presents information from a variety of sources in a compelling message through storytelling to engage target audiences; applies the appropriate tools and media types to create effective, high-quality visual and experiential media. Data Analytics - Discovers, interprets and communicates qualitative and quantitative data; determines conclusions relying on knowledge of business or functional frameworks; simultaneously applies statistics, data validity, data visualization, and problem-solving approaches to effectively extract meaningful patterns and business insights; presents conclusions and outcomes that enable data driven business decisions. Digital media savvy - Leverages current and emerging digital media strategies (e.g., email automation, social media, content management systems, etc.) to influence employee behavior or target audiences to a desired action. Intuitive Listening and Adapting Solutions - Translates needs, expectations, or asks from customers, stakeholders, etc. into actionable solutions through active listening and intuition; chooses or produces solutions (e.g., process change, tool, product, service, etc.) to meet or exceed the customers’ or stakeholders’ needs or expectations or to provide value. Organizational savvy - Maneuvering comfortably through complex policy, process, and people-related organizational dynamics. Persuades - Using compelling arguments to gain the support and commitment of others. Decision quality - Making good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward. Manages complexity - Making sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems. Develops talent - Developing people to meet both their career goals and the organization’s goals.

Requirements

Strategic Brand Stewardship : You’ll need a deep understanding of brand management to consistently position Cummins as a trusted, recognizable leader—ensuring all communications align with brand standards and enhance reputation.
Creative Storytelling and Design : Success will come from your ability to craft compelling narratives and visually engaging content that resonates with diverse audiences across multiple platforms.
Digital Fluency : Staying current with digital media tools and trends—like email automation, social media, and content management systems—will be essential to effectively reach and influence your target audiences.
Data-Driven Decision Making : You’ll need strong analytical skills to interpret data, uncover insights, and use those findings to refine strategies, measure impact, and demonstrate value.
Empathetic Listening and Solutioning : Your ability to intuitively understand and respond to stakeholder needs will help you deliver tailored, high-impact solutions that build trust and drive results.
College, university, or equivalent degree in communications, marketing, or a related subject required.
Leading employee-centered communications strategies and campaigns required including change and transformation comms
Requires excellent writing and editing skills with the ability to interpret and simplify complex topics for a broader audience.
Strong project management and organizational abilities.
Executive consultation and relationship management
Strategic thinking and agility
Familiarity with employee engagement metrics and analytics.
Proficiency in using communication tools and platforms (e.g., Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, Viva Engage)
Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams.
Excellent interpersonal and presentation skills.
Creative mindset with the ability to think strategically.

Nice To Haves

MBA, Master's in Communications, Master's in Marketing, or equivalent degree highly preferred.
Digital experience preferred (emerging trends, digital for business, metrics, paid vs. organic, advertising content).
Graphic design skills, visual communications channel capabilities preferred.
Global perspective and experience preferred.
Client/account management preferred.
System integration/account management for marketing roles preferred.
6 Sigma, Value Stream Transformation, continuous improvement experience preferred.
B2B experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as a strategic communications advisor and consultative partner for the Human Resources Global Talent Development function, supporting TD leadership in driving awareness, understanding, and adoption of key talent priorities across the enterprise
Research & Strategy Translation – Translate research, talent frameworks, and strategic initiatives into practical, actionable guidance for leaders and employees
Narrative Integration – Connect multiple Talent Development initiatives into integrated, coherent narratives that build understanding over time
Strategy-to-Execution Alignment – Bridge the gap between evidence-based strategy and real-world application across diverse employee populations
Knowledge Architecture & Self-Service Design – Design and structure content for self-service access, ensuring employees can find answers at the point of need
Change Narrative Management – Manage sustained change narratives across multi-phase initiatives, maintaining clarity on “why this, why now, and what’s next”
Thought Leadership Positioning – Position Talent Development as a credible, evidence-based internal thought leader
Audience-Centered Communication – Create communications that support diverse audiences across roles, regions, and work environments
Digital & AI-Enabled Communication – Leverage digital tools and AI capabilities to improve accessibility, personalization, and effectiveness of communications
Partner with Corporate Communications, DEI, Change Management, Employee Experience and HR Centers of Excellence to align messaging and amplify communications across the enterprise.
Produce compelling content — including digital communications, articles, toolkits, FAQs and announcements — that simplifies complex topics and reflects Cummins’ tone, brand and values.
Establish goals and KPIs for communications initiatives, track performance, gather feedback and optimize strategies based on insights and data.
Ensure communications are inclusive, accessible and aligned with internal standards, timelines and the Corporate Communications service model.