Director, Corporate Communications & Community Development

Smithfield Foods•Smithfield, VA

42d•$140,000 - $182,500

About The Position

The Director of Corporate Communications & Community Development is responsible for developing and executing integrated communication strategies that strengthen employee engagement, align leaders and teams around business priorities and enhance the organization's reputation in the communities it serves. This role leads employee and executive communications, ensuring consistent, transparent and compelling messaging that supports organizational goals, culture and change initiatives. In addition, the director oversees the company's community development and engagement programs, building strong relationships with community stakeholders, nonprofit partners and local leaders. The position is responsible for advancing the organization's social impact objectives, coordinating volunteerism and charitable initiatives, and identifying opportunities to strengthen the company's presence and influence in key communities. The ideal candidate is a strategic communicator and relationship builder who can effectively advise senior executives, develop high-impact communications and lead community engagement efforts that support both business objectives and corporate values. The position reports to the Vice President of Corporate Affairs and manages a team.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in Communications, Marketing, Journalism, Business, English, or related field and 10+ years of progressive experience working in corporate communications, employee communications, public affairs, or equivalent combination of education and experience required.
5+ years of demonstrated experience in team management/development.
Demonstrated experience advising senior executives and developing executive communications, including remarks, presentations, talking points, and strategic messaging.
Proven success developing and executing employee communication and engagement strategies across multiple communication channels.
Experience building and managing relationships with community organizations, nonprofit partners, local leaders and key external stakeholders.
Strong understanding of corporate social responsibility, community engagement, volunteerism and charitable giving programs.

Nice To Haves

CPG, manufacturing and/or agriculture industry experience.
Event management experience
Proven ability to develop and disseminate communications tailored for deskless team members
Event management experience

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the company’s internal communications strategy in alignment with business objectives.
Create and manage employee communication channels, including intranet, newsletters, emails, digital signage and town halls.
Lead communication planning for organizational changes, business initiatives and employee engagement programs.
Develop messaging that reinforces company culture, values and strategic priorities.
Monitor employee feedback and recommend communication improvements.
Measure the effectiveness of internal communications through surveys, analytics and engagement metrics.
Serve as a communications advisor to senior executives and company leadership.
Develop executive messaging, remarks, presentations, talking points and leadership correspondence.
Support executive visibility through internal meetings, video messages and leadership forums.
Ensure consistency and alignment of executive communications across the organization.
Prepare leaders for employee meetings, community events, media opportunities and stakeholder engagements.
Manage communication plans related to significant business announcements and milestones.
Develop and implement the company's community development and engagement strategy.
Build and maintain relationships with nonprofit organizations, local leaders, government officials, educational institutions and other community stakeholders.
Identify and evaluate community partnership opportunities that align with community mission, corporate values and business objectives.
Manage corporate giving, sponsorship and charitable investment programs.
Manage the coordination of employee volunteer initiatives and community service activities.
Track and report community engagement outcomes and metrics.
Support initiatives that strengthen the company's reputation and brand within local communities.
Represent the organization at community meetings, events and industry functions.
Monitor community issues and help develop proactive engagement strategies.
Collaborate with operations, human resources, public relations, government affairs and other teams to ensure coordinated stakeholder communications.
Develop annual communication and community engagement plans, goals and budgets.
Establish performance measures and report results to senior leadership.
Manage communication projects and campaigns from concept through execution.
Lead and mentor communications team members and external agency partners.
Ensure all communications support the organization's mission, values and strategic priorities.
Identify opportunities to enhance employee engagement, leadership effectiveness and community impact.
Effectively manage the internal comms and community development team members to ensure consistent high performance.
Foster growth among the team that aligns with business and individual team member goals.