Director Global Internal Communications

Nikkiso Cryogenic Industries•Huntington Beach, CA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

Nikkiso Clean Energy & Industrial Gases is seeking a Director, Global Internal Communications, to build and lead internal communications for the Group. This is a builder's role. The organization has grown organically and through acquisition, and its people work across three Business Units and six Corporate Departments, several languages, and a mix of corporate offices, engineering centers, manufacturing floors, and customer centers. The Director will create a single, coherent internal voice across that footprint — one that connects a welder in India, a process engineer in Europe, and a field technician on a customer site in Australia to the same strategy, the same values, and the same sense of belonging to one company. Reporting to the Vice President of Marketing & Communications, the Director will serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership, own the internal communications strategy and channel ecosystem end to end, and lead communications for major change initiatives including integrations, organizational transitions, and enterprise programs. Success in this role is measured not by output volume but by reach, comprehension, and engagement across a distributed and largely deskless workforce. This is a player-coach role. At our scale, the Director sets the strategy and writes executive messages, builds the slide deck, and runs global town halls. Candidates who want to direct a large production team or to slide into a role will not be happy here. Candidates who want to build something from the ground will find opportunities to do so.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Marketing, English, or a related field.
Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in internal, employee, or corporate communications, including at least 3 years at a Director or equivalent senior level.
Demonstrated experience leading internal communications for a global, multi-site, matrixed organization, with proven ability to work effectively across time zones and cultures.
Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with a portfolio that demonstrates the ability to make complex or technical subject matter clear and engaging. Writing samples are required.
Proven experience planning and executing change communications through significant organizational transitions such as integrations, restructuring, or transformation programs.
Experience advising and coaching senior executives, with the credibility and executive presence to offer candid counsel and hold a point of view.
Demonstrated success reaching distributed, deskless, or frontline populations through channels beyond corporate email.
Genuine understanding of the communications needs of colleagues working in a manufacturing environment — how shift patterns, production schedules, safety protocols, and floor culture shape what gets read, when, and whether it is believed.
Proven ability to influence and deliver results through dotted-line and matrixed relationships rather than direct authority.
Fluency with internal communications platforms, content production tools, and analytics; comfort building the business case for new tools and driving adoption.
Sound judgment with confidential and sensitive information.
Ability to travel up to 25%, including international travel.

Nice To Haves

Experience in industrial manufacturing, engineering, energy, industrial gases, cryogenics, or another technically complex sector.
Direct experience with a peer such as Air Liquide, Atlas Copco, Baker Hughes, Chart Industries, Cryostar, Ebara, Linde, Wärtsilä, or a comparable equipment manufacturer is a strong advantage.
Experience communicating within an organization that has grown through acquisition, including brand and cultural integration work
Experience working within or alongside a Japanese, European, or other non-U.S. parent company structure.
Working proficiency in a second language relevant to our footprint (Japanese, Spanish, German, Mandarin, or Korean).
Familiarity with change management methodologies and employee engagement frameworks.
Experience partnering with SHEQ on safety communications in a manufacturing environment.
Video production, visual storytelling, or event production capability.
Advanced degree or professional accreditation (APR, IABC, or equivalent).

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a global internal communications strategy aligned to the Group's business objectives, growth strategy, and values, with clear annual priorities and measurable outcomes.
Translate complex business, technical, and financial information — including cryogenic and clean energy technology developments — into clear, compelling messaging for employees at every level of the organization.
Establish and maintain the enterprise internal messaging architecture, editorial standards, brand voice guidelines, and communications governance model, including approval workflows and escalation paths.
Build and manage a global editorial calendar that sequences business unit, regional, and functional messaging to reduce noise and prevent conflicting or duplicative communications.
Serve as communications counsel to the CEO, executive leadership team, and Business Unit leaders on messaging strategy, timing, tone, and audience impact.
Write and produce executive communications: CEO messages, town hall and all-hands content, leadership video scripts, talking points, Q&A documents, and presentation narratives.
Design and produce the Group's global town hall and leadership forum program, including content development, run-of-show, logistics, and post-event follow-through.
Coach senior leaders and people managers to communicate effectively and equip the manager population with cascade toolkits that turn enterprise messages into local, relevant conversations.
Support the interface between Group communications and Nikkiso Co., Ltd. corporate communications in Japan, ensuring messaging is culturally attuned and aligned across the parent organization.
Lead internal communications planning and execution for organizational change: acquisitions and integrations, restructuring, brand transitions, leadership changes, system implementations, and enterprise programs.
Develop change communications frameworks and stakeholder maps that anticipate employee questions and address them proactively rather than reactively.
Support brand integration and harmonization work across legacy and acquired entities, helping employees connect legacy identity and pride to a shared Nikkiso CE&IG identity.
Partner with the VP of Marketing & Communications, Legal, HR, and SHEQ on crisis and issues communications, including incident response, ensuring timely, accurate, and empathetic internal messaging that is coordinated with external communications.
Design communications approaches that reach a predominantly deskless workforce across fabrication, assembly, service, and field environments — including mobile-first tools, digital signage, shift-based formats, and manager-led channels.
Establish a translation and localization process with regional partners so that critical communications land accurately and appropriately in local languages and cultural contexts.
Partner with SHEQ to amplify safety communications and reinforce a strong safety culture across all sites.
Drive communications supporting operational excellence, continuous improvement, and quality programs across the manufacturing footprint, in partnership with Operations and Quality leadership.
Build and lead a hub-and-spoke network of regional and business unit communications counterparts — most of whom will hold dotted-line rather than direct-reporting relationships — providing standards, templates, coaching, and shared content so local teams can adapt Group messaging for their sites without fragmenting it.
Own the internal channel ecosystem — intranet, email, digital signage, video, collaboration platforms, and live and virtual events — including channel strategy, governance, and platform selection.
Lead the evaluation, business case, implementation, and adoption of internal communications technology, working with IT on integration and security requirements.
Define and report the metrics that matter: reach, readership, engagement, sentiment, comprehension, and connection to business outcomes; present regular performance reporting to executive leadership.
Implement listening mechanisms — pulse surveys, feedback loops, focus groups, site visits — and use what you learn to adjust strategy, not just to confirm it.
Lead, mentor, and develop internal communications staff; set clear goals and performance standards; build capability and career paths.
Manage the internal communications budget, agency and freelance partnerships, and vendor relationships.
Partner closely with Human Resources on employee experience, engagement, onboarding, talent, and employer brand initiatives, and with Marketing on the alignment of internal and external narratives.