Director, Internal Communications (REMOTE)

Cengage Group•Virtual US OH, OH

3d•$145,000 - $170,000•Remote

About The Position

Reporting to the VP, Corporate Communications, the Director, Corporate Communications will serve as a strategic communications partner to business leaders, helping translate strategy into understanding, alignment, and action across assigned functions and business areas. This role partners with leaders to connect employees to business priorities, navigate organizational change, improve leadership communication effectiveness, and strengthen employee understanding of where the company is headed and how their work contributes to success. The Director will help leaders communicate with clarity, consistency, and transparency while ensuring communications support business outcomes, organizational effectiveness, and a culture of ownership.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; graduate degree or equivalent experience preferred.
Minimum of 10 years of communications experience, including internal communications, executive communications, change communications, or related disciplines.
Experience translating business strategy into communications, engagement, and organizational action.
Experience supporting organizational change, transformation initiatives, or large-scale business programs.
Strong executive and leadership communications capabilities.
Proven success building relationships and collaborating across complex, matrixed organizations.
Demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders and serve as a trusted advisor.
Experience developing communications strategies that drive understanding, alignment, engagement, and behavior change.
Strong business acumen and the ability to connect communications efforts to organizational outcomes.
Experience integrating communications programs across channels and audiences to amplify impact.
Experience with Prosci/change management.
Excellent writing, editing, storytelling, and presentation development skills, with the ability to adapt content to various leadership voices and business priorities.
Data-driven mindset with experience using employee feedback, engagement, and adoption metrics to evaluate effectiveness.
Ability to work effectively with employees and leaders at all levels of the organization.
Client-service mentality with a collaborative, solutions-oriented approach and a willingness to challenge conventional thinking when necessary to achieve stronger outcomes.
Expertise in Microsoft Office applications, including PowerPoint and Excel.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary communications advisor for assigned leaders and business areas.
Translate business strategy, priorities, organizational changes, and transformation initiatives into clear, actionable communications.
Help leaders connect team objectives and day-to-day work to broader enterprise priorities.
Provide strategic counsel on communication approaches, employee engagement, leadership visibility, and organizational effectiveness.
Support leaders in communicating difficult or complex topics with clarity, transparency, and empathy.
Identify communication risks, employee concerns, or areas of confusion and recommending solutions.
Develop and execute communications and change enablement plans that help employees understand what is changing, why it matters, and what actions are expected.
Create leader and manager communications resources—including toolkits, talking points, presentations, FAQs, and discussion guides—to support consistent communication and adoption.
Assess employee sentiment, readiness, and change risks, recommending strategies that improve understanding, engagement, and accountability.
Develop audience-focused communication strategies based on employee needs, motivations, and ways of working.
Lead communications programs that strengthen employee understanding of business priorities, growth ambitions, culture, and how their work contributes to company success.
Ensure a consistent cadence of leadership visibility and communication that reinforces strategic direction and organizational priorities.
Partner with HR and business leaders to support employee engagement, recognition, culture, and talent initiatives.
Develop executive communications and engagement materials, including presentations, talking points, videos, and written communications.
Prepare leaders for team meetings, organizational updates, enterprise initiatives, and critical employee conversations.
Help leaders build trust and reinforce strategy through authentic, transparent, and audience-focused communication.
Partner with HR, Strategy, Finance, Legal, Transformation, and other stakeholders to align messaging, priorities, and communication efforts across the organization.
Improve coordination across initiatives and channels to deliver a consistent employee experience while supporting business-specific needs.
Define success measures and evaluation approaches for communications programs and key initiatives.
Establish metrics and feedback mechanisms to assess employee understanding, engagement, adoption, and readiness.
Evaluate leader communication effectiveness and identify emerging risks and opportunities through employee listening and qualitative feedback.
Use insights to continuously improve communication strategies and demonstrate impact on organizational alignment and business outcomes.