Director of Corporate Brand and Communications

LEAHY-IFP•Glenview, IL

4d•$155,000 - $175,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Corporate Brand & Communications is a senior leader reporting to the Chief Corporate Affairs Officer. The position is responsible for shaping, protecting, and advancing the organization’s corporate brand, reputation, and enterprise narrative. This role leads the development and execution of corporate brand strategy, internal and external communications, executive communications, media relations, and reputation management. Working closely with Marketing, Human Resources, Government Relations, Community Relations, and business leadership, the Director establishes the corporate narrative and reputation framework while ensuring appropriate alignment between the corporate/enterprise brand and customer and product-focused marketing brands. The Director ensures that the organization presents a clear, consistent, and trustworthy identity across its key stakeholders including employees, customers, communities, business partners, media, government officials, and other external audiences.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, journalism, marketing, business, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
10+ years of experience in corporate communications, corporate brand, public relations, reputation management, or related disciplines.
Significant experience leading corporate brand and/or enterprise communications programs.
Experience working with C-suite executives and senior business leaders.
Demonstrated experience managing complex communications issues and multiple stakeholder audiences.
Experience leading teams and managing agencies or external partners.
Corporate, agency, or similarly complex organizational experience preferred.
Food and beverage industry experience a plus.

Responsibilities

Lead the development, implementation, and ongoing evolution of the organization's corporate brand strategy, positioning, purpose, and identity.
Collaborate with the leadership team to articulate the enterprise corporate narrative, key messages, and reputation.
Establish corporate brand standards, governance processes, and guidelines, ensuring consistent expression of the brand across functions, locations, and stakeholder groups.
Ensures the corporate brand reflects the organization's purpose, strategy, values, culture, and desired reputation.
Partner with Marketing to maintain clear alignment between the corporate brand and product/customer brands while establishing appropriate ownership and decision rights.
Evaluate opportunities to strengthen corporate brand awareness, differentiation, and stake
Monitor external perceptions, media coverage, stakeholder sentiment, and issues that could affect the organization.
Collaborate with leadership to develop and execute an integrated enterprise communications platform aligned with the organization’s strategy.
Lead corporate communications across internal and external stakeholder audiences with a balanced framework that ensures consistency.
Oversee corporate announcements, press releases, organizational communications, leadership messages, presentations, talking points, FAQs, and other internal and external communications.
Serve as a strategic communications advisor to the CCAO, CEO, and senior leadership team.
Develop executive communications that strengthen leadership visibility, and credibility with key stakeholders (Customers, Suppliers, Trade, Employees)
Lead or oversee the organization's corporate media relations strategy and develop proactive media strategies that advance the organization's corporate narrative and reputation.
Build productive relationships with relevant business, industry, trade, and local media.
Partner with Human Resources, Culture/Employee Engagement, and senior leadership to strengthen employee understanding of the organization's strategy, purpose, values, priorities, and culture.
Work with the Communications Manager to form enterprise internal communications that create clarity, alignment, and organizational connection.
Work with key function leads to develop crisis communications protocols, response plans, stakeholder messaging, and executive communications.
Coordinate closely with Legal, Operations, Human Resources, Government Relations, and executive leadership during significant issues.
Oversee enterprise-level content across corporate websites, social channels, presentations, reports, videos, publications, and leadership platforms.
Establish KPIs for corporate brand, communications, media relations, employee engagement, executive visibility, and reputation.