Manager, Corporate Communications & Thought Leadership

Philip Morris•Stamford, CT

12d•Hybrid

About The Position

Drive PMI’s corporate communications and thought‑leadership agenda by shaping how the company and its executives articulate their points of view across priority themes and emerging conversations. This role ensures PMI delivers clear, credible, and differentiated positioning, equipping senior leaders with the messaging and content needed to actively contribute to high‑impact, agenda‑setting discussions. The role operates at the center of Corporate & Executive Communications, working in close partnership with Executive Communications, Partnerships & Content, and Business Integrated Communications to ensure coherence, clarity, and authority in how PMI shows up externally. AI is an integral part of the role, supporting research, idea generation, and message development, as well as testing narratives to enhance impact. The role leads: PMI’s thought‑leadership agenda across priority themes and emerging topics, Development of corporate positioning and executive‑ready messaging, High‑impact external content and placements (speeches, op‑eds, POVs, long‑form materials), Preparation, framing and implementation of high‑stakes external moments, Cross‑functional alignment of messaging across Corporate Communications partners.

Requirements

8–12 years in corporate communications, strategic communications, or executive communications
Strong experience developing thought‑leadership content and preparing senior leaders for external engagements
Experience working closely with media teams, journalists, or editorial environments
Experience in global, cross‑functional organizations
Exceptional writing and storytelling across formats
Strong strategic thinking and ability to shape positioning in complex and high visibility contexts
Ability to simplify complex topics into clear, compelling messages
Strong editorial judgment and external perspective
Ability to stress‑test messaging in high‑pressure contexts
Strong stakeholder management and collaboration
Strong creativity and judgment in shaping narratives from complex and evolving topics
Deep understanding of external landscapes, with the ability to interpret trends and translate them into relevant messaging
Curious, outward‑looking, and tuned into global conversations
Comfortable operating in ambiguity and shaping emerging topics
Detail‑oriented with high standards for quality
Proactive and confident in challenging and refining messaging
Strong balance between strategic thinking and hands‑on execution
Highly attuned to external conversations, with strong instinct for what is timely and relevant
Uses AI tools effectively to support research, ideation, and message development

Responsibilities

Define and continuously evolve PMI’s thought‑leadership agenda by identifying priority themes, white‑space opportunities, and emerging conversations where PMI should establish a clear and differentiated point of view.
Translate business strategy and future direction into compelling, externally relevant positioning that strengthens PMI’s credibility as a forward‑looking CPG company.
Develop high‑impact content including speeches, op‑eds, POVs, briefing materials, and long‑form thought‑leadership pieces.
Shape executive positioning and points of view for senior leaders across priority themes, ensuring alignment with PMI’s corporate positioning while remaining authentic to individual voices and relevant to external discourse.
Develop executive‑ready messaging for interviews, panels, and strategic speaking opportunities, including tailored talking points, narrative flows, and supporting materials.
Ensure consistency and quality of messaging across all executive outputs—continuously refining content based on external feedback, media dynamics, and evolving conversations.
Drive the positioning, preparation, and delivery of high‑stakes external engagements, including development of briefing materials, Q&A frameworks, and message stress‑testing.
Own the development and drive the placement of PMI’s thought leadership across earned media, strategic speaking platforms, and agenda‑setting forums, in close coordination with the Press Office and Executive Communications.
Frame PMI’s participation in priority external moments to ensure its points of view are expressed with clarity, credibility, and impact across all touchpoints.
Stress test narratives and messaging against external sentiment, media dynamics, and evolving public discourse to strengthen impact and credibility.