Senior Vice President, Corporate & Public Affairs, Workplace & Purpose

Burson•San Francisco, CA

3h•$125,000 - $295,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Burson seeks a Senior Vice President to help lead and scale the growing Workplace & Purpose Team, which is part of the Corporate and Public Affairs practice. This team focuses on the intersection of corporate purpose and employee engagement to leverage the power of people and build reputation from the inside out. Their work assists clients in activating their purpose to drive engagement, optimize operational excellence, enhance reputation, and lead strategic change. This role will primarily concentrate on the Corporate Purpose aspect of the practice, involving social impact storytelling, purpose programming and partnerships, and integrated ESG communications and strategy. The ideal candidate will possess over 15 years of experience and a proven capacity to function as a senior business and client leader, strategic counselor, and force multiplier, driving growth, advancing thought leadership, and building high-performing teams. This is an opportunity to play a significant role in a rapidly evolving field with a dynamic and globally influential firm that boasts an impressive client roster, including Fortune 100 companies and nationally recognized not-for-profit organizations. The role involves shaping the next phase of the practice, transitioning from strong client delivery to a fully activated growth engine and external market leader.

Requirements

15+ years of communications, public affairs, sustainability, or corporate purpose experience, with demonstrated leadership at the SVP level or above.
Deep, credible expertise in sustainability and ESG (beyond generalist communications experience), with the ability to counsel and sell into complex mandates.
Proven track record of growing and scaling a business, practice area and client portfolio.
Extensive experience advising senior clients in complex, multi-stakeholder environments, including high-profile or sensitive issues.
Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high-performing teams, including managing senior specialists.
Strong commercial acumen with experience driving revenue growth and new business development.
Comfort working across both established and emerging sectors, with a pragmatic approach to sustainability and corporate responsibility.
Exceptional communication, presentation, and executive presence.
Demonstrated collaboration and problem-solving skills in a group setting.

Nice To Haves

Hybrid of agency and in-house experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as a senior leader in the Workplace & Purpose practice, responsible for elevating performance, driving growth, and defining market positioning in the Purpose space.
Lead a portfolio of complex, multi-sector clients, providing senior counsel across sustainability, ESG, corporate purpose, and stakeholder engagement.
Drive organic and new business growth, expanding existing relationships while identifying and converting new opportunities.
Serve as a trusted advisor to C-suite and senior leaders, including Chief Sustainability Officers, CHROs, and Communications leadership.
Develop and execute integrated purpose and sustainability strategies, including ESG communications, reporting, social impact programming, and employee engagement.
Provide expert counsel on complex and evolving issues such as climate, supply chain responsibility, and societal impact.
Lead, mentor, and develop a team of purpose-driven communicators, elevating capabilities, performance standards, and further developing Burson’s approach to Purpose.
Build and position the practice as a thought leader internally and externally, contributing to POVs, frameworks, and market visibility.
Partner across Corporate & Public Affairs, as well broader Burson and WPP teams to deliver integrated reputation-driving solutions.