Sr. Director, CEA Operations BP & Head of Global Site Communications

CSL

10d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Opportunity: Reporting to the Chief Corporate & External Affairs Officer, as the Sr. Director, CEA Operations BP & Head of Global Site Communications, you will sit on both the Operations Leadership Team and the CEA Leadership Team and you will integrate strategic communications, stakeholder engagement, and issues/crisis management to reinforce CSL’s reputation as a trusted global biotechnology leader. You will be the strategic communications leader and key advisor to the Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Operating Officer (COO). You will be responsible for shaping and driving the communications strategy that positions Global Operations as a competitive advantage for CSL. In this leadership role, you will oversee all communications for CSL Operations globally, including major sites worldwide, strengthening the visibility, influence, and reputation of CSL’s Operations by ensuring clear, consistent messaging to internal and external stakeholders. As you will be the Corporate & External Affairs (CEA) business partner to the COO, you will ensure CSL’s enterprise priorities are communicated effectively. You will play a central role in supporting the multi‑year transformation of Operations—covering footprint changes, organizational redesign, and commercial shifts. In this senior global role (member of two Company Global Leadership Group leadership teams), you will lead the strategy and execution of all communications relating to Global Operations, which includes engaging the Operations Leadership Team and broader Global Leadership Group to align and communicate the Operations strategy, rebuild confidence in CSL’s pipeline and operational capabilities, and support delivery of the company’s 2035 ambitions. You will act as the primary communications counsellor to the COO, the global Operations Leadership Team (Parkville and KOP), and site leaders worldwide. You will oversee the global Operations and Site Communications teams to ensure a unified global communications approach across regions including the U.S., Germany, Switzerland and Australia. You will partner closely with Operations and site leadership to understand priorities and deliver compelling, differentiated communications that advance Operations, CEA, and CSL Group objectives—demonstrating strong strategic thinking, global perspective, and measurable impact in all communications activities. This is a hybrid role, which offers a combination of an onsite and remote work schedule. #LI-hybrid

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, journalism or closely related field that develops written, verbal and communications skills.
15 plus years of progressive experience in private and/or public sector communications is required.
Demonstrated experience in successfully working in a highly-matrixed organization is highly desirable.
Interpersonal Influence - Effectively builds relationships within the organization to help achieve business outcomes.
Demonstrates expertise in dealing with business partners at a strategic level, coaching and counseling them, and influencing leadership thinking in strategic internal communications.
Channel Management - Effectively selects the most beneficial channel mix depending on audience and desired outcomes.
Adept with influencer model, effectively using “leaders” as channels and means of communications.
Audience Understanding - Collects, analyzes and interprets qualitative and quantitative data and information to develop thorough understanding of internal stakeholder motivations and preferences and opinions.
Uses in-depth knowledge of key internal audience values to achieve communication goals beyond mere understanding or agreement, such as engagement and active support.
Outcome Focus – Exhibits expertise in influencing business strategies and ensures alignment and impact of the strategic communications plan.
Shapes function and broader organization to focus on outcome-based communications.
Ability and willingness to work across time zones.
Ability/willingness to travel to other company sites within the global CSL group.

Nice To Haves

Advanced, progressive professional development training is ideal.
10 years of public relations or government affairs experience is desirable.
Applied Science communications experience of 10+ years is highly desirable.
3+ years digital communications experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

Strategic Positioning and Communications: Develop and execute a global strategy that elevates the function for CSL Operations globally and owns the execution of strategy and the operational direction of all aspects of Operations and internal Site Communications
Serve as primary strategic communications counselor to the EVP and Chief Operating Officer; requires ability to influence others and ability to communicate and influence executive leadership.
Partner with EVP and Chief Operating Officer, Site heads and relevant LTs to communicate strategic direction, scientific achievements and impact.
Shape and amplify CSL’s Operations and site narrative – translating complex issues and topics into clear compelling stories for internal and external audiences.
Coordinate closely with Seqirus, Behring/Vifor Corporate and External Affairs Business Partners on communications programming across the Company’s Therapeutic Areas of focus.
Generate content (by researching, writing, editing, leading approvals) and deliverables (such as news releases, feature stories, videos, news briefs, Q&As, website content and callouts) about CSL’s Operations and site requirements.
Collaborate with global media relations to position Operations and site leaders as authoritative voices as necessary internally and externally.
Partner with CEA’s Strategy and Insights team to measure CSL’s reputation as an innovative company and track progress.
CEA Operations Business Partner Represent (through consultation with the broader CEA function) the breadth of CEA to inform and shape Operations strategy and execution
Serve as conduit of information between CEA and the Operations LT to inform on key activities and to facilitate points of collaboration.
Activate and guide CEA workstreams to deliver outcomes for the Operations organization.
External Affairs & Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain a strong relationship with key internal and external stakeholders (Operations LT members, Site Heads, internal CEA communications teams matrixed throughout the organization)
Identify opportunities for thought leadership and visibility at relevant external forums.
Work closely with Policy, Advocacy, and Government Affairs and Policy colleagues to align on advocacy priorities that support Operations and site strategy.
Monitor and anticipate external trends, policy developments, and media coverage relevant to Operations and CSL site matters.
Internal Engagement & Change Management: Strengthen understanding and pride in Operations and site achievements across CSL through compelling internal storytelling and leadership communications.
Lead communications for the Operations Transformation delivering multi-years resizing and pivoting of the Operations organization both in terms of geographic footprint and therapeutic focus.
In partnership with HR, Operations and site LTs, develop and implement strategic communications plan, to establish an innovative and high-performing culture in Operations and across sites aligned to CSL Way (demonstrating leadership priorities).
Issues & Crisis Management: Proactively identify potential issues that could impact CSL’s reputation and develops strategies to reduce impact, working with other CEA teams as appropriate.
Take accountability to deliver solutions when problems faced are often complex and undefined, requiring extensive investigation and analysis to improve processes/systems.
Manage Operations and site issues that may impact the CSL business and/or the company’s reputation.
Leadership: Serve as an active member of the global Operations Leadership Team and Corporate & External Affairs Leadership Team, contributing to annual strategic planning, budget management, and initiatives aligned with broader enterprise objectives.
Establish and enforce Operations communications processes and policies at a global level.
Lead the global Operations Communications team (including both direct and functional reports) to coordinate and deliver consistent communications across the CSL Group.
Support local leadership/activating Site communications teams across the CSL footprint.
Oversee professional development and capability-building within the team to strengthen Operations communications globally.
Demonstrate effectiveness within a highly matrixed organization.
Exhibit strong influencing skills while building and maintaining productive relationships.

Benefits

For more information on CSL benefits visit How CSL Supports Your Well-being | CSL.
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