Director, Strategic and External Communications

Which company will you join?

From Arthur Guinness to Johnnie Walker, our business was founded on people of outstanding character, and in 250 years, nothing has changed. We’re the world’s leading premium alcohol company! Our brands are industry icons including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit and Buchanan's whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness. Our success is thanks to the strength of our people, in every role. It’s why we trust them with our legacy and why we reward them with the career-defining opportunities that they deserve. Our ambition is to build the best performing, most trusted and respected Consumer Products Company in the world. To achieve these, we need the very best people!

At Diageo, our purpose is to celebrate life everywhere, every day. To do that, you will join an organization that is passionate about customers and consumers, and proud of what they do. Diageo teams constantly set high goals and then try hard to exceed them. We are also an incredibly diverse organization, and we value each and every one’s talent and personality.

Context/Scope:

The role of the Corporate Relations (CR) team is to promote and protect Diageo’s reputation and license to operate, in service of Diageo becoming the most trusted and respected consumer goods company. CR works as business owners and strategic partners to transform the competitive environment within which we operate, unlocking value by:

• Driving a consistent, dynamic, global narrative and helping to prioritize what we want to be known for over a 10-year timeframe;
• Serving as a trusted advisor to the business;
• Engaging and encouraging our people;
• Anticipating and mitigating risks;
• Leading our government relations and public policy agenda to sell and help sell; and
• Proving ourselves a trusted partner across customer audiences to highlight the importance of moderation and responsible drinking

The Corporate Communications team sits within the broader CR team (in concert with our Government Relations and Society teams). The Corporate Communications team is responsible for the development and delivery of a coordinated reputation, communications, and engagement strategy and is accountable for: external PR, media relations and press office communications, internal communications and employee engagement; the management of issues and crisis communications, executive communications, and supporting Diageo North America supply communications. The team focuses on connecting and communicating to partners about Diageo, through impactful and engaging campaigns and stories, so that those audiences are effective ambassadors who are aware and energized about who we are, what we do, and how we do it.

Market/Role Complexity:

• The Corporate Relations strategy requires the corporate communications team to effectively improve our brand and protect our reputation in this connected, digital world.
• The external environment and operating context have changed significantly – faster trends, greater social awareness and scrutiny, increased expectations of transparency and the role of business in society, are now core to the execution of our corporate brand and reputation strategy.
• As the customer environment becomes more fast paced and connected, our ability to earn trust and respect starts with our key partners (employees, media, NGOs and the local community) and is wholly reliant on our ability to deliver a coordinated strategy for authentic engagement and communications, both inside and outside the company.
• The Diageo North America business itself has experienced substantial growth and considerable change in recent years - from responding to an evolving post-Covid consumer environment, to structure and leadership evolution, to ways of working and p