Director, Strategic Communications, Varian Business Area

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Siemens Healthineers is seeking a Director of Strategic Communications to join its cancer-care business, Varian. This leadership role sits at the intersection of business strategy, executive influence, and storytelling, shaping how we communicate with employees, customers, and the broader oncology community. This role sits at the intersection of business strategy, executive influence, and storytelling, shaping how we communicate with employees, customers, and the broader oncology community.

As part of Marketing & Communications, you will lead a team responsible for executive communications, internal and employee communications, change communications, and social media. You will play a central role in advancing Varian’s cancer care narrative, translating business priorities into integrated communications strategies that align stakeholders, strengthen trust, and drive engagement.

This role requires a strategic communications leader who can partner effectively with senior executives, lead a high-performing team, and deliver communications that drive clarity, alignment, and action across a matrixed organization.

Responsibilities

• Lead a high-performing communications team responsible for executive communications, internal and employee communications, change communications, public relations, and social media, ensuring an integrated approach that supports Varia’s priorities.
• Partner with senior leadership to translate business priorities into compelling executive narratives, thought leadership, presentations, and strategic communications that drive clarity, alignment, and engagement.
• Lead external communications and reputation strategy, partnering with Siemens Healthineers Corporate Media Relations to amplify Varian's cancer care narrative while expanding executive visibility and thought leadership across media, social, and other strategic channels.
• Direct communications for key business initiatives and organizational transformation, helping employees understand strategy, navigate change, and connect their work to business priorities.
• Oversee Varian's social media strategy, ensuring Varian's business priorities and cancer care narrative are effectively represented across Siemens Healthineers social channels while strengthening executive visibility through strategic thought leadership.
• Develop and coach a high-performing team, fostering collaboration, innovation, and operational excellence while measuring communications effectiveness and business impact.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, English, or related field
• 10+ years of experience in communications, including public relations, media relations, and executive communications in a corporate or agency environment
• Experience leading, coaching, and developing high-performing communications teams.
• Experience in MedTech, healthcare, or a similarly regulated industry, with strong understanding of compliance considerations
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with the ability to adapt voice across executives and audiences
• Exceptional ability to develop executive-ready materials, including presentations that simplify complex topics and drive clarity, alignment, and action
• Strong executive presence and ability to advise senior stakeholders
• Experience working in fast-paced, high-pressure environments with competing priorities
• Demonstrated success navigating complex, matrixed organizations and building strong cross-functional relationships, and influencing without authority
• Experience using digital and AI-enabled tools to enhance communications, insights, and content development

Job specific requirements

• This is a hybrid role based in Palo Alto, requiring weekly in-office presence
• 10–20% travel (domestic and international)

Who we are: We are a team of more than 72,000 highly dedicated Healthineers in more than 70 countries. As a leader in medical technology, we constantly push the boundaries to create better outcomes and experiences for patients, no matter where they live or what health issues they are facing. Our portfolio is crucial for clinical decision-making and treatment pathways.

How we work: When you join Siemens Healthineer