Director, Strategic Communications, Belux

Job Title: Director, Strategic Communications, Belux 

Location: Brussels, Belgium 

Reports To: Senior Director, PACS Belux 

Role Purpose 

The Director, Strategic Communications, Belux is a market leadership role accountable for shaping and executing Coca Cola’s strategic communications agenda across the Belux markets within the Europe Operating Unit. The role is critical to protecting and strengthening the Company’s reputation, relevance, and consumer trust in markets that are socially engaged, regulatorily active, and important to the Europe OU’s growth and sustainability ambitions. 

Operating at the intersection of corporate reputation, brand storytelling, sustainability, and issues management, this role ensures a coherent, consumer centric narrative that aligns local commercial priorities with Coca Cola’s purpose, values, and Europe OU strategies. The Director translates regional frameworks into strong local or multimarket execution—anticipating risk, shaping public debate, and elevating Coca Cola’s voice on issues that matter to consumers and stakeholders. 

This role combines strategic judgment with hands on leadership, working closely with Europe OU partners, bottlers, and local leadership teams to deliver disciplined, culturally relevant communications that support long term license to win and sustainable growth. 

Key Responsibilities 

Strategic Communications Leadership 

• Develop and implement a strategic communications plan across assigned specific country or cluster of countries, aligned to business priorities, brand ambition, and Europe OU reputation objectives. 

• Translate complex commercial, sustainability, and societal topics into clear, compelling narratives that resonate with consumers and opinion leaders across diverse markets. 

• Ensure consistent application of Coca Cola’s tone of voice and positioning while enabling local cultural relevance. 

Corporate Reputation & Issues Management 

• Monitor and assess emerging reputational, societal, and regulatory issues across assigned markets, providing timely insight, risk assessment, and recommendations to senior leaders. 

• Lead market level issues and crisis communications in alignment with Europe OU and global frameworks. 

• Act as a spokesperson on priority topics, as appropriate. 

Media, Influence & External Engagement 

• Lead media relations and influence strategies across assigned markets, building credibility with key journalists, influencers, NGOs, and industry bodies. 

• Drive proactive agenda setting on priority issues including health and nutrition, sustainability, packaging, and responsible marketing. 

• Represent Coca Cola in selected external forums to strengthen trust and thought leadership. 

Brand, Corporate & Sustainability Storytelling 

• Partner with marketing, sustainability, and public affairs teams to deliver integrated 360° storytelling across brand, corporate, and purpose led communications. 

• Bring to life Coca Cola’s sustainability and social impact commitments through authentic, evidence based communications relevant to local consumers and communities. 

• Ensure alignment between brand PR, corporate communications, and reputation priorities. 

Market & System Collaboration 

• Work closely with bottling partners to align external messaging, reputation priorities, and stakeholder engagement across assigned markets. 

• Collaborate with Europe OU Strategic Communications to ensure alignment with regional narratives, standards, and campaigns. 

Governance, Measurement & Leadership 

• Provide strategic counsel to market or cluster leadership on reputation, external positioning, and stakeholder dynamics. 

• Track and report on reputation and communications performance, using insights to continuously strengthen impact. 

• Lead external agencies and partners, ensuring high quality delivery and effective use of resources. 

Qualifications & Experience 

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Affairs, Marketing, or a related field; advanced degree preferred. 

• 8–10+ years of progressive experience in strategic communications, corporate affairs, or reputation management within a consumer facing organization. 

• Experience leading market level or multimarket communications strategies and execution. 

• Strong expertise in media relations, issues management, and corporate reputation for consumer brands. 

• Solid business acumen with the ability to connect communications to commercial and consumer outcomes. 

• Experience operating in regulated or highly scrutinized environments; FMCG or food and beverage experience preferred. 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; local language fluency required depending on market scope. 

What We Can Do For You 

• A high impact leadership role shaping Coca Cola’s reputation and relevance across assigned markets. 

• The opportunity to deliver meaningful consumer, societal, and commercial impact in dynamic European markets. 

• Close partnership with Europe OU leadership within a collaborative, values driven, high performance culture.