Join the team behind iconic brands like Huggies®, Kleenex®, Cottonelle®, Scott®, Kotex®, Poise®, Depend®, and Kimberly-Clark Professional®. At Kimberly-Clark, it’s all here for you—innovation, growth, and the chance to make a real impact.
You’re not the person who will settle for just any role. Neither are we. Because we’re out to create Better Care for a Better World, and that takes a certain kind of person and teams who care about making a difference. Here, you’ll bring your professional expertise, talent, and drive to building and managing our portfolio of iconic, ground-breaking brands. In this role, you’ll help us deliver better care for billions of people around the world. It starts with YOU.
About You
In one of our professional roles, you’ll focus on winning with consumers and the market, while putting safety, mutual respect, and human dignity at the center.
We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Senior Communications Manager to join our Global Communications & Corporate Affairs team to develop and execute best-in-class communications strategies that strengthen corporate reputation, build stakeholder trust, and drive business goals. This mid-senior level role includes an emphasis on reputation management—including proactive and reactive crisis and issues management—executive communications, integrated communications planning and tactical execution, and top-tier media relations. The Senior Communications Manager is integral to shaping and articulating our business strategy and narrative, enhancing corporate reputation, and successfully engaging critical external stakeholders.
The successful candidate brings a strong blend of strategic thinking and executional excellence. They have a proven track record of successful enterprise-level external communications and corporate affairs strategies, crisis and issues management, media relations, and executive communications. This includes closely partnering with C-suite and/or VP-level level business leaders on internal/external speaking engagements, top-tier media interviews, and other strategic thought leadership opportunities. The successful candidate will also have experience measuring the impact of communications campaign to inform future plans.
Key Responsibilities:
Crisis & Issues Management (50%)
Drive crisis/issues preparedness communications planning, execution, and response; work closely with cross-functional partners including Legal, Human Resources, brand teams, and senior leadership to ensure readiness and alignment.
Oversee global reputation and media monitoring and measurement, including deriving actionable insights from data to support preparedness and proactive corporate brand-building efforts that support business objectives and continuity.
Develop communications materials for event-driven milestones/issues (reactively and proactively), including tactical communications plans, key messaging, and stakeholder communications/materials (internal and external).
Maintain trusted and professional relationships with key third-party partners (e.g., industry associations) to support communications and corporate affairs strategies.
Coordinate cross-functional reviews and approvals of communications plans and effectively project manage the tactical execution of approved plans.
Provide counsel around key issues to communications partners in the company’s business segments in markets around the world, as needed.
Develop and maintain up-to-date library of position statements and playbooks that align to the company’s business goals, values and purpose.
Operate with integrity and handle sensitive matters with professionalism, sound judgement, and care—care for our consumers, customers, partners, communities in which we operate, and employees.
Media Relations (35%)
Develop and execute global media relations strategy for the enterprise, including identifying and developing signature storylines that further strengthen corporate reputation, support business goals and advance purpose.
Write compelling media pitches for strategic top-tier media, proactively pitch journalists, coordinate media interviews, prepare briefing materials and messaging; coordinate with communications partners and/or directly with company spokesperson on scheduling and preparation, as needed.
Manage reactive media inquiries and coordinate with cross-functional partners on aligned and approved response approaches, as needed.
Provide counsel to communications partners in business segments and local markets on key media opportunities with potential global/enterprise reach/impact.
Lead or contribute to strategic communications initiatives from concept through execution with clear milestones and outcomes. These may include media relations strategy/support connected to an executive’s speaking engagement, Purpose-centric communications campaigns/activities, thought leadership opportunities, and more.
Monitor media trends and coverage and synthesize insights to inform communications and corporate affairs strategy and execution.
Executive Communications (15%)
Support the development of executive narratives that align back to and reinforce the company’s enterprise narrative and strategy.
Support the creation and execution of executive visibility plans with an emphasis on earned media relations and top-tier speaking engagements, including message development, scriptwriting, and slide/presentation creation.
Research, identify, pitch and coordinate external visibility opportunities that further strengthen corporate and executive reputation; measure impact of completed opportunities to inform future planning efforts (e.g., events, media, etc.).
Write and/or support the development of thought leadership content (e.g., opinion pieces for owned, social and/or earned placement) and pitch/place content.
Keep a strong pulse on industry trends, news and key issues, and business updates to provide recommendations for areas for our leaders to engage or to prepare strategic messaging.
Provide counsel to communications partners in the company’s business segments in markets around the world regarding strategic opportunities with global reach.
Project Management & Cross-Functional Collaboration (embedded across workstreams)
Partner effectively across teams—including Investor Relations, Legal, HR, Marketing, and Business Units—to ensure message consistency and strategic alignment.
Manage timelines, priorities, and deliverables to meet deadlines and maintain high standards of quality and accuracy.
Effectively manage and partner with external agency/contractors to drive ROI.
Maintain healthy file organization on company’s cloud-based applications.
Serve as knowledge manager of best practices/policies for external enterprise communications activities and manage related colleague inquiries as needed.
To succeed in this role, you will need the following qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in Strategic Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, or a related field.
10+ years of progressive experience in corporate communications and crisis/issues management.
Proven leadership experience with an ability to manage and/or effectively collaborate with an internal team as well as external agencies and contractors.
Significant experience driving the development and execution of crisis and issues management plans on proactive and reactive basis.
Demonstrated experience creating effective communications plans and executive-level written and/or verbal communications in support VP and/or C-level leaders.
Proven experience working with top-tier business, leadership and consumer media to deliver earned media coverage that enhances corporate reputation; strong media relations expertise and business acumen.
Strategic understanding of current and emerging communication channels across paid, owned and earned channels, communications industry trends, opportunities, and tools to enhance communicators’ work and contributions to the enterprise.
Exceptional writing, editing, and strategic messaging skills, including strong business acumen and writing skills and an ability to develop compelling corporate brand and executive narratives.
Strong project management skills; adept at managing multiple projects with competing priorities in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment.
Excellent team player with strong collaboration, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving skills; committed to operating with a growth mindset.
Exceptional attention to detail, time management and prioritization skills
Evaluate and measure the impact of communications programs for future optimization and planning purposes.
Prior experience in a highly matrixed global CPG company a plus.
Prior PR agency experience a plus.
Some prior experience in nonprofit/foundation communications a plus.
Led by Purpose. Driven by You.
Total Benefits
We believe that our employees are our greatest asset, and we're committed to providing them with the resources they need to be successful. If you're looking for a rewarding career with a company that cares about its employees, then Kimberly-Clark is the place for you.
Here are just a few of the benefits you’d enjoy working in this role for Kimberly-Clark. For a complete overview, see www.mykcbenefits.com
Flex That Works at Kimberly-Clark
We believe great work happens when people come together with purpose. That’s why we offer a flexible work model that blends remote work with intentional in-person collaboration — helping you connect, grow, and innovate while maintaining the balance you value.
To Be Considered
Click the Apply button and complete the online application process. A member of our recruiting team will review your application and follow up if you seem like a great fit for this role.
In the meantime, please check out the careers website.
And finally, the fine print….
For Kimberly-Clark to grow and prosper, we must be an inclusive organization that applies the diverse experiences and passions of its team members to brands that make life better for people all around the world, which is why we seek to build a workforce that encompasses the experiences of our consumers. When you bring your original thinking to Kimberly-Clark, you fuel the continued success of our enterprise. We are a committed equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, pregnancy, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
The statements above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this classification. Statements are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills required for this position.
Employment is subject to verification of local policies.
Employment is subject to verification of pre-screening tests which may include drug screening, background check, and DMV check.
Veterans and members of the Reserve and Guard are highly encouraged to apply.
This role is available for local candidates already authorized to work in the role’s country only. Kimberly-Clark will not provide relocation support for this role.
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