Communications Director

The Director, Communications is responsible for enterprise communications strategies and communications leadership across Land O'Lakes, Inc. enterprise and business units. In this role you will serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders and a steward of the organization’s narrative, reputation, and voice. This role blends hands on leadership with strategic counsel, shaping clear, compelling communications that advance business priorities, strengthen internal alignment, and elevate the organization’s visibility with key external stakeholders.

The Director will oversee integrated internal and external communications, including enterprise messaging, executive communications, media relations, and issues management. Operating in a dynamic and often volatile external environment, the role brings strong situational awareness to communications planning: anticipating reputational risk, responding effectively to emerging issues, and helping leaders navigate moments of heightened scrutiny with clarity and confidence.

The Director also leads and develops a team of direct reports and external relationships, setting clear priorities, fostering collaboration, and ensuring the team is equipped to deliver high quality work in a fast paced, evolving landscape. As the communications function continues to evolve, this role plays a critical part in modernizing tools, processes, measurement and storytelling approaches while balancing near term execution with long term narrative leadership.

Responsibilities:

• Strategic Communications Leadership - Spearhead and oversee comprehensive communication programs that support the strategic messaging and business goals of the enterprise and each business unit. Serve as a vital contributor and trusted advisor and/or oversee support to business unit and divisional leadership teams. Drive the development and execution of strategic communications plans that drive both influence and impact across all audiences in support of enterprise Communications Strategy.

• Reputation Management, Media Relations and Executive Platform - Direct and manage enterprise and executive platforms, both proactive and reactive media initiatives, encompassing reputation management, and individual as well as brand promotion opportunities. Collaborate with senior leaders across the organization, including internal business leaders, government relations and others, to provide strategic counsel, including response strategies and tactics, on issues management and crisis communications.

• Team Leadership - Build, motivate and coach a team of direct reports, working with peer leaders, as well as supporting recruitment and succession planning. Maintain strong relationships with broader cross-functional Central Marketing colleagues. Build and maintain a strong internal network to identify and leverage opportunities for team engagement across the enterprise, as well as provide cross-functional team and discipline leadership.

• Impact, Measurement and Resource Management - Manage agency relationships, including oversight and maintenance of scopes of work, contract personnel and other external partners in support of the team's strategic plan and overall enterprise business. Establish effective infrastructure and metrics to drive results aligned to business objectives, demonstrate return on communication investment.

• Position is responsible for delivering multiple activations, projects, meetings and events content and communications throughout the year (in excess of 20) with large budgets. No P&L responsibility but supports cost management with agency resource management.

Required Experience/Knowledge:

• Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Communications, Public Relations, or related field, plus 15+ years of relevant work experience

• Ag business experience preferred

• Proven development and execution of strategic communication and marketing programs that drive stakeholder engagement, mobilize internal teams and achieve business results

• Extensive experience working with business leaders to provide strategic planning/counsel, develop executive and business messaging platforms and manage proactive and reactive business campaigns

• Demonstrated leader with track record of facilitating a positive team environment through collaboration with internal stakeholders and overseeing staff, freelance personnel and agency partners

• Strong editorial and project management skills built by leading the development and content strategies for print and digital channels, change management initiatives and cross-functional campaigns

The salary range is $163,520 - $245,280. In most cases, candidates offered employment can expect to be hired at a pay rate near the middle of our salary ranges.

Land O'Lakes does not use Automated Decision-Making Technology, as defined by California law, to substantially replace human decision-making or make significant decisions about applications for employment or contracting opportunities

About Land O'Lakes, Inc.

Join us and be part of a Fortune 250, farmer- and member-owned cooperative that is reimagining the business of food. We have been named a Top Workplace by Indeed and LinkedIn, and to the TIME 100 Most Influential Companies list.

We provide a broad portfolio of benefits to keep you and your family at your best. Land O'Lakes is Where Your Future Takes Root.

Land O’Lakes and our global entities support diversity in employment practices.

Neither Land O’Lakes, nor its affiliates or search firms, will ever contact you and ask for confidential information over the phone or in email. If you receive a call or email like this, please do not provide the information being requested.    

If you need to submit a reasonable accommodation request to complete the employment application process, please call the HR Solution Center at 844-LOL-HR4U (844-565-4748) M-F 8:00am-4:30pm CT.