Head of Corporate Affairs & Communication – Bangladesh

Head of Corporate Affairs & Communication – Bangladesh

Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Function: Corporate Affairs & Communication (CAC)

Role Purpose

We are seeking an experienced and strategic leader to shape and advance Unilever’s Corporate Affairs, Communications, and Sustainability agenda in Bangladesh while contributing to broader priorities across the PTAB (Pakistan, Türkiye, Arabia and Bangladesh) cluster. This role plays a critical part in protecting and strengthening Unilever’s corporate reputation, enabling sustainable business growth through trusted stakeholder engagement, unlocking opportunities through policy advocacy and partnerships, and embedding sustainability into business and brand strategies.

Operating within Unilever’s global Corporate Affairs and Communications framework, the role ensures alignment with global governance standards, communication principles, and corporate messaging. The successful candidate will serve as a trusted advisor to the Bangladesh Leadership Team and work closely with PTAB CAC leadership to drive a unified external and internal narrative across reputation management, public policy, sustainability, brand communications, employee engagement, and issues management.

The role also leads the sustainability agenda, fostering meaningful partnerships with government institutions, industry bodies, NGOs, development organizations, and market stakeholders to drive collective impact and contribute to long-term social, environmental, and business outcomes.

Key Accountabilities

Corporate Reputation & Share of Voice

• Develop and execute strategies that strengthen Unilever’s reputation and stakeholder trust.

• Drive positive and balanced media coverage while increasing thought leadership visibility.

• Secure meaningful leadership opportunities, speaking engagements, and influential third-party endorsements.

• Ensure a consistent and compelling corporate narrative across all stakeholder groups.

Public Policy & External Affairs

• Lead advocacy efforts on priority policy topics that support business growth and societal impact.

• Build productive relationships with government, industry associations, regulators, and key external partners.

• Influence policy discussions through coalitions and partnerships while proactively identifying and mitigating regulatory risks.

• Represent Unilever’s position responsibly and credibly in relevant external forums.

Issues & Crisis Management

• Lead preparedness, monitoring, and response strategies for emerging issues and crises.

• Strengthen organizational readiness through scenario planning, risk assessments, and simulation exercises.

• Ensure timely detection, escalation, and response to reputation and business risks.

• Provide sound judgment and counsel to senior leaders during sensitive or high-pressure situations.

Sustainability & ESG Leadership

• Shape and lead the market sustainability agenda in alignment with Unilever’s Compass commitments and business priorities.

• Drive partnerships that advance environmental and social impact at scale.

• Ensure robust ESG reporting, performance tracking, data governance, and assurance processes.

• Integrate sustainability priorities into business strategy, brand activities, and stakeholder engagement plans.

Internal Communications & Employee Engagement

• Drive impactful employee communications that strengthen engagement, alignment, and organizational culture.

• Enable leaders to communicate effectively and consistently across the organization.

• Design communication strategies that support transformation, business priorities, and employee understanding of company direction.

• Measure and continuously enhance leadership communication effectiveness and employee reach.

Digital Communications & Executive Visibility

• Lead the growth and effectiveness of corporate and executive digital channels.

• Strengthen engagement, audience reach, and sentiment across key platforms.

• Identify emerging digital trends and opportunities to enhance corporate storytelling and stakeholder engagement.

• Ensure alignment between digital communications and broader reputation objectives.

Brand Communications & Purpose-Led Storytelling

• Partner closely with business and marketing teams to maximize the impact of brand communications and public relations initiatives.

• Drive earned media and reputation-building opportunities that reinforce brand equity and trust.

• Support purpose-led campaigns and initiatives that create meaningful societal impact and business value.

• Ensure alignment between corporate and brand narratives.

Team Leadership & Resource Management

• Build, coach, and develop a high-performing, future-ready Corporate Affairs and Communications team.

• Strengthen organizational capability through succession planning and talent development.

• Manage agency ecosystems and external partners to maximize effectiveness and value creation.

• Ensure disciplined budget management and strong return on investment across all initiatives.

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum 15 years of experience across Corporate Affairs, Public Policy, Communications, Sustainability, ESG, or related disciplines, including substantial senior leadership experience.

• Proven success operating within complex, matrixed multinational organizations.

• Deep expertise in government relations, policy advocacy, media engagement, issues and crisis management, and corporate reputation building.

• Demonstrated track record of integrating sustainability and ESG priorities into business strategy and stakeholder engagement.

• Strong experience developing and executing market-wide and/or regional strategies while influencing diverse stakeholders across senior levels.

• Ability to partner effectively with executive leadership teams and provide strategic counsel in dynamic environments.

• Exposure to South Asia and/or Arabia markets is highly desirable, with a strong understanding of Bangladesh’s political, regulatory, media, development, and civil society landscape.

• Fluency in both Bangla and English is essential; additional regional language exposure would be advantageous.

• Bachelor’s degree required.

• Postgraduate qualification in Public Policy, Communications, International Relations, Sustainability, ESG, Business Administration, or a related field is preferred.

Leadership & Core Competencies

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• A strong purpose-driven mindset and a commitment to Unilever’s values and Code of Business Principles.

• Strategic thinking with the ability to connect global priorities, regional considerations, and local realities.

• Strong executive presence and the ability to provide balanced, credible, and trusted counsel to senior stakeholders.

• Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with proven success in building coalitions across government, private sector, industry bodies, NGOs, and development partners.

• Strong analytical and communication capabilities, using data, insights, and scenario planning to inform decision making.

• A passion for developing talent and creating inclusive, high-performing teams and partner ecosystems.

• Cultural agility and the ability to operate effectively across diverse markets and stakeholder groups within the PTAB cluster.

Governance & Compliance

• Uphold and champion Unilever’s Code of Business Principles and all applicable governance standards.

• Ensure full compliance with the Responsible Partner Policy, Competition Law, Data Privacy requirements, Information Security standards, Health & Safety expectations, Public Policy and Advocacy guidelines, and Corporate and Brand Communication frameworks.

• Promote the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in all external engagements, partnerships, sponsorships, and stakeholder interactions.

• Safeguard Unilever’s reputation through ethical decision-making and responsible corporate conduct at all times.

Unilever is an organisation committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Thus if you require any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of your application so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.