Overview:
Vanguard’s Corporate Communications division is seeking a senior leader to serve as Head of Legal Communications & Enterprise Issues Management. This role is responsible for strengthening the firm’s enterprise-wide capability to anticipate, manage, and communicate through complex issues.
This position reflects a proactive investment in governance, preparedness, and responsible leadership. Vanguard is focused on building durable, scalable capabilities that ensure clarity, consistency, and sound judgment across a broad range of sensitive matters—supporting long-term trust and business continuity.
The Head of Legal Communications & Enterprise Issues Management will lead strategies, frameworks, and standards to help the organization navigate emerging and active issues. This role meaningfully enhances the firm’s ability to communicate clearly and responsibly in situations that require close coordination with Legal, Compliance, Risk, and senior leadership.
This leader will serve as a trusted advisor to executives, a close partner to the legal and compliance teams, and a steady presence in situations that demand credibility, discretion, and sound judgment. Fit, leadership style, and alignment with Vanguard’s culture and values are essential.
Core Responsibilities:
Enterprise Issues & Preparedness Strategy
- Develop and lead enterprise-wide issues management strategies that anticipate risk, support business objectives, and protect Vanguard’s reputation over the long term.
- Establish standards, frameworks, and governance models that enable disciplined, coordinated responses across the organization.
- Build scalable preparedness capabilities, including escalation models, response playbooks, and scenario planning, with particular attention to regulatory, legal, and compliance-related matters.
Executive & Legal Partnership
- Serve as a trusted communications advisor to senior leaders
- Partner closely with Legal, Compliance, Risk, and HR to develop communications strategies that are legally sound, regulator-aware, and reputationally responsible.
- Ensure alignment of messaging across internal and external channels.
Enterprise Issues Execution
- Lead the development and execution of high-quality communications materials across audiences, formats, and channels.
- Oversee all phases of issues communications—from preparation through execution, evaluation, and continuous improvement.
- Ensure communications are timely, consistent, well-coordinated, and measurable.
Leadership
- Foster a culture grounded in trust, accountability, sound judgment, and collaboration.
- Set clear expectations and provide coaching and feedback aligned with Vanguard’s leadership principles.
Enterprise Collaboration & Continuous Improvement
- Partner closely with other Corporate Communications leaders to deliver integrated, enterprise-aligned communications strategies.
- Manage relationships with external advisors and communications firms supporting legal and regulatory matters.
- Monitor emerging risks, regulatory trends, and best practices in enterprise issues and legal communications, applying insights thoughtfully within Vanguard’s culture.
- Measure effectiveness and continuously strengthen enterprise preparedness.
Qualifications:
- 12+ years of experience in enterprise issues management, corporate communications, legal communications, or related fields.
- Demonstrated experience supporting communications related to regulatory, compliance and legal matters
- Strong track record of close partnership with Legal and Compliance teams.
- Senior leadership experience with the ability to lead and develop high-performing teams.
- Proven ability to operate with discretion, credibility, and sound judgment.
- Strong executive presence and ability to influence senior leaders.
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred or equivalent experience.
Special Factors
Sponsorship
Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.About Vanguard
At Vanguard, we don't just have a mission—we're on a mission.
To work for the long-term financial wellbeing of our clients. To lead through product and services that transform our clients' lives. To learn and develop our skills as individuals and as a team. From Malvern to Melbourne, our mission drives us forward and inspires us to be our best.
How We Work
Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.
Skills Required
- 12+ years of experience in enterprise issues management, corporate communications, legal communications, or related fields
- Demonstrated experience supporting communications related to regulatory, compliance, and legal matters
- Strong track record of close partnership with Legal and Compliance teams
- Senior leadership experience with the ability to lead and develop high-performing teams
- Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred or equivalent experience
Vanguard Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Vanguard and has not been reviewed or approved by Vanguard.
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Retirement Support — Retirement support appears unusually strong through a 401(k) design that includes a match plus an additional employer contribution, which can materially lift long-term total rewards. HSA seeding and an enhanced employer match further strengthen the savings-and-benefits value of the package.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Wellbeing and lifestyle support is reinforced by a sizable annual FlexFund stipend that can be applied across many day-to-day categories such as fitness, childcare, and other personal expenses. On-site or virtual clinics and fitness options add practical health and wellness convenience.
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Affordable Benefits — Healthcare and related benefits are positioned as comparatively affordable via heavily subsidized medical plans and broad coverage options. This affordability can offset moderate base pay for employees who place higher value on out-of-pocket cost reductions.
Vanguard Insights
What We Do
We are a community of 30 million who think – and feel – differently about investing. Together, we’re changing the way the world invests. Since our founding in 1975, helping our investors achieve their goals is our sole reason for existence. With no other parties to answer to and therefore no conflicting loyalties, we make every decision—like keeping investing costs as low as possible—with only your needs in mind. Vanguard is one of the world's largest investment companies, offering a large selection of high-quality low-cost mutual funds, ETFs, advice, and related services. Individual and institutional investors, financial professionals, and plan sponsors can benefit from the size, stability, and experience Vanguard offers. As of April 30, 2019, we managed more than $5.6 trillion in global assets. In addition, we have 189 funds in the United States and 225 funds in global markets. For Commenting Guidelines & Important information, visit here: http://vanguard.com/linkedin Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.
