Director, External Communications Global Corporate Affairs

Description About Us Founded in 1908, Merz is a successful, family-owned specialty healthcare company with a rich history. As a leading global aesthetics business, our award-winning portfolio of injectables, devices, and skincare products empowers healthcare professionals to enhance confidence through aesthetic medicine. Our purpose is to fuel confidence by helping people look better, feel better, and live better. We believe you do not have to choose between living life and making a living. Live your best life with Merz Aesthetics. A Brief Overview The Director of Global External Communications, Corporate Affairs is a leadership role, reporting directly to the head of Global Corporate Affairs. This person will help shape and execute Merz Aesthetics' global external communications strategy. They will lead external communications, earned media initiatives and reputation-building campaigns in alignment with key stakeholders across the business. A self-starter, this person will have worked in a global, above-brand environment in the past, with executive-ready polish, sound judgment, a quick grasp of complex issues and demonstrated success in media placement. Must be comfortable operating collaboratively as part of a team, as well as independently; identifying opportunities, taking initiative and demonstrating results. What You Will Do External Communications & Media Relations: Lead the overarching global media relations strategy for the corporate brand, identifying proactive opportunities to elevate reputation and thought leadership Serve as a trusted advisor to senior executives and external spokespeople, preparing them for media engagements through strategic briefing materials, messaging frameworks, and counsel Independently manage high-profile, sensitive, and time-critical communications with clarity, professionalism, and strategic foresight Build and sustain strong relationships with global media and industry influencers, positioning Merz Aesthetics as a credible and authoritative voice Manage media monitoring and timely dissemination of relevant updates to the right audience Oversee global campaign development from strategy through execution, ensuring creative excellence, message consistency, and measurable outcomes Lead scientific and regulatory communications, providing strategic counsel and translating complex information into clear, credible and compelling narratives Tailor communications for diverse audiences, including scientific, health care professionals, consumers, employees and global stakeholders Manage events and external participation end-to-end with close attention to detail; operate under tight deadlines while managing multiple workstreams Monitor industry, competitive and cultural trends for earned media opportunities; maintain high standards of accuracy and consistency across materials Support communications planning and response for issues, crises and reputation risks in partnership with Corporate Affairs, Legal and regional teams AI-Driven Communications & Discoverability: Lead strategies that strengthen Merz Aesthetics' visibility across AI-powered search and large language model platforms through earned media, authority signals and third-party validation Champion innovative approaches that help the organization stay ahead of emerging AI-driven shifts in communications, search and reputation management Experience evolving PR strategies beyond traditional KPIs (impressions, placements) toward influence, narrative control, relevance and discoverability Strategic Planning & Project Management: Provide direction for annual planning; ensure functional plans ladder to the organization’s strategic imperatives Lead plan development for priority initiatives and manage execution to goals and KPIs Establish scope, timelines, roles, milestones, and an operating cadence that ensures clarity and accountability Manage budgets for assigned initiatives; allocate resources to maximize impact and efficiency Ensure brand governance and compliance globally across all external initiatives while coordinating with internal communications and social media teams to maximize impact and consistency Anticipate communication risks and market developments; propose proactive strategies and response plans Stakeholder Management: Serve as a strategic partner to key functional and regional stakeholders to enhance and amplify business imperatives Partner with Marketing, Legal and Regulatory teams to understand business priorities and meet all requirements Navigate complex stakeholder dynamics with professionalism, discretion, and emotional intelligence Provide clear, data-backed recommendations and risk/opportunity assessments to inform consistent media relations tactics Establish a structured communication cadence that keeps leadership aligned and stakeholders informed of progress and results Leadership & Agency Management: Set strategic direction for multiple agency partners; hold partners accountable for creativity, quality, effectiveness, and budget discipline Foster a collaborative, solutions-oriented culture and model calm, decisive leadership in fast-moving situations Continuously improve processes, tools, and ways of working to build a high-functioning, globally integrated team Informally mentors colleagues by sharing knowledge, best practices and constructive feedback Measurement & Reporting: Lead end-to-end measurement for external communications and media relations including dashboards, scorecards, and KPIs that quantify campaign effectiveness, message penetration, media impact, and reputation trends Continuously monitor performance and deliver insights-driven recommendations to optimize strategy, content, channels, and outreach Prepare clear, executive-level reports that communicate results, trends, and ROI; ensure documentation rigor and data accuracy Minimum Requirements Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) In journalism, communications, PR or related field 10+ years Relevant work experience with a focus on external communications and media relations 7+ years Project management experience leading cross-functional initiatives 7+ years Hands-on media relations experience, including proactive pitching and executive preparation 7+ years Managing multiple agencies and vendors Preferred Qualifications Master's Degree in a related discipline is highly desirable Working in a highly regulated environment Working in an agency Working in a global organization Technical & Functional Skills Executive presence and exceptional presentation skills Ability to develop strategic perspectives on AI-driven changes in media, search, reputation and discoverability Proven track record of delivering measurable results and achieving defined performance metrics Ability to operate in complex situations and provide clear strategic direction High attention to detail, urgency, and accountability; able to independently set, manage, and meet deadlines Experience developing and managing sizable budgets Proactive problem-solver with strong judgment; thrives in ambiguity and fast-moving environments Demonstrated cross-functional collaboration; operates with openness, candor, and a global mindset Digital acumen; comfortable with virtual collaboration and AI tools Strong time management, resiliency, and the ability to motivate and influence without authority Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word and Outlook and comfort with a large variety of online meeting tools and AV equipment Excellent written, oral and interpersonal communication skills and ability to adjust communication style and approach to audience