Sr. Director, CEO Communications

Fresenius Medical Care • Chicago, IL

2d • $225,000 - $245,000

About The Position

Reporting to the SVP of Corporate Affairs, the Senior Director of CEO Communications will be a seasoned communications specialist with deep experience leading CEO level communications programs and executive visibility platforms. This role will serve as the single, accountable point of contact for all CEO communications and owns the strategy, agenda, prioritization, and coordination of CEO communications across internal and external audiences, ensuring clarity, consistency, and impact in support of enterprise priorities. This role serves as the CEO’s primary communications partner and trusted advisor, providing strategic counsel while crafting critical messaging aligned to business objectives and strategic imperatives and orchestrating execution across Communications and Corporate Affairs Centers of Excellence. The Senior Director is responsible for shaping a cohesive, forward-looking CEO communications strategy that strengthens the company’s reputation as an industry leader in kidney care, drives meaningful employee engagement, and advances business objectives. This role will ensure relevant materials and vehicles are high-quality and effective, including internal employee engagement content, senior leader communications, strong positioning pieces, innovative social media content, and effective media messages. This position requires frequent interactions with the CEO and the CEO Office, deep understanding of the CEO’s priorities and leadership style, and the ability to operate confidently in high-visibility, fast-changing environments.

Requirements

• 12+ years of progressive strategic communications experience, including significant experience supporting a CEO or C-suite executive within a publicly traded health care company, highly regulated industry or major global brand.
• Demonstrated success serving as a primary communications partner and advisor to a CEO, including ownership of CEO communications strategy and execution.
• Proven expertise in building and enhancing relationships directly with CEOs, and C-level executives establishing and maintaining trust when advising on communication best practices and implementing communication strategies to support company initiatives and imperatives.
• Proven ability to develop, adapt, and maintain an executive’s voice across audiences, channels, and high-scrutiny environments.
• Deep experience in executive-level media relations, including preparing CEOs for interviews, though leadership opportunities, issue management, and reputational risk scenarios.
• Exceptional written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills in a corporate environment with a strong multi-channel editorial capabilities.
• Executive presence with the highest standards of professionalism, discretion, confidentiality, judgment, and diplomacy.
• Strategic, proactive thinker with ability to “see the big picture” and connect the dots across a complex, matrixed organization to create thoughtful, coordinated communication plans.
• Demonstrated experience developing impactful communications that increase awareness and simplify industry and technical information in a way that provides clarity to various audiences.
• Comfort operating at both strategic and tactical levels – willing to roll up sleaves to get the job done and deliver high-quality work.
• Ability to anticipate trends, issues, and opportunities for CEO engagement, and to advisor on which topics to engage on and which to avoid.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent customer service orientation, flexible attitude, adaptable to change, and team player.

Nice To Haves

• Experience and knowledge of healthcare delivery, dialysis clinic operations, MedTech, or another regulated industry are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Strategy and Agenda Ownership Own and set the CEO-specific communications strategy and forward-looking agenda across audiences, including employees, media, investors, policymakers, partners, and industry stakeholders.
• Ensure clearly defined objectives, channels, timelines, and measures of success with select thought leadership opportunities and multi-channel activity with stakeholders included.
• Define audience segmentation, messaging priorities, narrative arcs, and engagement cadence for CEO communications, proactively identifying moments that require CEO voice, visibility, or leadership.
• Ensure CEO communications are aligned with enterprise narrative, business priorities, and strategic initiatives.
• Build a strong relationship and understanding of the CEO’s style, voice, and preferences.
• Design and deliver an integrated and comprehensive internal CEO engagement strategy that drives employee interactions, strengthens employees’ belief in FME’s vision and values, and creates excitement at all levels of the company.
• Trusted Advisor and CEO Partnership Serve as the CEO’s primary communications advisor, providing counsel on message framing, tone, risk, timing, and audience impact.
• Establish and maintain a close, high-trust working relationship with the CEO, grounded in discretion, sound judgment, and independent counsel.
• Act as the central intake and decision-maker for CEO communications requests, balancing priorities and ensuring focus on highest-impact opportunities.
• Voice, Messaging, and Content Development Capture, refine, and evolve the CEO’s distinct voice across formats and channels, ensuring authenticity, clarity, and consistency.
• Develop and oversee strategic CEO communications materials from inception to finished product, including keynote speeches, internal and external presentations, video scripts, talking points, briefing documents to prepare for engagements, Q&As, social media content, and other business communications.
• Manage appropriate cross-functional reviews.
• Simplify and translate complex business objectives, performance, transformation efforts, and industry trends into compelling, accessible communications tailored to specific audiences.
• Ambiguity Management and Adaptability Operate effectively in dynamic, ambiguous environments characterized by shifting priorities, incomplete information, and changing external conditions.
• Rapidly recalibrate messaging and approach as circumstances evolve, while maintaining narrative coherence, credibility, and confidence.
• Media Relations and Executive Visibility Lead and shape the CEO’s media engagement strategy, with direct responsibility for CEO media relations, interview preparation, spokesperson positioning, and message development.
• Prepare and staff the CEO for high-stakes media interviews, thought leadership engagements, and public appearances, providing real-time council as needed.
• Partner closely with Media Relations to identify proactive opportunities, manage inbound requests, and support issue management and reputational risk scenarios.
• Oversee research, pitching, and 360-degree engagement planning for CEO external opportunities, including amplification through internal and social channels.
• Stay current on relevant industry trends, economic factors, governmental topics and relevant issues that should be reflected, referenced, or considered in CEO communications.
• Cross-Functional Coordination and Execution Orchestrate and coordinate across Communications & Corporate Affairs Centers of Excellence and key stakeholders (including Government Affairs and Investor Relations) to ensure seamless planning and execution of CEO communications.
• Ensure communications strategies promote, enhance, and protect FME’s brand and reputation through the voice and presence of the CEO in media interactions, social media content, and executive visibility activities.
• Analyzes communications metrics and insights to inform strategy, measure impact, and drive continuous improvement.
• People Leadership Manage and oversee Manager, ensuring alignment to objectives, high-quality execution, and strong performance outcomes.

Benefits

• This position offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) with company match, paid time off, parental leave and potential for performance-based bonuses depending on company and individual performance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive