Director, Head of International Communications

CSL Vifor; Maidenhead; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Job summary

CSL Vifor seeks a Head of International Communications to lead strategic communications for its Commercial & Medical International business across 39 countries. Hybrid work from Maidenhead (3 days/week) with potential locations in Switzerland and Germany.

The role reports to the Head of Global Communications and oversees a team of five, engaging with senior executives on messaging, crisis response, and internal/external communications strategy.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of communications experience including corporate, executive and issues management.
• Experience in pharmaceutical/biotechnology/healthcare or regulated industry.
• Proven track record advising senior executives and leadership teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and execution of the International communications strategy, aligned with CSL's global priorities.
• Advise International Leadership Team and senior executives, including messaging, speeches, and leadership positioning.
• Lead communications planning and response for significant business, regulatory, and reputational issues.
• Own the International internal communications strategy, including employee engagement platforms and leadership forums.
• Provide communications leadership for key brands and therapeutic areas across international markets.
• Build and lead a communications team, and establish standards and governance across international markets.

Skills

Strategic communications

Executive counsel

Crisis management

Team leadership

Global stakeholder engagement

English fluency

Job description

CSL is looking for a Head of International Communications to lead strategic communications for its Commercial & Medical International business — a $13 billion operation spanning 39 countries and five regions, treating roughly 19 million patients with therapies for haemophilia, hereditary angioedema, and other rare and complex conditions. This is a senior communications leadership role, reporting to the Head of Global Communications, CSL Behring, Vifor and Plasma and serving as the direct communications partner to the SVP of International, with oversight of a team of five.

Hybrid based (3 days a week) from our UK office in Maidenhead, with Switzerland and Germany other potential locations

Why It Matters

CSL holds the leading global position, and much of that position depends on trust — from regulators, from healthcare systems, from the employees and affiliate markets who carry the strategy into 39 different countries. This role sits at the point where business strategy becomes communication: shaping how leadership is understood internally, how the company responds when issues get complicated, and how a genuinely global organisation holds a coherent identity across very different markets. It's a role for someone who sees communications as a strategic function, not a support one.

What You'll Be Responsible For

The role covers the full range of strategic communications for the International Region — from executive counsel to crisis response to the internal narrative that keeps a dispersed organisation aligned. Specifically, you'll:

• Lead development and execution of the International communications strategy, aligned with CSL's global priorities
• Advise the International Leadership Team and senior executives, including messaging, speeches, and leadership positioning
• Lead communications planning and response for significant business, regulatory, and reputational issues
• Own the International internal communications strategy, including employee engagement platforms and leadership forums
• Provide communications leadership for key brands and therapeutic areas across international markets
• Build and lead a communications team, and establish standards and governance across international markets

Experience Required

• 15+ years of communications experience, including corporate, executive, and issues management
• Experience within pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare, or a similarly regulated industry
• Demonstrated experience advising senior executives and leadership teams
• Experience leading communications programs in a global or multinational environment
• Track record managing complex, sensitive, or high-profile communications issues
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with fluency in English required

Note on Travel

Approximately 15% travel, predominantly pan-European.