External Communications, Associate Director, Corporate

Wolters Kluwer; Alphen aan den Rijn; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Wolters Kluwer is seeking an experienced Associate Director of External Communications to strengthen the company’s visibility in the Netherlands and selected international media. You will advise the executive team, shape proactive media strategies, and lead crisis and financial communications with a focus on corporate reputation and long-term value creation.

Reporting to the Global Director of External Communications, this role involves coordinating with Investor Relations, managing executive

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, or journalism.
• 10+ years of experience in communications within corporate or agency environments.
• Strong network of Dutch and international media.
• Fluency in Dutch and English.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute external communications and media relations strategies aligned with corporate objectives for the Netherlands and globally.
• Lead quarterly earnings and financial communications and coordinate with Investor Relations for annual reporting.
• Manage crisis communications frameworks and incidents across the organization.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure consistent, measurable messaging aligned to corporate goals.

Skills

Media relations

External communications

Crisis communications

Financial communications

Investor relations

Dutch media

English fluent

Education

Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, or journalism

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

GenAI tools

Job description

Wolters Kluwer is seeking an experienced Associate Director, External Communications with a strong, established network across PR and media in the Netherlands and internationally. Reporting to the Director of External Communications, this role sits within the Global Communications team and is responsible for strengthening the external visibility and reputation of Wolters Kluwer across Dutch and selected international media. The Associate Director will lead communications efforts related to the company’s strategy, executives, products and services, thought leadership, and financial performance, and will serve as the Global Communications team’s primary point of contact for crisis communications.

BASIC FUNCTION

In this role, you will serve as a trusted strategic communications advisor to the corporate executive team, providing expert counsel on media relations, financial communications, and reputational matters. Reporting to the Global Director of External Communications, you will play a critical role in protecting and strengthening Wolters Kluwer’s corporate reputation while supporting business growth, investor confidence, and long-term value creation. You will lead high-impact corporate external communications initiatives that elevate the visibility of Wolters Kluwer’s strategy, executives, thought leadership, and financial performance across priority markets. This includes shaping proactive media strategies, managing executive, media, and analyst engagement, supporting financial reporting and disclosures, and serving as a key leader on crisis and issues management. Working closely across businesses, functions, and geographies, you will ensure communications are aligned, consistent, measurable, and clearly connected to corporate objectives. This is an opportunity to join a high-performing global communications team and make a meaningful, visible impact. If you are a seasoned, results-driven communications professional with deep PR expertise, strong executive presence, and the ability to operate confidently in complex, fast-moving environments, this role offers a compelling platform to do your best work.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Media Relations & External Communications Develop and execute comprehensive external communications and media relations strategies aligned with Wolters Kluwer’s corporate objectives in the Netherlands and, where appropriate, globally. Serve as a trusted advisor to the Executive Team, providing strategic communications counsel with sound judgment, discretion, and credibility. Create and oversee high-quality external communications materials, including press releases, holding statements, media alerts, briefings, FAQs, targeted pitches, blog and social media content, and bylined articles. Build and sustain strong relationships with key national and international media, industry publications, and influencers, delivering proactive and well-planned story pitches on a regular cadence. Arrange and manage media and analyst engagements for executives and subject matter experts to support strategic priorities. Define clear objectives and success metrics for communications initiatives, using both qualitative and quantitative measures. Support and coordinate media relations activities for Benelux-based businesses as needed.
• Financial Communications Lead media engagement related to quarterly earnings, including press release development and results promotion. Partner closely with Investor Relations on communications for the Annual Report and Annual General Meeting. Manage press communications related to financial transactions and material corporate developments. Ensure timely and accurate updates to Wolters Kluwer’s website in support of financial and corporate communications.
• Crisis Communications & Issues Management Review, update, and govern crisis communications frameworks, including plans, templates, and messaging. Maintain and refresh internal crisis communications materials and presentations. Partner with the Business Continuity team to ensure alignment during incidents or emerging issues. Develop expertise in, and actively promote, Wolters Kluwer’s Incident Management approach across the organization.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS

• Education Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, or journalism. Advanced degrees or certifications in external comms and marketing are a plus.
• Experience 10+ years of experience in communications, gained within a corporate and/or agency environment. Strong, established network of media contacts across Tier 1, trade, and broadcast outlets, including Dutch media. Proven experience managing crisis communications and sensitive issues. Demonstrated experience leading or supporting financial communications within a large, complex organization. Fluency in both Dutch and English is required.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Superb writing and editing skills and a strong sense of narrative and storytelling.
• Excellent creative thinker, with an ability to quickly understand a breadth of information and simplify the communication.
• Ability to verbally relay concepts, goals, and project plans to all parties involved in the execution of said plans.
• Ability to effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams as well as working in longdistance situations.
• Ability to read and understand industry specific documents and/or presentations.
• Ability to author routine reports and correspondence.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Ability to effectively and efficiently communicate with all levels of management.
• Experience with AI prompting and use of GenAI tools in communications.

OTHER KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES OR CERTIFICATIONS:

• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where limited standardization exists.
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Meticulous, able to work independently and as a contributor in a team environment.
• Strong organizational, time management and interpersonal skills
• Flexible and responsive to change.
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving environment while managing multiple priorities with focus and composure.
• Proven relationship builder who collaborates seamlessly across functions, aligning diverse stakeholders toward shared goals.
• Highly resilient with a strong “can-do” mindset; takes full ownership of initiatives from concept through execution and delivery.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

• This position requires travelling <15%

Our Interview Practices

To maintain a fair and genuine hiring process, we kindly ask that all candidates participate in interviews without the assistance of AI tools or external prompts. Our interview process is designed to assess your individual skills, experiences, and communication style. We value authenticity and want to ensure we’re getting to know you—not a digital assistant. To help maintain this integrity, we ask to remove virtual backgrounds and include in-person interviews in our hiring process. Please note that use of AI-generated responses or third-party support during interviews will be grounds for disqualification from the recruitment process. Applicants may be required to appear onsite at a Wolters Kluwer office as part of the recruitment process.

If making a difference matters to you, then you matter to us. Join us, at Wolters Kluwer, and be part of a dynamic global technology company that makes a difference every day. We’re innovators with impact. We provide expert software and information solutions that the world’s leading professionals rely on, in the moments that matter most. You’ll make a real difference in the lives of millions of people. Together with our customers, we help to advance sustainability, health, justice, prosperity, and commerce around the world. You can thrive at Wolters Kluwer, where diversity is core to our collective strength and high performance. Be your unique self, share your creative ideas, do your best work, and take time to grow in our caring and inclusive culture where you can belong.

Wolters Kluwer reported 2025 annual revenues of €6.1billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs more than 21,000 people worldwide. Our customers work in industries that impact the lives of millions of people every single day. Our mission is to empower our professional customers with the AI-powered solutions they need to make critical decisions, achieve successful outcomes, and increase productivity.

We deliver trusted, AI-powered expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge, proprietary content, and advanced technology to provide expert-validated insights, automate workflows, and drive better outcomes.

Today, nearly 70% of our digital revenues come from AI-powered solutions, reflecting our strategic focus on embedding AI into professional workflows and delivering measurable productivity gains.

We are committed to helping professionals navigate complexity, improve the way they work, and solve critical challenges through cloud-based, AI-powered platforms that integrate seamlessly into their workflows and ecosystems.

Our solutions are designed to deliver impact when it matters most, especially in high-stakes environments where accuracy and trust are essential.

With a nearly 190-year legacy, Wolters Kluwer continues to evolve its portfolio of digital solutions and services to meet the changing needs of professionals worldwide, enabling them to work faster, make smarter decisions, and deliver better outcomes.

For more information about our solutions and organization, visit www.wolterskluwer.com, or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Wolters Kluwer has a dedicated team of experienced talent acquisition professionals who are ready to hear what makes you tick and share how Wolters Kluwer can help you achieve your goals and ambitions.

As a global organization, we recognize that solving a wide range of complex problems requires diverse perspectives and innovative thinking. We know that bringing our best to our customers, communities, and other key stakeholders requires a highly engaged and talented workforce – one that represents the diversity of those we serve and the communities where we live and work. We aim to provide a welcoming environment and equitable opportunities for all employees regardless of background, nationality, race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or religion. This principle is ingrained in our company values and articulated in our Code of Business Ethics.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, transgender status, and