Communications Director, Aerospace

Eaton Group; Beachwood (OH); On-site; USD 165,000 - 242,000; Full time

Job summary

Eaton is seeking a Communications Director for its Aerospace Group, based at the US HQ in Beachwood, Ohio, with travel up to 25% to support global initiatives. The role reports to the Aerospace Group President and the VP of Global Communications, leading a small team to educate, elevate and amplify Eaton’s Aerospace growth through strategic communications.

The ideal candidate has 10+ years in corporate communications with aerospace experience, excels in storytelling, media relations and crisis

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, journalism or related field.
• 10+ years of corporate communications experience in aerospace, industrial, or B2B sectors.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute Aerospace’s communications strategy aligned with business goals.
• Lead executive communications for the Aerospace president and leadership team.
• Steer Aerospace media relations strategy and external storytelling across channels.
• Drive employee engagement through clear internal communications and collaboration across functions.
• Partner with Marketing to support events, product launches and external-facing activities.

Skills

Executive communications

Media relations

Crisis communications

storytelling

Leadership in matrix environment

Education

Bachelor's degree in communications, PR, journalism or related field

Job description

Eaton is seeking a passionate Communications Director for the Aerospace Group. The preferred location for this role will be at Eaton's US HQ in Beachwood, Ohio, however, will consider talent in other markets that can travel as needed up to 25% of the time.

Eaton is seeking an experienced communications leader to support our fast growing and critical global Aerospace business which is $4.2B in revenue (2025). This role will report directly to the President of the Aerospace Group and functionally to the Vice President, Global Communications. This position will help to educate, elevate and amplify Eaton’s Aerospace growth opportunity through creative, compelling and impactful communications strategy during a period of significant growth and transformation.

The Aerospace communications leader will support the President of our aerospace business and lead a small, talented team. They will be responsible for developing and executing an integrated communications strategy that supports business growth; builds credibility and drives influence with key internal and external stakeholders; enhances our reputation; increases employee engagement; and aligns and amplifies Eaton’s enterprise-wide communications strategy. This role will serve as a strategic advisor to senior leadership and collaborate across functions to ensure consistent, impactful communication internally and externally.

Pivotal to the success of this role will be the ability to communicate at all levels, with a deep understanding of how to effectively cascade compelling messaging and encourage action within a global, matrixed organization.

The ideal candidate will have a passion for storytelling and the creation of high-quality communications content across a mix of channels as we accelerate our efforts to deliver differentiated and effective communications at scale.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Communications:

• Develop, lead and execute Aerospace’s communications strategy, aligned with the short and long-term goals of the business.
• Partner with the Aerospace Leadership Team to craft compelling narratives that support growth, innovation and employee engagement.
• Lead communications and measurement/impact strategies for major initiatives including leadership visibility; thought leadership; capacity and capability investments; transformation initiatives; HR and Legal support; M&A; and form a strong, strategic partnership with the Marketing team to provide comprehensive communications support including global events, product launches, customer facing activities, etc.

Executive and internal communications:

• Serve as a trusted communications partner to the Aerospace president and leadership team.
• Lead executive communications including presentations and internal/external messaging across owned and earned channels, not limited to events, social, media, etc.
• Drive employee engagement through clear, consistent and inspiring internal communications.
• Collaborate closely across multiple functions to support projects within the business, including functional transformation projects, collective bargaining negotiations, etc.

External communications:

• Ensure alignment with Global Communications, Investor Relations, Government Affairs, and Community affairs for the externally reported segment.
• Lead Aerospace media relations strategy, serving as a spokesperson on media inquiries and issues.
• Lead aerospace positioning, including media monitoring, issues coordination, and enterprise-level storytelling, ensuring a consistent, credible and authoritative corporate voice across markets.
• Communication should include LinkedIn and other social media to support Eaton advocacy and positively contribute to the culture of the organization.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with journalists, editors, influencers, and key external stakeholders.
• Responsibility for the development and management of the Aerospace enterprise thought leadership calendar of opportunities and events, working with key stakeholders.

Crisis management:

• Partner with global communications, marketing and business unit communications leaders to assess, elevate and manage issues that cross the enterprise waterline.
• Oversee Aerospace crisis communications and issues management in coordination with other functional and enterprise stakeholders.

Event management:

• Manage content and planning and executive support for Aerospace internal communication events including: Executive presentations and storytelling; annual global leadership summits; Board of Director meetings/visits; employee facing town halls; Aerospace’s participation in enterprise events; external events such as ground breaking or partnerships.
• In close partnership with the Marketing Communications team, manage content and plan for major industry events including annual Air Shows.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, journalism or related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in corporate communications experience in aerospace, industrial or B2B sectors. Direct experience in aerospace is strongly preferred.
• Experience should include leading communications for a large business segment or division as well as experience with media relations and crisis communications.
• Strong understanding of global media landscapes.
• Experience of building media relationships, credibility and strategic strategies to build reputation.
• Leadership experience working in a matrix environment, with demonstrated skills of leading through influence and global collaboration.
• Strong executive presence, with the proven ability to counsel senior executives and operate effectively under pressure.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to influence and collaborate across a global, matrixed organization.
• Strategic thinker with a bias for actions and results.
• Strong business acumen and understanding of financial communications.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, global environment with many stakeholders.

All positions may require participation in video and in-person interviews as part of the hiring process. All candidates will be evaluated based on job-related competencies, and all candidates’ privacy rights and data security will be protected in accordance with applicable laws.

At Eaton, we strive to provide compensation and benefits that attract, engage, and retain the best talent. This includes competitive pay and a variety of benefit programs for eligible employees. The expected annual salary range for this role is $165000 - $242000 a year. This role is also eligible for a variable incentive program. Please note the salary information shown above is a general guideline only. Salaries are based upon candidate skills, experience, and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.

We are committed to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all job applicants and employees. Employment decisions are based upon job-related reasons regardless of an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, marital status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by law.

Eaton believes in second chance employment. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction history will be considered regardless of their arrest or conviction history, consistent with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the California Fair Chance Act and other local laws.

You do not need to disclose your conviction history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Eaton is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report.

To request a disability-related reasonable accommodation to assist you in your job search, application, or interview process, please call us at 1-800-836-6345 to discuss your specific need. Only accommodation requests will be accepted by this phone number.

We know that good benefit programs are important to employees and their families. Eaton provides various Health and Welfare benefits as well as Retirement benefits, and several programs that provide for paid and unpaid time away from work. Click here for more detail: Eaton Benefits Overview. Please note that specific programs and options available to an employee may depend on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.