Director, Enterprise Communication (Durham, NC)

Fortrea; Durham (NC); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Fortrea seeks a Director of Enterprise Communication to lead the global internal communications team and strategy. You will translate complex business topics for executive and employee audiences, partnering with senior leaders and Corporate Communications to ensure consistent, credible messaging across the organization.

The role requires exceptional writing, strategic planning, and sound judgment in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in communications, public relations, journalism, English, marketing, business, or related field.
• Master's degree preferred; relevant experience considered in lieu of education.
• Exceptional writing, editing, messaging, and storytelling for executive and employee audiences.
• Ability to advise senior leaders, influence stakeholders, and make sound decisions under tight timelines.
• Strong project management across global teams and multiple priorities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365, intranets, content planning, and measurement approaches.
• Experience using AI tools to support content while maintaining quality and brand standards.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead enterprise communication strategies aligned with Fortrea's priorities.
• Advise senior leaders on messaging, stakeholder engagement, and channel strategy.
• Create executive-ready communications: press releases, talking points, intranet content.
• Lead planning for enterprise programs, organizational changes, and culture initiatives.
• Collaborate with HR, legal, investor relations, and comms peers to align messages.
• Manage editorial calendars, approvals, and measurement of impact across channels.
• Use data and feedback to improve content and stakeholder engagement.
• Maintain confidentiality and good judgment on sensitive topics; travel up to 10%.
• Support crisis and change communications with rapid message development.

Skills

Exceptional writing

Editing

Storytelling

Leadership communication

Project management

Strategic communication

English fluency

Education

Bachelor's degree in communications or related field

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft 365

Intranet platforms

Content planning tools

AI content tools

Job description

Job Overview:

The Director, Enterprise Communication develops and leads enterprise-wide communication team and strategies that advance Fortrea's business priorities, strengthen employee understanding, and support consistent, credible messaging across the organization. This role partners with senior leaders, functional stakeholders, and Corporate Communications colleagues to translate complex business topics into clear, engaging communications for global audiences. Success requires strong judgment, executive presence, excellent writing, disciplined planning, and the ability to manage sensitive information in a fast-paced environment.

Summary of Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute integrated enterprise communication team and strategies that support Fortrea's business priorities, culture, transformation initiatives, and leadership agenda.
• Serve as a strategic communication advisor to senior leaders, providing counsel on messaging, stakeholder engagement, sequencing, tone, and channel strategy.
• Create executive-ready communications, including press releases, media briefing documents, leadership messages, talking points, scripts, presentations, Q&A documents, intranet content, and employee announcements.
• Lead communication planning for enterprise programs, organizational changes, business updates, culture initiatives, and issues that require coordinated messaging across audiences.
• Partner with business unit, functional, HR, legal, investor relations, and external communication colleagues to ensure messages are aligned, accurate, timely, and audience appropriate.
• Manage communication calendars, editorial plans, approvals, and measurement approaches to improve visibility, consistency, and impact across communication channels.
• Use data, feedback, and business context to evaluate communication effectiveness and recommend improvements to content, channels, and stakeholder engagement.
• Maintain confidentiality and sound judgment when handling sensitive business, people, financial, regulatory, or reputational topics.
• Support crisis, issues, and change communications as needed, including rapid message development and stakeholder coordination in coordination with the crisis communications leads.
• Perform all other duties as needed or assigned. This role may require up to 10% domestic or international travel.

Qualifications (Minimum Required):

• Bachelor's degree in communications, public relations, journalism, English, marketing, business, or a related field.
• Fortrea may consider relevant and equivalent experience and successful project outcomes in lieu of educational requirements.
• Exceptional writing, editing, message development, presentation development, and storytelling skills for executive and employee audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to advise senior leaders, influence stakeholders, manage ambiguity, and make sound decisions under tight timelines.
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities, approvals, and deliverables across global teams.
• Experience using Microsoft 365 tools, intranet or employee communication platforms, content planning tools, and communication measurement approaches.
• Demonstrated experience leveraging AI tools to support content development, research, editing, and communications strategy while maintaining quality, accuracy and brand standards.
• English fluency required; additional language proficiency is beneficial for global stakeholder engagement.

Experience (Minimum Required):

• Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in corporate communications, internal communications, executive communications, public relations, or related communication roles.
• Experience developing communication strategies and materials for senior leaders and global employee audiences.
• Experience supporting change, transformation, crisis, issues, or highly sensitive business communications preferred.
• Leadership experience managing complex projects, cross-functional workstreams, agencies, vendors, or direct reports.

Preferred Qualifications Include:

• Master's degree in communications, public relations, business, journalism, or a related field.
• Experience in health care, life sciences, clinical research, pharmaceutical services, or a regulated global business environment.
• Experience with employee engagement, leadership visibility, culture communications, investor-related communications, or media-sensitive topics.
• Demonstrated ability to simplify complex business topics and create clear, credible narratives for global audiences.

Physical Demands / Work Environment:

Office/Home-Based

Work Environment:

• Work is performed in an office environment with exposure to electrical office equipment.
• Comfortable working in a virtual team environment with colleagues around the world.

Physical Requirements:

• Frequently stationary for 6-8 hours per day.
• Repetitive hand movement of both hands with the ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Occasional crouching, stooping, with frequent bending and twisting of upper body and neck.
• Ability to access and use a variety of computer software developed both in-house and off-the-shelf.
• Light to moderate lifting and carrying, or moving of objects, including luggage and laptop computer with a maximum lift of 15-20 lbs.
• Regular and consistent attendance.
• Varied hours may be required.

This is a hybrid role with the expectation to work within our Durham headquarters 3 days each week.

Application deadline: September 30 2026

Learn more about our EEO & Accommodations request here.