Executive Director, Media Relations

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 154,000 - 264,750; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance coverage

Retirement savings plans

Paid leave programs

Job summary

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is seeking an Executive Director for Media Relations responsible for strategic communications leadership. This role will involve developing an integrated communications strategy and acting as the primary advisor to a senior leader, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives.

The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in leadership communications, strong media relations skills, and the ability to manage high-stakes communications effectively. A bachelor's degree in a related field is essential, with an advanced degree preferred.

Qualifications

• 10-12 years of progressive experience in leadership communications.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills.
• Deep understanding of media landscapes.

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary strategic communications advisor to the leader.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive leadership communications strategy.
• Prepare the leader for high-profile public-facing moments.

Skills

Leadership communications

Media relations

Storytelling

Public relations

Reputation management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Overview

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products, and is a steward of luxury and prestige brands globally. The company’s products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, MAC, La Mer, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin Paris, TOM FORD, Smashbox, AERIN Beauty, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, GLAMGLOW, KILIAN PARIS, Too Faced, Dr.Jart+, the DECIEM family of brands, including The Ordinary and NIOD, and BALMAIN Beauty.

Description

The Executive Director, Media Relations, is a strategic communications leader within The Estée Lauder Companies, responsible for providing dedicated communications counsel and executional leadership in support of a senior leader of the organization. Reporting to the Vice President, Global Media Relations, this role is accountable for shaping, advancing, and safeguarding the leader’s public reputation, voice, and platform, in full alignment with the enterprise’s reputation, values, and business priorities. This is a leader-centric role with end-to-end responsibility for developing and executing an integrated communications strategy that articulates the leader’s business success, leadership philosophy, and philanthropic impact. The position partners closely with the Global Communications team to ensure coherence, discretion, and strategic alignment across all internal and external touchpoints.

Core Focus: Leadership Communications

Serve as the strategic architect and day-to-day driver of the leader’s communications platform, with responsibility for translating business performance, vision, and values into a clear, compelling public narrative. This includes leadership messaging, speechwriting, media and event preparation, images across all media, thought leadership, and long-term legacy initiatives spanning business, philanthropy, culture, and industry leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the primary strategic communications advisor to the leader, providing senior counsel on all internal and external communications, reputation management, and public positioning.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive leadership communications strategy that advances the leader’s business priorities, public reputation, and long-term legacy, integrating business leadership with philanthropic and cultural impact.
• Draft, edit, and oversee all written materials for the leader, including speeches, remarks, talking points, presentations, op-eds, and internal communications, ensuring consistency of voice and message.
• Prepare the leader for high-profile public-facing moments, including media interviews, business and industry conferences, internal leadership forums, and cultural or philanthropic engagements.
• Identify, shape, and manage selective, high-impact media opportunities across business, lifestyle, and thought leadership outlets, ensuring all engagements align with enterprise strategy and reinforce the leader’s positioning.
• Serve as the central liaison between the leader and internal company communications team stakeholders to ensure alignment, accuracy, and discretion across all communications efforts.
• Oversee all press and public-facing materials related to the leader, maintaining message discipline and consistency across platforms, markets, and channels.
• Draft and oversee all social media content for the leader
• Lead long-form and legacy storytelling initiatives connected to the leader, including book development, essays, documentaries, podcasts, oral histories, and heritage projects.
• Align communications with the leader’s philanthropic, cultural, and academic commitments, ensuring thoughtful, strategic representation across external organizations and institutions.
• Provide senior-level judgment and guidance on sensitive, confidential, or reputational matters involving leadership and family initiatives.
• Coordinate limited business travel and event logistics related to communications and public engagements (approximately 10%).

Enterprise Media Alignment

While the role is primarily focused on leadership communications, the Executive Director partners closely with the Vice President, Global Media Relations, and the broader Global Communications team to ensure the leader’s messaging and media presence are fully aligned with The Estée Lauder Companies’ enterprise narrative, reputation strategy, and business objectives.

Enterprise Responsibilities Include

• Integrating leadership communications with overall corporate media strategy, leadership positioning, and enterprise priorities.
• Collaborating with Global Media Relations on select enterprise announcements, initiatives, or moments involving the leader.
• Advising on reputational considerations where the leader’s public profile intersects with corporate, investor, or broader public discourse.
• Supporting crisis and issues management as it relates specifically to leadership visibility and public positioning.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 10-12 years of progressive experience in leadership communications, media relations, and corporate affairs, with significant exposure to C-suit leaders.
• Demonstrated experience serving as a trusted advisor to senior leaders on high-stakes, high-visibility communications.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with a proven ability to develop and sustain an authentic leadership voice.
• Deep understanding of media landscapes, reputation management, and executive positioning across business and lifestyle platforms.
• Exceptional media relations experience, including a strong track record of developing, pitching, and landing impactful media placements.
• Established media relationships that can be leveraged in service of strategic communications goals.
• High emotional intelligence, discretion, and sound judgment in handling sensitive and confidential matters.
• Proven ability to manage complex, long-term initiatives while operating effectively in fast-moving, high-visibility environments.
• Experience working within matrixed, global organizations.
• Background in beauty, luxury, consumer goods, or adjacent industries preferred.
• Travel required: approximately 10%.

Pay Range

The anticipated base salary range for this position is $154,000.00 to $264,750.00. Exact salary depends on several factors such as experience, skills, education, and budget. Salary range may vary based on geographic location. In addition to base salary, this position is eligible for participation in a highly competitive bonus program as well as participation in the share incentive plan. In addition,

The Estée Lauder Companies offers a variety of benefits to eligible employees, including health insurance coverage, wellness and family support programs, life and disability insurance, retirement savings plans, paid leave programs, education-related programs, paid holidays and vacation time, and many others. Many of these benefits are subsidized or fully paid for by the company.

Equal Opportunity Employer

It is Company's policy not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions), gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition as defined by applicable state or local law, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances. The Company will endeavor to provide a reasonable accommodation consistent with the law to otherwise qualified employees and prospective employees with a disability and to employees and prospective employees with needs related to their religious observance or practices. Should you wish to apply for this position or any other position with the Company and you believe you require assistance to complete an application or participate in an interview, please contact [e-mail].

Michigan Applicants: Persons with disabilities needing accommodations for employment must notify the company in writing of the need for an accommodation within 182 days after the date the person with a disability knew or reasonably should have known that an accommodation was needed.

Philadelphia Applicants: Philadelphia's Fair Chance Hiring Law

Rhode Island Applicants: The company is subject to chapters 29-38 of title 28 of the general laws of Rhode Island and is therefore covered by the state's workers' compensation law.