Director, International Commercial and Pandemic Communications in Maidenhead

A member of the Seqirus Global Communications team, the Director, Communications – International Commercial Operations and Pandemic Preparedness provides senior‑level leadership and strategic communications counsel to support Seqirus’ international commercial and global pandemic objectives. The role develops and leads integrated communications strategies that enable business growth, new market access, product launches, portfolio expansion and pandemic preparedness across diverse, highly regulated international markets. Acting as a trusted advisor to International Commercial and Pandemic leadership team, the role plays a critical part in leadership messaging, change and transformation initiatives, and issues and crisis communications. The position partners closely with regional, corporate and functional stakeholders to translate CSL and Seqirus enterprise strategy, values and brand positioning into effective, compliant and commercially impactful communications.

Principal Accountabilities

• Strategic Communications Business Partnering
• Serve as the primary strategic communications business partner to the VP International Commercial and Pandemic, providing senior‑level counsel on leadership messaging, commercial priorities, employee engagement, investment decisions, change management and reputation risk across Seqirus’ international regions.
• Develop and lead an integrated international region commercial communications strategy aligned with Seqirus and CSL enterprise objectives, supporting business growth, new market access, product launches, portfolio expansion, and pandemic preparedness and response across international markets.
• Partner closely with International Commercial, Pandemic, Regional and Corporate stakeholders to ensure enterprise, regional and market‑level communication strategies and campaigns are effectively adapted and deployed across international regions, ensuring relevance, consistency, compliance and commercial impact.
• Design and deliver integrated communications strategies for international commercial projects and transformation programs, ensuring alignment with Seqirus and CSL enterprise priorities and the needs of diverse, highly regulated markets.
• Provide strategic stewardship of the Seqirus brand, style and visual identity across international commercial communications, offering guidance to regional teams and ensuring content across Seqirus‑owned channels and third‑party platforms is accurate, compliant, on‑brand and reinforces agreed commercial and corporate positioning.
• Work with cross-functional colleagues to strategically maximise the impact of scientific presentations, publications, regulatory submissions, product approvals, launches and company investments to support commercial objectives.
• Partner closely with HR and International Commercial Leadership Team to design and deliver internal engagement initiatives that strengthen employee connection to Seqirus’ mission, commercial strategy and performance objectives across international regions.
• Lead the planning and delivery of key international engagement moments, including regional and global town halls, leadership forums, executive briefings, leadership visits, fireside chats and structured feedback mechanisms, ensuring consistency, relevance and impact across diverse markets.
• Media Content, Channels & Measurement
• Regularly review and maintain target lists of top tier media outlets in international markets and global health, develop strong relationships with influential journalists and ensure they are aware of CSL Seqirus and have a good understanding of influenza and pandemic preparedness.
• Actively pitch high quality product and corporate news stories to optimise earned media coverage and develop and monitor impact metrics.
• Act as a media spokesperson on behalf of CSL Seqirus for international commercial and pandemic businesses, using pre-approved material.
• Lead media training for the CSL Seqirus international commercial and pandemic spokespeople, ensuring executives are regularly trained and are well prepared for media interviews.
• Manage regional and local PR agencies when applicable, including agency selection, negotiation and managing budgets and performance.
• Ensure consistent, high-quality content for internal and external audiences across CSL and Seqirus owned channels, including intranet, enterprise platforms and employee communications tools.
• Establish and track communications metrics and insights to continuously improve engagement and effectiveness.
• Reputation, Community & External Engagement
• Strengthen and protect Seqirus’ reputation across international regions through proactive media engagement, external stakeholder communications, partnerships and thought‑leadership activities, aligned with CSL and Seqirus enterprise frameworks.
• Serve as a primary media and issues‑management lead for international commercial and pandemic‑related topics, ensuring leaders are well prepared for media engagement and fully aligned with corporate positioning, policy and regulatory requirements.
• Establish and nurture professional relationships with key stakeholders in international markets, including editors and journalists, ‘celebrity’ KOLs, and communications peers in government, public health agencies and MLOs.
• Partner closely with Corporate and External Affairs (CEA) colleagues to support communications for seasonal and pandemic portfolios across international regions, ensuring consistency, readiness and impact during both business‑as‑usual and high‑intensity periods.
• Lead the planning and execution of senior‑level internal and external stakeholder engagements, including executive and VIP visits, regional leadership engagements and key international forums.
• Collaborate with CEA and regional colleagues to support international commercial and pandemic leadership participation in government, industry, public‑health and stakeholder initiatives, aligned with agreed policy, access and reputation objectives.
• Proactively identify, assess and manage reputation, engagement and issues risks across international markets, providing strategic counsel to leadership and coordinating mitigation strategies.
• Act as the international commercial and pandemic crisis communications lead, partnering with global crisis and reputation teams to ensure preparedness, rapid response and consistent execution across regions in a highly regulated environment.
• Contribute to industry issues management and policy shaping through active membership in the communications networks of IFPMA, Vaccines Europe and ABPI.
• Leadership & Collaboration
• Represent CSL Seqirus in communications projects in public private partnerships and other relevant fora and support our corporate presence at international meetings.
• Contribute to the Seqirus CEA strategy, participate in global team meetings and ensure media and communications collaboration and alignment within the CSL Seqirus CEA team and broader CEA Organisation.

Scope/Accountability

The role has strategic input and accountability at an international level, with responsibility for developing and leading integrated communications strategies that support Seqirus’ International Commercial and Pandemic objectives. It operates with a global scope, partnering closely with International Commercial and Pandemic leadership, regional teams, and Corporate & External Affairs stakeholders to ensure enterprise strategies, priorities and positioning are translated into effective, compliant and commercially impactful communications across diverse, highly regulated markets. The role provides strategic oversight and day‑to‑day execution, enabling alignment and consistency across regions while allowing for local market adaptation. Budget ownership is limited, with indirect financial impact through communications prioritisation, campaign effectiveness, risk mitigation and reputation management.

Impact/Influence/Liaison

Significant influence at senior international leadership level, acting as a trusted strategic communications advisor to International Commercial and Pandemic leaders and shaping leadership messaging, engagement approaches, and change and transformation communications. The role requires strong influencing and negotiation capabilities to align international priorities with CSL and Seqirus enterprise frameworks across a highly matrixed global environment. Externally, it engages with international, regional and global media, industry bodies, and government and public health stakeholders, and provides leadership on issues and crisis communications in close coordination with corporate and regional Corporate & External Affairs teams.

Key Relationships

• Internal: VP, International Commercial and Pandemic
• Corporate & External Affairs and Communications colleagues (regional and global)
• International Commercial Leadership Team and Global Pandemic team
• External: International, regional and global media
• Industry associations and bodies
• KOLs, Government and public health stakeholders
• Public relations agencies and external communications partners

Decision Making

The role operates in a complex decision‑making environment, balancing established global frameworks with the need for sound judgement, prioritisation and timely local execution. It works within defined enterprise and functional processes—such as brand, issues and crisis management, and media protocols—while interpreting and applying these frameworks to meet international business needs, regulatory requirements and audience expectations. Decision‑making primarily considers operational and people impacts, with indirect financial implications related to resource allocation and reputation risk management.

Innovation

The role requires a high level of strategic, creative and practical innovation to deliver effective communications across diverse, highly regulated international markets. Innovation is focused on applying creative storytelling, channels and engagement approaches within established enterprise frameworks to support commercial growth, pandemic readiness, leadership effectiveness and employee engagement. The role uses audience insight, data and emerging best practice to continuously improve communications impact, reputation outcomes and change adoption at scale.

Travel requirements

Ability/willingness to travel to other company sites within CSL globally.

Knowledge, Skills & Competencies

• Strong strategic thinking with commercial and operational acumen
• Exceptional written, editorial and storytelling capability
• Advanced stakeholder management, influencing and negotiation skills
• Ability to operate effectively in fast‑paced, high‑pressure and ambiguous environments
• High personal credibility, sound judgement and strong attention to detail
• Proven ability to understand and translate complex scientific, clinical and technical information into clear, compelling communications
• Deep expertise in communications strategy and execution based on audience insight and business objectives
• Agile, lateral thinker capable of developing innovative solutions in dynamic, matrixed environments

Minimum Education Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism or a related field required; postgraduate qualifications desirable.

Minimum Experience Requirements

12+ years’ experience in earned in communications, media and government. Knowledge of the vaccines industry, international markets and global health landscape. Deep understanding of how to maximise earned media and leverage social media. Experience collaborating with colleagues at multiple levels across functions, matrixes and geographies to ideate, co-create and execute shared goals.