Overview
Senior Director, Communications – Asia Pacific Jobs in Tokyo, Japan at Confidential
This role requires a collaborative, influential leader with strong people management capabilities. The individual must be effective in working across borders and teams, building consensus, and balancing priorities, resources, and timelines in a complex regional environment.
The Senior Director serves as the primary point of contact between the Global Chief Communications Officer, Global Communications Centers of Expertise (External, Internal, Brand & MarComm, Strategy & Operations, Social Impact), and the APAC operating units and their local communications teams. A strong emphasis is placed on two-way communications escalating regional insights, stories, and challenges while effectively cascading global strategies, content, and programs for local relevance.
This role also acts as a key communications partner to the APAC Regional President, supporting alignment on business priorities and ensuring consistent, cohesive storytelling that reflects global brand standards while resonating locally.
Key Responsibilities
The Communications Lead, APAC is accountable for overseeing the execution of a multi‑discipline communications strategy across the region. Key audiences include leadership and colleagues, customers, media, communities/NGOs, and shareholders.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Strategy: Developing regional communications plans and partnering closely with global and country teams
- Executive communications & counsel: Drafting leadership messages, advising on competitive issues, external trends, media engagement, social media presence, and message preparation for key events and speaking engagements
- Internal communications: Driving culture initiatives, colleague engagement, and transformation/change communications across digital platforms (e.g., intranet, collaboration tools)
- Crisis communications: Supporting reputation management, guiding regional and country‑level issues, partnering with global crisis leadership, and counseling senior leaders
- External communications: PR and media relations, engagement with key journalists, influencers, and opinion leaders
- Social media: Defining and managing regional social media strategy, content execution, and engagement across relevant platforms
- Creative content & branding: Ensuring brand compliance across markets and effective positioning of brands/sub‑brands in partnership with internal and external creative teams
- Website oversight: Providing guidance on country websites and content refreshes
- Social impact: Supporting regional implementation of social impact initiatives in alignment with global strategy, including reporting and stakeholder engagement
- Marketing communications (MarComm): Partnering with global and local marketing teams to drive awareness, industry leadership positioning, and stakeholder engagement
- Operations & financial management: Managing regional communications budgets, optimizing resource allocation, and overseeing agency partnerships and spend
Leadership & Influence
The role operates effectively in both top‑down and bottom‑up environments, ensuring global strategy is executed consistently while reflecting local market needs. The Senior Director plays a visible role in shaping the organization’s public profile in APAC, safeguarding brand and reputation, anticipating issues, and developing strategic messaging, including acting as a spokesperson when required.
Key collaboration includes close partnership with functional leaders to support communications around regional business strategies, programs, and major initiatives. This also includes preparation of briefing materials and messaging support for senior leaders at major industry events.
Qualifications & Experience
- Minimum 18 years of experience in corporate communications or agency environments, including multinational and publicly traded organizations
- Strong experience across APAC markets, with cultural awareness and regional business acumen
- Demonstrated ability to assess, build, and develop communications teams
- Proven executive counsel experience with senior leaders
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills; mastery of English required
- Experience across commercial buildings and/or industrial manufacturing sectors preferred
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, Business, or a related field
- Strong people leadership, project management, and stakeholder influence skills
- Ability to lead geographically dispersed, cross‑functional teams
- Experience working with agencies and third‑party providers
- Media relations and spokesperson experience
- Crisis communications and reputation management experience
- Ability to operate effectively under pressure, balancing strategic and tactical demands
- High energy, presence, and credibility in senior leadership settings
Title: Senior Director, Communications – Asia Pacific
Company: Confidential
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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