Vice President – Communications & Stakeholder Engagement

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Texas.

📋 Description

• Take charge of and implement Dairy MAX's comprehensive reputation and communications strategy.

• Manage Dairy MAX's corporate and stakeholder branding, voice, positioning, and strategic narrative.

• Discover opportunities to enhance trust, visibility, and influence for Dairy MAX, its leadership, and dairy farmers.

• Keep track of emerging issues, public sentiment, and industry trends.

• Oversee media relations, issues management, and crisis communications.

• Convert strategy, investments, programs, partnerships, and outcomes into clear communications for stakeholders.

• Foster understanding and trust with dairy farmers through engaging two-way communication.

• Spearhead internal, organizational, change, and executive communications.

• Enhance alignment with the Board, DMI, industry organizations, agricultural partners, and other stakeholders.

• Provide advice to the CEO and Executive Leadership Team regarding stakeholder perspectives, reputational risks, organizational readiness, and communication needs.

• Direct the Communications and Farmer & Industry Relations teams.

• Establish the vision, priorities, operating model, and standards for both departments.

• Develop, mentor, and hold high-performing teams accountable.

• Manage partners, agencies, budgets, channels, and technology.

• Promote innovation, including the integration of AI, emerging platforms, data, and new methodologies.

• Set goals and metrics for reputation, stakeholder understanding, farmer and industry engagement, and communication effectiveness.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, public relations, agriculture, business, or a related field.

• Over 12 years of progressively responsible experience in communications, corporate affairs, public relations, or related fields.

• Substantial executive-level leadership experience.

• Proven track record of successfully leading enterprise communications, reputation management, issues management, executive counsel, and high-performing teams.

• Experience in agriculture, dairy, food, commodity organizations, associations, checkoff organizations, agribusiness, or a related field is highly preferred.

• Demonstrated ability to build trust and communicate effectively with farmers, employees, boards, media, and industry stakeholders.

• Willingness to travel regularly to support farmer engagement, industry events, organizational priorities, and executive needs.

• Expertise in strategic communications and reputation leadership.

• Strong executive presence and influence.

• Knowledge of agriculture and dairy sectors.

• Outstanding writing, storytelling, and presentation abilities.

• Excellent judgment in sensitive, high-profile, or rapidly changing situations.

• Collaborative and accountable leadership skills.

🏝️ Benefits

• Competitive compensation.

• Medical insurance.

• Dental insurance.

• Vision insurance.

• Life insurance.

• Short-term disability insurance.

• Long-term disability insurance.

• Flexible spending accounts for health care, dependent care, transit, and parking.

• 401(k) with up to a 10% employer match.

• Roth 401(k) account.