Senior Global Communications Manager – Growth and Marketing - Secondment

Please Note: The deadline for applying is 23.59 the day before the job posting end date.

Job Title: Senior Global Communications Manager – Growth and Marketing - Secondment

Contract: 12-month fixed-term contract

• Location: 100VE (London) – minimum 2 days per week onsite.
• Presence required at key events (e.g., Cannes Lions, major summits) with occasional travel.

Reporting Line: Reports to Head of R&D and CGMO C&CA (Louise Phillips).

Work-Level: 2C

Job Purpose

This is a broad and senior corporate communications role, which covers Unilever’s Growth and Marketing Office (GMO) activities across all channels. You will be part of Unilever’s Communications and Corporate Affairs team which covers GMO and R&D.

This role is designed to build and promote our corporate reputation and bring to life our business strategy, with a key focus on marketing. It will act as the strategic communications partner to the Chief Growth and Marketing Officer (CGMO) and be responsible for driving Unilever’s reputation, trust, and business growth through proactive, creative, and impactful storytelling across earned, owned, and paid. It will also support in identifying key issues and reputational risks for marketing.

As well as landing our key priorities externally, this role oversees our internal communications and channel strategy for the GMO and wider marketing teams, ensuring our business priorities are understood and marketing communications are shared appropriately across Unilever’s internal channels.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who can exercise strong judgement, thrive in a collaborative environment, be able to prioritise competing deadlines and has a genuine passion for marketing and technology.

• Amplify Unilever’s marketing transformation narrative (“Desire at Scale”) and business priorities.
• Shape and safeguard Unilever’s reputation with key audiences (media, employees, stakeholders).
• Ensure communications are aligned with business strategy, support growth, and build trust internally and externally.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Communications & Storytelling

• Lead an integrated corporate communications plan to support the delivery of the GMOs priorities externally and internally
• Act as a trusted Communications Business Partner to Chief Growth and Marketing Officer (CGMO) and Marketing leadership team.
• Lead the creation and amplification of thought leadership content for the CGMO, including speech writing and impactful presentation development for marquee moments (e.g., Cannes Lions), working with agencies as needed
• Lead Executive LinkedIn strategy, content development and community management for CGMO
• Build and maintain a pipeline of standout stories that demonstrate marketing and brand excellence, across earned and owned channels
• Work with media relations partners as a trusted advisor, supporting their efforts to prepare senior executives for media engagements
• Review and approve external engagement and third-party requests across the GMO and its external partners
• Provide light touch support to Global Issues team on reactive responses to media and social media issues.
• Monitor the external landscape, spot opportunities, and bring the “outside in” to inform communications strategy

Internal Communications & Engagement

• Oversee internal comms for the GMO and wider marketing community (newsletters, Viva Engage, townhalls, learning summits), ensuring alignment with business strategy and high engagement.
• Lead leadership communications for CGMO including filming and event briefings, ensuring all materials are worked into CGMO’s tone of voice and requests are streamlined to maximise time

Stakeholder & Agency Management

• Partner with agencies and internal teams to maximise the impact of communications activities.
• Build strong relationships with key stakeholders across the business, including Business Group comms teams, Media Relations, Content, Corporate Affairs, and Sustainability (where relevant to marketing).

Measurement & Reporting

• Track and report on communications effectiveness, including media coverage, engagement rates, and stakeholder feedback.
• Use data and insights to continuously improve communications strategy and execution.

Leadership & Mentoring

• Coach and support junior team members (without direct line management).

Skills & Experience

• 8–10+ years in communications or media relations, ideally within FMCG, marketing, or agency environments
• Exceptional writing, editorial, and presentation skills, including proficiency in PowerPoint and experience working with agencies to deliver high-quality outputs
• Effective influencing skills, especially with senior stakeholders and experience supporting and advising senior executives, including preparation for media, speaking, and internal engagements
• Strong judgment in shaping earned media outcomes, managing issues, and leveraging AI tools and digital channels (LinkedIn, Instagram, U.com, Viva Engage) to amplify stories and drive engagement, primarily through strategic input and partnership
• Ability to manage multiple projects, prioritise competing deadlines, and build strong relationships across a matrixed organisation
• Agile, proactive, and creative approach to communications, with a passion for spotting opportunities and bringing the “outside in.”
• Self-starter with a high degree of personal motivation and responsibility, able to operate independently and take ownership of projects
• Uses clear, inclusive language and adapts messaging for diverse audiences, ensuring 100% accessibility in all communications

Key Stakeholder Relationships

• Growth and Marketing Leadership Team
• Business Group Communications Teams
• Media Relations Partners
• Issues & Corporate Affairs Teams
• Global Content Team
• Agencies
• Internal Marketing Community

Notes

Please apply via this portal as e-mail applications may not be processed and include your Future Fit Plan if possible.

By applying for this vacancy, you are confirming that you have made your Line Manager aware of your application and that you are at a point in your career with Unilever where it is appropriate for you to be applying for other positions.   

Should you require additional information or reasonable adjustments to allow you to present your best self during this process, please contact your Talent Partner Chris Carr on Chris.carr@unilever.com  

What We Offer

Whilst the role is advertised on a full-time basis, we would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options and what this may look like for you. We strive to achieve a family-friendly and inclusive workplace and to, above all, create possibilities for all. 

Diversity at Unilever is about inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities and growing together for better business performance. We embrace diversity in our workforce. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. We are also more than happy to provide reasonable adjustments during our application and interview process to enable you to be present your best self. To find out more, including about our Employee Resource Groups, please click here Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (unilever.com).

Location

In June 2020 we announced our plan to consolidate a number of Unilever’s offices across the South East of England into a new Unilever campus in Kingston-upon-Thames in or around early 2025. However, on the 08 August 2024 we announced to our existing staff our proposal to retain our central Head Office in London, 100 Victoria Embankment (“100VE”) until our lease expires in 2027. As a result of this new proposal, we will be consulting with our existing staff, and new joiners who join during this period of consultation at 100VE, on the proposal made in August 2024. During consultation we will clarify the future location of each team and function. This means your role will either be based in 100VE until 2027 or in Kingston-Upon-Thames from early 2025. As we are yet to commence consultation on the proposal you agree, until such a time when consultation has concluded, your normal place of work as set out in the enclosed Statement of Terms & Conditions will be 100VE. You agree that on the conclusion of the consultation your place of work will be 100VE or 100VE until early 2025 and then Kingston-upon-Thames ("the locations") and you will be notified of which of the locations will be your place of work after that consultation ends.

Relocation to the UK 

Please be aware if you are applying for this role from outside the UK, if successful, your application will be treated as a self-initiated Change Location Outside of Country (CLOC) transfer. This means any relocation costs must be self-funded with the potential to reclaim some specific pre-approved expenses up to £5,000. Please speak to your Talent Partner if you have any questions.