Are you ready to shape the voice of a fast-growing, science-led company across diverse markets and influence decisions that improve patients’ lives? As Senior Director, International Communications, you will set the regional communications vision and translate it into action that elevates our reputation, engages our people, and strengthens the performance of our business.

You will be the architect and accelerator of how we communicate at scale, helping our enterprise become increasingly tech-enabled and data-informed. Working closely with senior leaders, you will modernize how we tell our story, drive consistency and efficiency through smart frameworks and tools, and unlock the power of proactive storytelling across countries. How will you raise the bar for communications capability and inspire leaders across cultures to champion a shared narrative?

What you’ll do

• Define and own the International communications strategy aligned to regional business priorities and global Corporate Affairs direction, ensuring clear objectives and measurable impact.
• Set standards, frameworks and tools that “level up” communications excellence across markets, creating a learning environment that advances skills and best-practice sharing.
• Partner across the Regional Corporate Affairs leadership team to strengthen integrated capabilities, culture, productivity and the value delivered to the business.
• Represent International markets on the Global Corporate Communications Taskforce, shaping global strategies with insights from the region and ensuring two-way alignment.
• Provide strategic counsel to senior leadership, including the International Executive Vice President and International Leadership Team, to guide decision-making and enterprise-wide messaging.
• Manage the International communications budget to optimize resources against strategic priorities and return on investment.
• Oversee reputation measurement and proactive management, translating research and tracking data into actionable insights for leaders.
• Develop and amplify corporate communications strategies and content—campaigns, narratives, speaker decks, infographics and videos—that highlight our impact on people, society and the planet.
• Act as a brand ambassador, ensuring alignment with global guidelines while enabling regional relevance and market-level localization.
• Lead issues and crisis communications preparedness and response, delivering clear recommendations, statements, reports and Q&As.
• Direct internal communications for the region, including executive engagement planning, change communications and channel strategy to strengthen connection and clarity.
• Orchestrate communications for major moments—quarterly results, senior leader meetings, leadership country visits, campaigns and town halls—so messages land with precision and momentum.

Essential for the role

• Accountable for the International communications strategy as part of the Regional Corporate Affairs strategy, aligned with the International business strategy and global Corporate Affairs strategy
• Lead in continually levelling up communications capabilities across International markets, by setting clear standards and expectations, developing frameworks/tools to support excellence, engaging business leaders and creating an environment to support learning, development and best practice sharing
• As part of the core Regional Corporate Affairs leadership team, collaborate to improve the integrated capabilities, culture, productivity, efficiency and impact/value of the wider Corporate Affairs team
• Represent International markets and be a visible, active contributor on the Global Corporate Communications Taskforce, providing valuable insights and shaping global strategies and approaches
• Provide strategic communications counsel to senior leadership, especially the International Executive Vice President (member of AZ’s Senior Executive Team) and the cross-functional International Leadership Team
• Manage the International communications budget, ensuring appropriate allocation of resources
• Oversee the measurement and proactive management of AZ’s reputation, partnering with research agencies, leveraging tracking tools and providing actionable insights to senior leadership
• Develop and amplify corporate communications strategies and content, including campaigns, narratives, speaker decks, infographics and videos, to drive proactive storytelling on our impact on people, society and planet in our markets
• Act as a corporate brand ambassador, ensuring consistency with global brand guidelines, ensuring regional/market relevance and supporting localisation of AZ’s brand positioning
• Support visits by the Senior Executive Team to countries within the region
• Support crisis and issues management, preparing communications recommendations and content, including reactive statements, reports and Q&As
• Oversee internal communications strategy for the region, including International Executive Vice President engagement planning and communications, change management and channel management/development
• Support the delivery of major global and international milestones, including quarterly results updates, senior leader meetings, leadership country visits, campaigns and town halls

Desirable for the role

• Senior communications leadership across multiple countries and cultures within a complex, matrixed, highly regulated industry
• Exceptional executive advisory skills with the confidence and judgment to influence C-suite leaders
• Evidence-led communication planning using reputation research, analytics and measurement frameworks
• Proven excellence in narrative development and high-impact content creation across digital, social and in-person channels
• Strength in issues and crisis communications, including scenario planning and rapid-response protocols
• Track record of brand stewardship and localization that balances global consistency with market relevance
• Experience partnering with Corporate Affairs, Public Affairs, Medical, Commercial and HR to drive integrated outcomes
• Familiarity with sustainability and ESG storytelling, and its relevance to corporate reputation
• Multilingual capability and willingness to travel when required

Here you will shape how a global business communicates during a period of rapid growth and digital evolution, with unexpected teams in the same room unleashing bold thinking to move faster and smarter for patients. You will work with cutting-edge tools, from analytics that clarify where to focus to automated workflows that scale best practice, while partnering with leaders who value kindness alongside ambition. Your ideas will translate into real outcomes—clearer decisions, stronger reputation, more engaged colleagues and, ultimately, better, quicker solutions reaching patients—supported by a collaborative network that shares, learns and delivers together.

Step forward to set the narrative for millions of patients and thousands of colleagues—lead International communications with impact and make your mark from day one!

Date Posted

Closing Date

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity.  We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills.  We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.  We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics.  We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.