The successful applicant will be a member of the Country Leadership Team and will be responsible to lead our corporate affairs and sustainability activities. They will leverage their robust experience in government relations to uphold, cultivate, and safeguard Syngenta’s reputation through proactive reputation and stakeholder management. Additionally, they will lead both the corporate affairs and business sustainability strategies to ensure their harmony with business objectives, oversee and assist in crisis and issues management, and lead our internal and external corporate communication endeavours.
Line Manager Accountabilities
- As a Line Manager, the incumbent of this role is responsible for:
- committing to Syngenta’s purpose, values and leadership commitments;
- exemplifying the Code of Conduct in the way they lead their teams, comply with law, provide a safe and healthy work environment free from discrimination and harassment, and manage and approve organisational expenses;
- ensuring employees read, understand and apply the Code of Conduct in everyday activities, providing training and support as needed;
- creating an inclusive team environment, coaching and empowering direct reports.
Reputation Management, Governmental and Public Affairs
- Develop a Corporate Affairs action plan, as part of the broader Business Sustainability action plan for ANZ, that supports the delivery of the regional Business Sustainability strategy, and which is specific to the circumstances, issues and stakeholders in ANZ. The approach should identify key stakeholders (government, research institutes, NGOs, media, investors, academics etc) and their influencers across the region and form the basis for detailed action and engagement plans.
- Deliver pro-active reputation management (identification, informing, educating and influencing), particularly with key government stakeholders relevant issues (e.g. agricultural sustainability, technology acceptance, public private partnerships and collaborations, regulatory policy and implementation in concert with regulatory affairs through a “Licence to Operate” environment) with disciplined and consistent stakeholder management activities including the use of direct engagement and the full array of communication and influence channels – media, public forums, industry groups, community/NGO partnerships and engagement, speeches and keynotes, etc.
- Maintain regular dialogue on key issues with key government, industry and NGO contacts to ensure Syngenta’s position on key issues and our contribution to the management of these issues is well understood and accepted. Driving understanding of, and support for, global sustainability commitments and ensuring wherever possible the alignment between stakeholder objectives and Syngenta’s own objectives.
- Work with Regulatory Affairs managers to ensure coordinated management of existing government networks and contacts.
- Provide inputs to the annual cycle of events associated with global reputation management, including inputs to the Annual Report, position papers, media releases and general events as they relate to ANZ.
- Track Syngenta’s reputation across ANZ identifying key metrics and drivers and then establishing issues, themes and possible response strategies.
- Ensure a consistent approach to reputation management through adoption of best practice common procedures and tools and sharing of best practices within business units.
- Ensure the delivery of sustainability and corporate responsibility initiatives including the Good Growth Plan for ANZ in support of freedom to operate
Communications & Media Relations
- Working with the Global and Regional communications colleagues, establish and maintain a Public Relations network (journalists, trade organizations, magazines) across key national and rural media.
- On occasion, act as spokesperson to the media on key business issues and work with other business leaders to ensure consistent and effective media performance.
- Ensure the development of proactive and reactive media management strategies to be applied consistently across the business in ANZ.
- Prepare or arrange media releases as required on key business issues as required.
- Proactively engage media where supportive of business and stakeholder engagement strategies through development of stories and leads, implementing engagement activities to build understanding and subsequently the reputation and profile of Syngenta with key media.
- Support the Country Leadership Team with position papers, presentations and speeches as necessary.
- Work with the Managing Director, HR Head and the Marketing Communications team to manage internal communications for strategic or sensitive matters
- Oversee the ongoing development of the corporate identity, in line with the Syngenta Brand and Communications policy.
- Working with Global Business Sustainability on implementation of key l internal and external communications projects.
- Working with the Health, Safety and Environment Manager, support the Emergency and Crisis Management Syngenta (ECMS) Team, and develop crisis communications plan as necessary to support corporate reputation.
