Director - Public Advocacy

Director - Public Advocacy

Easton-Bell Sports is like no other sporting goods company in the world, and we are looking for experienced professionals up to the challenge of filling the available career listed below. At Easton-Bell Sports, you will find a unique corporate culture, with a rapid pace and the freedom to truly express yourself.

We believe that attitude is everything and encourage a safe and open environment where all employees understand their roles, receive honest feedback, contribute ideas, ask questions, learn, grow, and are recognized for their contributions. Working as a team, we take great pride in being Easton-Bell Sports.

Job Summary:

This role is responsible for developing and implementing strategic, comprehensive and integrated communications and public affairs activities that increase stakeholder awareness of head protection innovation across Easton-Bell Sports’ brands.  This position identifies and manages emerging issues that challenge the company’s and/or brands’ reputation and their ability to operate and establishes proactive outreach/advocacy plans for key stakeholders/influencers.  
 

Essential Job Functions:

• Serves as a key member of the Corporate Communications leadership team. Deals with wide range of initiatives, programs, staff, and agency/vendor partners; may directly handle matters of enterprise importance on behalf of SVP – Corporate Communications.
• Develops and maintains external relationship and advocacy plans, including measurement criteria for ensuring success.
• Monitors emerging issues and develops plans to manage these issues.
• Provides effective crisis management and communication support, including government and public affairs counsel and coordination during actual business incidents.
• Develops community investment programs (i.e. charitable donations, NGO partnerships, conference participation) that establish EBS’ brands as leaders in head protection.
• In collaboration with in-house and external legal counsel and business teams, develops and executes litigation communications plans, including talking points, FAQs, press releases, presentations.
• Develops key messages, written testimony, opinion articles, etc. to support company position on legislation, changes to equipment standards, rules changes, etc.
• Develops and maintains relationships with key media contacts (national press, journals, etc.)
• Manages various vendor relationships to ensure appropriate technical support of public affairs and advocacy initiatives.
• Collaborates with peers and key business unit/department contacts in developing public advocacy programs.

Education and Training:

• Bachelor Degree or related experience
• Generally 10+ years’ experience in increasingly broader communications roles with demonstrated track record of achievement and growth in leadership

Skills and Abilities:

• Experience in issues management and public affairs within Sports Industry
• Ability to manage with ambiguity and autonomy
• Superior relationship-building skills
• Ability to work in matrix organization and drive collaboration across businesses and functions
• In-depth knowledge of legislative process on national and state levels
• Practical public affairs, issues management, crisis communications and media relations experience with demonstrated results and strength in leadership
• Experience in monitoring, analyzing and reporting on issues and pending legislation through an executive dashboard
• Experience serving as media spokesperson, with demonstrated success in representing the voice of the company
• Key external communication fundamentals; success exhibited in crisis and issues management
• Experience developing and implementing community investment programs
• Up to 20% domestic and international travel
• Fluent English with exceptional writing and editing skills