Communications & Public Affairs Manager

In Australia, the J.R. Simplot Company’s core operations are food manufacturing and agriculture, encompassing potato, vegetable, seafood and sauce operations. We supply a wide range of frozen, shelf-stable and chilled products to Australia and New Zealand’s major retail and foodservice customers and are part of Simplot’s Global Food business. With 17 food manufacturing and processing sites, Simplot Global Food serves retail and foodservice customers in 37 countries, and employs 8,000 people across North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific.

In Australia, we are a leading provider of quality, nourishing and sustainable food, focussed on creating food that maximises value from the best Australian-grown produce and global seafood. Our iconic brands have been an integral part of Australian life for generations, and include Leggo’s, Birds Eye, Edgell, John West and Chiko.

**Culture and Benefits**:
At Simplot, we are fuelled by our purpose: We Contribute to Feeding Our World. We imagine a better future and set goals to reach it. We are committed to working as one Simplot and are guided by our core values:

- Respect for Resources
- Spirit of Innovation
- Passion for People

We embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion. We care about creating an environment that promotes safety and wellbeing and where our people feel supported, respected and empowered. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination and are committed to providing equal opportunities for all our team members.

Simplot is passionate about cultivating a future where good ideas and inspiring possibilities have the chance to grow. We want our team members to build exciting and fulfilling careers with us and offer professional and personal growth opportunities.

**The Perks**:

- Flexible working arrangements and a variety of engaging Health and Wellbeing programs
- Diverse Leadership Development Programs and Professional Development Support
- Employee Reward and Recognition Program
- Bonus incentives and discounted Health Insurance
- Sensory Club Program - Enjoy and taste our new product launches and access to our Culinary cooking sessions
- Novated Car Leasing Agreements
- Income Protection Insurance
- Opportunity to purchase additional annual leave

Simplot in Australia values the innovation and relationship building that comes from face-to-face connection but also recognises the need for flexibility in the lives of our team members. This is why we have a hybrid work environment, with 3 days in the office, Wednesday being a set ‘connect day' where we all come together to maintain our successful culture of innovation, connection and collaboration.

**About our role**:
As our Communications and Public Affairs Manager you will accelerate positive brand outcomes for the Global Food business through a variety of functions including media relations, community sponsorships, and general communication-related activities. Whilst the role will primarily support the APAC region, it will also provide broader support to the overall Global Food division, complementing global communications and brand activities across all internal and external audiences and platforms.

**What will you do?**:

- Partner with the Associate Director of Global Communications and Brand for Global Food, as well as key stakeholders, to develop communication strategies and plans to support the strategic objectives of the APAC region and the broader Global Food organization.
- Assist the Associate Director of Global Communications and Brand in developing messaging and content to support Global Food’s strategic initiatives.
- Ensure alignment of internal and external messages to ensure the delivery of fully integrated communication solutions.
- Create and implement an effective media and external public relations strategy to ensure proactive reputation management, risk mitigation and issues management to create competitive opportunities.
- Manage public relations and communication activities for external audiences. Support and execute communication plans for key business projects.
- Collaborate with the Global Food Sustainability Lead on sustainability-related messaging and materials, aligned to the overall corporate sustainability platform.
- Manage the Community Sponsorship program for Simplot Australia and provide communications support for Corporate Sponsorships as necessary.

**About you**:

- Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism or related field
- Significant experience in communications or media relations, ideally within FMCG or related field
- Extensive experience in developing and overseeing both strategic and tactical communications across internal and external audiences within global locations
- Exemplary written and verbal communication skills including ability to adapt style to different audiences
- Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced, high performance yet rewarding environment
- Ability to work effectively in cross-functional