Director, External Communications

This position will be posted for a minimum of 3 days and will remain open until filled or adjusted based on the volume of applicants.

Further your career at Ball, a world leader in manufacturing sustainable aluminum packaging. Achieve extraordinary things when you join our team, and make a difference in your professional development, the community, and around the globe!

Ball is thrilled to receive Newsweek's 2023 Top 100 Global Most Loved Workplace award! As a sustainable product leader, we have over 16,000 global team members. From endlessly recyclable aluminum cans, and cups, to aerosol bottles, our goal is to contribute to a better community, society, and world.

Primary purpose of the position:
Position responsible for strengthening Ball’s reputation and advancing the company’s business priorities through shaping and sharing the company’s story externally and through positioning Ball as a thought and industry leader. Leads effort to build awareness and advocacy for aluminum and Ball, building affinity for the brand so people want to work with and for Ball, and educating key external stakeholders on aluminum to impact their purchasing and recycling perspectives, policies, and behaviors. Highly visible position serves as spokesperson externally when needed and regularly interfaces with the company’s senior leaders. Responsible for the strategic oversight and management of the company’s external communications programs and agency partners. Directly partners with the VP, Communications & Corp Affairs, to inform, engage and inspire external audiences, building trust and advocacy for Ball Corporation. Leads company’s corporate citizenship program and management of the corporate Ball Foundation.

Essential Responsible Areas:

• Develops and leads the overall strategy for external corporate communications—including earned, owned, and paid media—using data-driven strategies, best practices, and innovative thinking to deliver results. Significantly contributes to the overall strategy for the global Communications & Corporate Affairs department.
• Leads the corporate brand positioning, visual and verbal identity, and activation work which unifies the company’s businesses and brings Ball to life in an impactful way. Ensures consistency and unity in the brand messaging and demonstrates quantifiable impact on awareness, understanding, and behaviors. 
• Leads strategy and execution for key work streams within the Kroenke Sports & Entertainment partnership, such as messaging/branding, advertising, digital and social media, and community programming.
• Directs external communications team and development of messaging platform to educate media, industry, analysts, influencers and communities about Ball’s brand, vision and values, businesses, sustainability, and corporate giving. 
• Positions key Ball executives as thought leaders and trains/supports them as they advocate for Ball and aluminum on channels such as earned and social media and industry panels/speaking engagements. 
• Serves as the external company crisis communications contact, helping as needed with crisis planning. Proactively anticipates and mitigates public-facing issues/crisis events.
• Builds and strengthens relationships with key media (e.g., consumer, business, trade, community). 
• Directs corporate social/digital strategy, responsible for the company website, social channels and other externally facing owned content. 
• Leads development and distribution of company’s annual “Combined Report” that details financial and sustainability progress.
• Leads proactive public relations, including innovating new ways to engage in customer storytelling, highlight customer, and company strengths in areas such as innovation and sustainability.
• Works closely with the Investor Relations team on financial communications, including earnings, news releases, and other financial media relations.
• Oversees corporate citizenship team to strengthen Ball’s global community impact and engagement. Enables global employees to make a difference through innovative giving programs, providing both volunteer and financial opportunities.
• Manages corporate Foundation to ensure its sustainability, impact, and alignment with Ball’s business objectives.
• Aligns/coordinates with all Ball business/regional external communications teams to foster an integrated external strategy and consistent approach.
• Manages budgets, agencies, and suppliers to ensure the most cost-effective resource allocation to support the corporate communication function. 
• Builds and mentors a high-performing team focused on excellence in global corporate communications.
• Develops and fosters relationships company-wide and, when needed, develops "virtual teams" with company employees at all levels to achieve company objectives.

Education & Experience:

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, journalism, or related field
• Minimum of 15 years' experience doing communications, public relations, journalism, or related field

Skills & Knowledge:

• Exceptional writing skills with ability to distill information into concise, relevant, and impactful messages. 
• Conceptual thinker and storyteller who thrives on creative solutions.
• Extremely solid business sense, able to quickly understand company vision and strategy.
• Ability to navigate and leverage the latest media and communications tools.
• High-quality interpersonal skills and strong leadership, analytic and strategic planning skills; works across company to achieve results. 
• Knowledge of corporate communications, branding/positioning, public relations, and digital/social media.

Hybrid On-Site Work Environment: Based in Colorado, this position requires regular in-person engagement by working on-site for four (4) or more days per work week (with core collaboration days of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday). [Travel and local commute between Ball locations and other possible non-Ball locations may be required.]

Compensation & Benefits

Hiring Salary Range: $145,700 - $213,020 (Salary to be determined by the applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.)
This role will be eligible to participate in the annual incentive compensation plan.
Ball includes a comprehensive benefits structure, Go to our career site and click "Total Rewards" to learn more.

When submitting your application to Ball, we encourage you to emphasize your skills, experience, and qualifications that align with the role. Under Colorado, California, Connecticut, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania law, you have the right to exclude or redact age-related details—such as your date of birth, school attendance dates, or graduation dates—from your resume, cover letter, CV, or other supporting documents (e.g., transcripts, certificates). 

Ball Corporation is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We actively encourage applications from everybody. All qualified job applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, aboriginality, genetic information, ancestry, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, veteran status, age, political affiliation or any other non-merit characteristic. 

When you join Ball you belong to a team of over 16,000 members worldwide. Our products range from infinitely recyclable aluminum cans, cups to aerosol bottles that enable our customers to contribute to a better world.

Each of us has a deep commitment to diversity and inclusion which is the foundation of our culture of belonging.

Everyone at Ball is making a difference by doing what we love. Because what we create may change, but what we will always make is a difference.

Please note the advertised job title might vary from the job title on the contract due to local job title structure and global HR systems.
No agencies please.