Sr Director, External Communications PR and Issues Management

Job description

We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on - 8 Oct 2025

At Medtronic you can begin a life-long career of exploration and innovation, while helping champion healthcare access and equity for all.

You’ll lead with purpose, breaking down barriers to innovation in a more connected, compassionate world.

A Day in the Life

Sr. Director, External Communications - PR and Issues Management

Careers that Change Lives:

At Medtronic, we believe that delivering on our Mission and impacting patients around the world are critical to our success.

The Senior Director of External Communications – PR and Issues Management will lead strategic efforts to both elevate and protect Medtronic’s global reputation, drive thought leadership, and amplify our mission to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life.

This role will oversee external communications, including media relations, financial communications, executive visibility, and issues management, ensuring alignment with our business priorities and values.

At Medtronic, we bring bold ideas forward with speed and decisiveness to put patients first in everything we do.

In-person exchanges are invaluable to our work.

We’re working a minimum of 4 days a week onsite as part of our commitment to fostering a culture of professional growth and cross-functional collaboration as we work together to engineer the extraordinary.

A Day in the Life:

Responsibilities may include the following and other duties may be assigned:

Strategic Communications Leadership

Develop and execute a global external communications strategy that supports Medtronic’s business objectives, innovation pipeline, and corporate reputation.

Serve as a strategic advisor to senior leaders on public positioning, media engagement, and reputational risk.

Lead a global, high-performing team committed to measurable business results

Media & Public Relations

Lead proactive and reactive media relations, including press releases, media outreach, support for quarterly earnings and interview preparation.

Build and maintain strong relationships with global and national media to position Medtronic as a leader in healthcare technology.

Serve as the primary company spokesperson for media.

Manage financial communications, including engagement with key financial media outlets, support of Medtronic quarterly earnings and critical investor events and collaboration with Investor Relations team to drive consistent business performance narrative externally.

Executive Visibility & Thought Leadership

Partner with executive leadership and communications colleagues to promote and amplify earned media coverage.

Identify, secure and support high-impact speaking opportunities and media engagements for senior leaders.

Issues & Crisis Management

Lead external communications during crises and sensitive issues, ensuring timely, transparent, and consistent messaging.

Collaborate with cross-functional partners across the enterprise to assess and manage reputational risk.

Content Strategy & Brand Storytelling

Partner with enterprise storytelling teams to drive high-quality content for external channels, including media kits, blogs, and social platforms.

Ensure consistency in brand voice and messaging across all external communications.

Measurement & Insights

Define KPIs and reporting frameworks to assess the impact of PR and external communications efforts.

Monitor media coverage, sentiment, and emerging trends to inform strategy and optimize performance.

Must Have: Minimum Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree.

A minimum of 15 years of experience in communications or corporate communications role, or 13 years with a master’s degree and 10+ years of managerial experience.

Expertise in media, investor relations and public relations.

Experience serving as company spokesperson for media, ideally within a regulated industry.

Experience leading teams and contributing to a matrix leadership model.

Strong generalist experience across multiple communications disciplines.

Preferred Qualifications:

Demonstrated experience in financial communications

Proven track record for 360 proactive communications campaigns, including demonstrated ability to work in close collaboration with marketing, creative and business partners.

Calm under pressure, especially when advising and influencing leaders in difficult situations, presenting a POV with sound judgment and demonstrating the ability to lead through complex and geographically diverse perspectives.

Proven ability to build trust and establish credibility with all levels of management, including executive leadership.

Experience leading communications in a highly matrixed, global organization, with a focus on healthcare or technology; history of driving cross-company collaboration and partnership to get work done.

Expertise as a strategic advisor to business leaders, with a strong track record of driving successful communication initiatives.

Ability to manage multiple priorities effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Demonstrated experience using metrics to measure the effectiveness of communication strategies.

Passion for Medtronic’s mission and commitment to ethical, inclusive communication.

Physical Job Requirements

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this position, but they are not an exhaustive list of all the required responsibilities and skills of this position.

The physical demands described within the Responsibilities section of this job description are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

For Office Roles: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to be independently mobile.

The employee is also required to interact with a computer, and communicate with peers and co-workers.

Contact your manager or local HR to understand the Work Conditions and Physical requirements that may be specific to each role.

Benefits & Compensation
 

Medtronic offers a competitive Salary and flexible Benefits Package
A commitment to our employees lives at the core of our values.

We recognize their contributions.

They share in the success they help to create.We offer a wide range of benefits, resources, and competitive compensation plans designed to support you at every career and life stage.
 

Salary ranges for U.S (excl.

PR) locations (USD):$209,600.00 - $314,400.00This position is eligible for a short-term incentive called the Medtronic Incentive Plan (MIP).This position is eligible for an annual long-term incentive plan.The base salary range is applicable across the United States, excluding Puerto Rico and specific locations in California.

The offered rate complies with federal and local regulations and may vary based on factors such as experience, certification/education, market conditions, and location.

Compensation and benefits information pertains solely to candidates hired within the United States (local market compensation and benefits will apply for others).

The following benefits and additional compensation are available to those regular employees who work 20+ hours per week: Health, Dental and vision insurance,Health Savings Account,Healthcare Flexible Spending Account,Life insurance, Long-term disability leave,Dependent daycare spending account,Tuition assistance/reimbursement, andSimple Steps (global well-being program).

The following benefits and additional compensation are available to all regular employees:Incentive plans, 401(k) plan plus employer contribution and match,Short-term disability,Paid time off,Paid holidays,Employee Stock Purchase Plan,Employee Assistance Program,Non-qualified Retirement Plan Supplement (subject to IRS earning minimums), andCapital Accumulation Plan (available to Vice Presidents and above, or subject to IRS earning minimums).

Regular employees are those who are not temporary, such as interns.

Temporary employees are eligible for paid sick time, as required under applicable state law, and the Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

Please note some of the above benefits may not apply to workers in Puerto Rico.

Further details are available at the link below:

About Medtronic

We lead global healthcare technology and boldly attack the most challenging health problems facing humanity by searching out and finding solutions.
Our Mission — to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life — unites a global team of 95,000+ passionate people.


We are engineers at heart— putting ambitious ideas to work to generate real solutions for real people.

From the R&D lab, to the factory floor, to the conference room, every one of us experiments, creates, builds, improves and solves.

We have the talent, diverse perspectives, and guts to engineer the extraordinary.

Learn more about our business, mission, and our commitment to diversity .

It is the policy of Medtronic to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

In addition, Medtronic will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.

If you are applying to perform work for Medtronic, Inc.

(“Medtronic”) in any position which will involve performing at least two (2) hours of work on average each week within the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, you can find a list of all material job duties of the specific job position which Medtronic reasonably believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment.

Medtronic will consider for employment qualified job applicants with arrest or conviction records in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

Required Skill Profession

Advertising, Marketing, Promotions, Public Relations, And Sales Managers