Director, Global External Communications

📌 Core Information

🔹 Job Title: Director, Global External Communications

🔹 Company: Allison Transmission

🔹 Location: Indianapolis, IN

🔹 Job Type: Full-Time, On-Site

🔹 Category: Marketing & Communications

🔹 Date Posted: April 11, 2025

🔹 Experience Level: 10+ years

🔹 Remote Status: On-site (with occasional domestic and global travel)

🚀 Job Overview

Key aspects of this role include:

• Leading global external marketing and communications initiatives
• Managing media relations, corporate website content, and social media strategies
• Overseeing a dedicated team and third-party agencies
• Ensuring consistent brand communication and industry leadership
• Collaborating with business leaders to develop key branding and public relations messages

ASSUMPTION: This role requires a strategic and innovative thinker with proven leadership skills to drive global communication strategies and brand positioning.

📋 Key Responsibilities

✅ Lead media relations strategies for Allison, ensuring flawless execution and impactful visibility

✅ Own the content, management, and maintenance of our corporate website, delivering a seamless and engaging user experience

✅ Manage and enforce adherance to corporate brand guidelines, ensuring consistency across all external communications globally

✅ Collaborate with external media and branding partners to successfully implement our communication strategies

✅ Own and manage Allison’s global corporate press release process

✅ Develop social media strategies and policies to enhance our digital presence

✅ Manage and develop processes for all digital assets, maintaining a comprehensive and organized digital asset library

✅ Work cross-functionally with business leaders to develop key branding and public relations messages that resonate with our target audiences

✅ Develop processes and talent resources for strategic level presentations, up to and including Board of Directors and external executives, ensuring clarity and consistency

✅ Develop and oversee processes to effectively communicate with all external collaborators, including investors, media, customers, distributors, and more

✅ Develop and implement a departmental strategy supporting both organizational and departmental objectives

✅ Lead business process improvement initiatives to optimize processes, driving continuous improvement

✅ Coordinate the development and compliance of all external-facing remarks by Allison representatives at external functions and engagements

✅ Govern the digital assets library for Allison Transmission’s brand, products, and associated wordmarks and trademarks, ensuring accurate use and compliance

✅ Lead enterprise wide Crisis Communications Council

✅ Hire, lead, and manage a dynamic team, encouraging an inclusive and collaborative work environment

✅ Monitor, evaluate, and provide regular feedback on employee growth, offering mentoring for development and success

✅ Drive employee engagement and retention initiatives to maintain a positive and motivated workforce

ASSUMPTION: This role requires a high level of emotional intelligence, situational awareness, and attention to detail to effectively manage global communications and lead a team.

🎯 Required Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, or Marketing

Experience: 10+ years of experience, with at least three years in a communications and public relations leadership role

Required Skills:

• Excellent oral, written, and presentation communication skills
• Proven ability to generate clear and concise presentations for an executive audience
• Independent and strategic problem solver capable of addressing immediate questions or challenges while recognizing broader strategic implications
• High level of emotional intelligence and situational awareness
• Outstanding attention to detail
• Strong leadership skills to provide direction and support the development of a team of motivated and capable professionals
• Influencing skills to facilitate cross-functional consensus building for central initiatives and projects
• Advanced computer and application skills including Microsoft Office suite, Salesforce CRM platform, Asana, BusinessWire/Cision, Bynder/Webdam, Falcon, Sharpspring, Sociuu, and data and survey tools such as Qualtrics and ThinkCell

Preferred Skills:

• MBA
• IABC’s Strategic Communication Management Professional (SCMP), IABC’s Accredited Business Communicator (ABC), and PRSA’s Certified Public Relations Counselor (CPRC) certification(s)
• B2B marketing experience
• Knowledge of commercial vehicle industry
• Experience managing and developing personnel
• Experience developing and managing a budget
• Global experience or a global perspective
• Additional language skills beyond English

ASSUMPTION: The preferred skills section is designed to highlight additional qualifications that would make a candidate an even stronger fit for this role, but they are not strictly required.

💰 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $150,000 - $180,000 USD (based on industry standards for a Director-level role in Marketing & Communications in Indianapolis, IN)

Benefits:

• Competitive benefits package
• 401(k) plan with company match
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off and holidays
• Employee discounts and perks

Working Hours: Full-time, typically Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM (EST), with occasional domestic and global travel (estimated at 10-15%)

ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is an estimate based on industry standards and the company's size. The actual salary may vary depending on the candidate's experience and qualifications.

📌 Applicant Insights

🔍 Company Context

Industry: Motor Vehicle Manufacturing

Company Size: 1,001-5,000 employees (Mid-sized company)

Founded: 1915 (over 100 years of history)

Company Description:

• Allison Transmission is a leading designer and manufacturer of vehicle propulsion solutions for commercial and defense vehicles
• The largest global manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty fully automatic transmissions
• A leader in electrified propulsion systems that Improve the Way the World Works

Company Specialties:

• Automotive
• Transmission
• Military
• Commercial
• Automatic Transmissions
• Electric Axles
• Vehicle Testing

Company Website: http://www.allisontransmission.com

ASSUMPTION: Allison Transmission is a well-established company with a strong global presence, offering opportunities for career growth and development within a large organization.

📊 Role Analysis

Career Level: Director-level role, reporting directly to the Senior Vice President of Global Marketing and Communications

Reporting Structure: This role will have direct reports and may also collaborate with other departments, such as Product Management, Sales, and Engineering

Work Arrangement: On-site, with occasional domestic and global travel (estimated at 10-15%)

Growth Opportunities:

• Potential to grow within the Marketing & Communications department or explore other areas of the business
• Opportunities to work on high-impact projects and initiatives that drive global communication strategies
• Chance to develop leadership and management skills by overseeing a dedicated team and third-party agencies

ASSUMPTION: This role offers significant growth potential for the right candidate, with opportunities to make a meaningful impact on the company's global communication strategies and brand positioning.

🌍 Location & Work Environment

Office Type: Corporate headquarters with a professional and collaborative work environment

Office Location(s): Indianapolis, IN

Geographic Context:

• Indianapolis is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana
• Known for its rich history in motorsports, with the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400 held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
• Home to a diverse range of industries, including automotive, manufacturing, and healthcare

Work Schedule: Full-time, typically Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM (EST), with occasional domestic and global travel

ASSUMPTION: The work environment at Allison Transmission's headquarters is professional, collaborative, and dynamic, with opportunities for growth and development within a large organization.

💼 Interview & Application Insights

Typical Process:

• Phone or video screening
• In-depth behavioral and situational interview with the hiring manager and/or other team members
• Final interview with the Senior Vice President of Global Marketing and Communications
• Background check and reference check

Key Assessment Areas:

• Communication skills, both written and verbal
• Leadership and management abilities
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving skills
• Cultural fit and alignment with Allison Transmission's values and mission

Application Tips:

• Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight relevant experience and skills for this role
• Be prepared to discuss your experience with global communication strategies, media relations, and brand management
• Showcase your ability to lead a team and collaborate with external partners
• Demonstrate your understanding of Allison Transmission's business and industry

ATS Keywords: Global External Communications, Director, Media Relations, Brand Management, Social Media Strategy, Digital Asset Management, Public Relations, Crisis Communications, Team Leadership, Employee Engagement, Strategic Communication, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Presentation Skills, Emotional Intelligence, Problem Solving, Attention to Detail

ASSUMPTION: The interview process at Allison Transmission is designed to assess the candidate's skills, experience, and cultural fit, with a focus on finding the best fit for the role and the organization.

🛠️ Tools & Technologies

• Microsoft Office suite
• Salesforce CRM platform
• Asana
• BusinessWire/Cision
• Bynder/Webdam
• Falcon
• Sharpspring
• Sociuu
• Qualtrics
• ThinkCell

ASSUMPTION: The tools and technologies listed are commonly used in the Marketing & Communications industry and are relevant to the responsibilities of this role. However, the specific tools and technologies used may vary depending on the company's preferences and needs.

👔 Cultural Fit Considerations

Company Values:

• Integrity
• Excellence
• Innovation
• Customer Focus
• Teamwork
• Accountability

Work Style:

• Collaborative and team-oriented
• Results-driven and focused on continuous improvement
• Adaptable and open to change
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality

Self-Assessment Questions:

• Do you have experience leading global communication strategies and managing a team?
• Are you comfortable working in a dynamic and fast-paced environment?
• Do you have strong emotional intelligence and situational awareness?
• Are you able to balance multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines?
• Do you have a proven track record of driving results and making a meaningful impact on an organization's communication strategies and brand positioning?

ASSUMPTION: Allison Transmission values candidates who are aligned with their core values and work style, with a proven track record of driving results and making a meaningful impact on an organization's communication strategies and brand positioning.

⚠️ Potential Challenges

• Managing a global team and external partners across different time zones and cultures
• Balancing multiple priorities and projects with tight deadlines
• Adapting to a dynamic and fast-paced work environment
• Navigating a large organization with a complex communication structure

ASSUMPTION: These potential challenges are common in a Director-level role within a mid-sized company, and the right candidate will have the skills and experience to overcome them successfully.

📈 Similar Roles Comparison

• Compared to a similar role at a smaller company, this role may offer more opportunities for growth and development within a larger organization
• Compared to a similar role at a larger company, this role may offer more autonomy and the chance to make a significant impact on global communication strategies
• Career path comparison: This role can serve as a stepping stone to senior leadership positions within the Marketing & Communications department or other areas of the business

ASSUMPTION: The size of the company and the specific industry context can impact the responsibilities, opportunities, and career path for this role, with potential variations compared to similar roles at smaller or larger organizations.

📝 Sample Projects

• Developing and executing a global communication strategy for a new product launch
• Managing a crisis communication plan in response to an unexpected event
• Leading a team to rebrand the company and update its visual identity across all external touchpoints

ASSUMPTION: These sample projects are designed to showcase the candidate's ability to lead global communication strategies, manage a team, and adapt to different scenarios and challenges.

❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview

• What are the key priorities for this role in the first 90 days?
• How does this role collaborate with other departments, such as Product Management, Sales, and Engineering?
• What are the most significant challenges facing the Marketing & Communications department, and how can this role help address them?
• How does Allison Transmission support the professional development and growth of its employees?
• What is the company's approach to work-life balance, and how is it supported within the Marketing & Communications department?

ASSUMPTION: These key questions are designed to help the candidate better understand the role, the department, and the company, enabling them to make an informed decision about the opportunity.

📌 Next Steps for Applicants

To apply for this position:

• Submit your application through this link
• Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight relevant experience and skills for this role
• Prepare examples of your work that demonstrate your ability to lead global communication strategies, manage a team, and adapt to different scenarios and challenges
• Follow up with the hiring manager one week after submitting your application to confirm receipt and inquire about the next steps in the process

⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.