Vice President, Public Affairs - Communications & Sustainability
Vice President, Public Affairs - Communications & Sustainability
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$ 230000 - 265000
1 Vacancy
Job Description
fairlife LLC is a Chicago-based nutrition company that creates great-tasting nutrition-rich and dairy products to nourish consumers.
With over $3B in annual retail sales fairlifes portfolio of delicious lactose-free real dairy products includes: fairlife ultra-filtered milk; Core Power High Protein Shakes a sports nutrition drink to support post-workout recovery; fairlife nutrition plan a nutrition shake to support the journey to better health.
A wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola company fairlife LLC has been recognized by both Fast Company and Nielsen for its industry leading innovation.
To learn more about fairlife and its complete line of products please visit .
job purpose:
As a member of the fairlife Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and The Coca-Cola Company North America PACS Leadership Team this role will be responsible for driving an integrated approach to Public Affairs Communications and Sustainability for the fairlife business in the US and Canada. The VP PACS will help fairlife to further our sustainability agenda in support of broader TCCC goals strengthen relationships with key stakeholders (internal and external) and safeguard fairlifes reputation through proactive and reactive strategies ensuring alignment with the brands mission to nourish the modern world. This leader will also provide ad hoc support to the Coca-Cola juice business.
This leader will operate at both strategic and operational levels fostering strong collaboration between fairlife The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) and key stakeholders. They will play a pivotal role in shaping fairlifes narrative enabling public engagement and partnering with internal teams to advance business goals while ensuring alignment with consumer societal and regulatory needs.
responsibilities:
Public Affairs & Advocacy
- Position fairlife as a leader in the dairy industry by actively engaging with key industry groups trade associations and stakeholders and partnering with the Coca-Cola NA PACs team to engage with federal and state policymakers in the US and in Canada. Collaborate to advance shared priorities around sustainability animal welfare ethical farming practices ingredient regulation farm labor and innovation in dairy. Ensure fairlifes leadership within the dairy industry adds value to The Coca-Cola Companys broader agenda and does so in a complementary non-competitive manner.
- Build and strengthen farm-level relationships and partnerships with key dairy stakeholders to champion fairlifes commitment to ethical and responsible practices. Drive focus on initiatives that elevate animal welfare human rights and sustainable farming within the dairy supply chain. Foster open and transparent communication with dairy cooperatives ensuring alignment trust and shared progress toward common objectives.
- Partner closely with The Coca-Cola Company teams on all government and regulatory engagements ensuring alignment with Coca-Colas advocacy framework while driving fairlifes leadership agenda as a trusted voice in the dairy sector. Advocate for fairlifes priorities in a way that enhances Coca-Colas system reputation and builds collaborative partnerships with lawmakers regulators NGOs and other stakeholders.
- Actively monitor and provide guidance on emerging regulatory or policy developments that may impact fairlifes business both independently and as part of broader initiatives led by The Coca-Cola Company. Focus on areas such as agriculture sustainability animal welfare and food and beverage manufacturing to ensure fairlife remains at the forefront of industry transformation.
Crisis Management & Reputation Stewardship
- Serve as the primary leader responsible for safeguarding fairlifes reputation during crises and high-stakes issues.
- Oversee crisis communications strategy planning and execution ensuring readiness to effectively and transparently manage reputational risks in line with The Coca-Cola Companys procedures.
- Proactively identify emerging issues that may impact fairlife and The Coca-Cola Compays reputation and lead efforts to mitigate risk in lockstep partnership with TCCCs PACS team.
Communications & Brand Reputation
- Develop and execute strategies for internal communications to keep employees informed engaged and aligned with fairlifes mission vision and business goals.
- Lead executive communications for the CEO and other key leaders crafting impactful messaging and thought leadership that strengthens fairlifes voice within the Coca-Cola system the business community and beyond. Also provide support to the juice team in this space and collaborate closely with brand PR counterparts in juice.
- Oversee brand public relations to elevate fairlifes visibility as an innovative brand engaging media influencers and social channels to amplify key narratives.
- Act as the company spokesperson as needed for media engagements public forums and community speaking opportunities.
Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
- Drive fairlifes sustainability plan ensuring alignment with The Coca-Cola Companys overarching sustainability strategy/priorities and addressing evolving consumer and stakeholder expectations.
- Lead development and progress tracking of fairlifes key environmental social and governance (ESG) priorities including carbon reduction water stewardship responsible sourcing animal welfare human rights packaging innovation and waste reduction.
- Oversee fairlifes community presence in the Chicago market deepening the companys connections with the local community and positioning fairlife and Coca-Cola as the employer of choice in the marketplace.
- Partner with key functions (e.g. Operations Marketing Supply Chain) to embed sustainability deeply into business and brand strategies ensuring that purpose-driven initiatives create measurable impact.
Stakeholder Engagement & Governance
- Build and nurture productive relationships with internal stakeholders across fairlife and TCCC ensuring cohesion between local regional and system-wide priorities.
- Represent fairlife and juice when needed on the North America TCCC PACS Leadership Team contributing to enterprise-level initiatives and ensuring alignment between fairlife and The Coca-Cola Companys strategies.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams within fairlife and TCCC aligning PACS strategies with commercial operational and marketing goals.
skills/qualifications required:
- 15 years of leadership experience in public affairs corporate communications sustainability or related functions ideally within the food beverage or consumer goods industries.
- Demonstrated ability to lead and execute both proactive and reactive public affairs and communications strategies in high-visibility organizations.
- Experience navigating complex stakeholder environments including policymakers regulators industry associations NGOs and community organizations.
- Extensive experience leading crisis response and managing reputational risks including media relations issue monitoring and cross-functional coordination under pressure.
- Executive Leadership & Stakeholder Management:
- Proven ability to work collaboratively with senior leadership teams influence across functions and engage effectively at the C-suite level.
- Experience representing a company at public forums with the media or as a spokesperson.
- Experience aligning sustainability goals with business growth strategies and consumer expectations.
- Strong knowledge of the Chicago market dynamics with experience cultivating impactful relationships with local community leaders partners and organizations.
- Experience leading teams coaching & developing individuals to unlock stronger performance building a fun team culture cultivating individual career & development plans.
- Strategic Agility & Influence: Ability to think holistically anticipate emerging trends and build cross-functional buy-in for forward-thinking strategies.
- Exceptional Communication: Outstanding storytelling writing and presentation skills with the ability to craft compelling narratives for diverse audiences.
- Collaborative Leadership: Inclusive and team-oriented approach capable of building strong relationships within fairlife the Coca-Cola system and external communities.
- Solutions-Oriented Mindset: Resilient and calm under pressure with a focus on proactive problem-solving and delivering measurable results.
- Growth Mindset: Eagerness to challenge the status quo embrace innovation and bring fresh thinking to fairlifes PACS function.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: Comfort using metrics to guide sustainability reporting communications outcomes and stakeholder engagement performance.
position location: Chicago IL
reports to:CEO
travel requirements:20%
*Base pay offered may vary depending on geography job-related knowledge skills and experience. A full range of medical financial and/or other benefits dependent on the position is offered.
Base pay range:
$230000 - $265000 USD
fairlife LLC is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis ofrace color religion age sex national origin disability status genetics protected veteran status sexual orientation gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local laws. All qualified applicants and employees will be given equal opportunity. Selection decisions are based on job-related factors.
In addition to its nondiscrimination commitment the Company will also provide reasonable accommodation of qualified individuals with known disabilities unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the Company. If you have a disability and would like to request accommodation in order to apply for a position with us please email.
For Recruitment Agencies
At fairlife we manage the majority of our hiring internally through our dedicated Talent Acquisition team which is actively engaged in direct candidate sourcing. Most of our roles are filled through applications submitted via our careers site or through direct outreach by our team.
As our recruitment is primarily handled in-house we work only occasionally with external agencies and only those on our existing pre-approved vendor list. At this time we are not reviewing or expanding that list.
Unsolicited resumes or submissions from external agencies not authorized by our Talent Acquisition team will be considered direct candidate applications. As such fairlife will not assume responsibility for any placement fees associated with these submissions.
Required Experience:
Chief
Employment Type
Full Time
