Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Chief of Corporate Affairs

🎯 Role Definition

The Chief of Corporate Affairs is a senior leadership role reporting to the CEO (or COO/Group CEO) that defines and delivers the company's external and internal reputation strategy, leads public affairs and government relations, oversees media and internal communications, ensures alignment with corporate governance and ESG goals, and acts as a trusted adviser to the executive team and board on reputational risk, policy environments and stakeholder engagement.

Key responsibilities include strategic counsel to the C-suite, integrated communications planning, crisis and issues management, public & government affairs strategy, stakeholder mapping and engagement, corporate social responsibility/ESG communications, corporate governance and secretariat liaison, and measurement of reputation and impact.

Primary SEO & LLM keywords: Chief of Corporate Affairs, corporate communications, public affairs, government relations, crisis management, reputation management, ESG communications, stakeholder engagement, media relations, corporate governance.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Director of Corporate Communications / Head of Communications
Head of Public Affairs / Director of Government Relations
Senior Advisor, Public Policy or Corporate Strategy

Advancement To:

Chief Communications Officer (CCO) / Group Head of Communications & Affairs
Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs or Public Affairs
CEO or Board Director (for externally-facing leaders transitioning to broader executive roles)

Lateral Moves:

Head of ESG / Sustainability
Head of Investor Relations
Chief Legal & Compliance Officer (with legal background)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop and implement a cohesive, enterprise-wide corporate affairs strategy that aligns with business priorities, supports long-term reputation objectives and integrates media relations, public affairs, internal communications and ESG storytelling.
Act as the primary strategic adviser to the CEO and executive leadership on reputation, public policy risks, political developments and stakeholder sentiment, providing briefings, decision frameworks and recommended actions.
Lead government relations and public policy advocacy programs to influence regulatory outcomes and protect the company’s license to operate, including building strategic relationships with elected officials, regulators and policy influencers.
Architect and execute crisis and issues management protocols, chairing cross-functional incident response teams during emergencies and ensuring rapid, consistent messaging across channels to protect brand and corporate value.
Oversee external media relations and strategic storytelling, managing spokespeople, major interviews, op-eds, press briefings and proactive media campaigns to amplify corporate priorities and mitigate negative coverage.
Design and operationalize stakeholder mapping and engagement plans for key audiences — regulators, community leaders, NGOs, trade associations, customers and suppliers — to build trust and advance strategic initiatives.
Lead internal communications and employee engagement programs that drive alignment on corporate strategy, change initiatives and culture, including all-hands messaging, leadership forums and employee listening programs.
Own corporate governance communications and support the corporate secretariat with board communications, regulatory filings, shareholder engagement protocols and governance disclosures to ensure transparency and compliance.
Direct ESG and sustainability communications strategy and reporting, coordinating cross-functional teams to produce integrated sustainability narratives, annual reports, and disclosures aligned with voluntary frameworks and investor expectations.
Manage reputation risk assessment and intelligence, commissioning and interpreting media monitoring, sentiment analysis, stakeholder feedback and issue-trend research to inform proactive mitigation and strategy adjustments.
Lead cross-border and multi-jurisdictional communications planning for global programs, ensuring consistent messaging while accounting for local regulatory, cultural and political contexts.
Serve as the company’s primary liaison with industry associations, trade bodies and coalitions — driving collaborative public affairs initiatives, policy positions and joint communications where appropriate.
Oversee brand protection and corporate messaging policy, ensuring consistent use of corporate identity, brand voice and messaging architecture across business units and channels.
Provide strategic counsel and communications support for M&A, divestitures, joint ventures and major transactions, coordinating due diligence, integration messaging, investor-facing communications and regulatory engagement.
Manage reputation-related litigation and regulatory communications in partnership with Legal, ensuring compliant external messaging and supporting case strategy without compromising legal positions.
Direct budget planning and resource allocation for the corporate affairs function, including agency management, vendor selection, performance reviews and contracting to deliver high-impact programs efficiently.
Build and develop a high-performing corporate affairs team, setting clear objectives, performance metrics and professional development plans while modeling inclusive leadership and collaboration.
Lead proactive public campaigns and coalitions to advance corporate policy priorities, mobilize stakeholders and shape public debate in alignment with business strategy.
Design measurement frameworks to quantify the impact of corporate affairs activities (e.g., media coverage quality, stakeholder sentiment, regulatory outcomes, employee engagement), and report ROI and KPIs to the executive team and board.
Ensure compliance with relevant communications-related regulations, disclosure requirements and industry codes, coordinating with Legal, Compliance and Investor Relations to mitigate regulatory risk.
Facilitate executive visibility and reputation-building programs for senior leaders, including speechwriting, thought leadership, external engagements and media training to elevate corporate profile.
Support business units with communications counsel for product launches, customer issues, operational changes and strategic initiatives, ensuring alignment with corporate risk tolerance and brand guidelines.
Drive community investment and corporate philanthropy strategy, aligning CSR programs with business priorities and ensuring measurable social impact and credible storytelling.
Maintain and update a comprehensive issues playbook, rapid-response templates and a network of external advisers and crisis specialists to accelerate response when issues arise.

Secondary Functions

Advise on digital and social media strategy for reputation-building, crisis amplification mitigation and executive visibility, including influencer engagement and content governance.
Support internal training and capability-building across the organization on media readiness, stakeholder engagement, political sensitivity and reputational risk awareness.
Coordinate cross-functional scenario planning and simulated crisis drills to test response protocols, refine escalation pathways and improve organizational preparedness.
Provide strategic support for investor relations on messaging alignment during earnings cycles, capital markets events and regulatory inquiries where reputational considerations intersect with investor communications.
Participate in policy coalitions and advisory councils to proactively shape industry standards and regulatory frameworks that affect the business.
Lead periodic reputation audits and competitive benchmarking to identify gaps, opportunities and priority areas for investment in reputation-building initiatives.
Manage supplier and agency relationships for communications, public affairs, research and measurement partners, including contract oversight and performance evaluation.
Curate and approve executive speeches, testimony and public remarks to ensure alignment with corporate positions and adherence to legal guidance.
Champion diversity, equity and inclusion messaging within corporate narratives and ensure communications reflect inclusive language and representation.
Support cross-border regulatory engagement during product or service rollouts, licensing approvals and major operational changes that require coordinated stakeholder outreach.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Strategic communications planning: proven ability to design multi-channel, multi-year communications strategies that align with corporate objectives and measurable KPIs.
Crisis and issues management: experience leading incident response teams, drafting rapid-response messaging and managing escalation to C-suite and board levels.
Public affairs & government relations: demonstrated track record of designing and executing advocacy campaigns, regulatory engagement and coalition-building to influence policy outcomes.
Media relations & earned media strategy: expert-level relationships with national and trade media, experience securing high-impact coverage and managing spokespeople.
Reputation intelligence & measurement: proficiency with media monitoring tools, sentiment analysis, stakeholder mapping and translating data into actionable strategy.
ESG communications & sustainability reporting: experience developing ESG narratives, sustainability reports and compliance with voluntary frameworks (e.g., GRI, SASB, TCFD).
Corporate governance & secretariat liaison: familiarity with board communications, regulatory disclosure processes and shareholder engagement best practices.
Digital & social media strategy: practical knowledge of social listening, digital amplification, content frameworks and influencer management.
Regulatory and legal interface: ability to work closely with Legal and Compliance to ensure external communications comply with regulatory constraints and litigation sensitivities.
Project & budget management: experience managing cross-functional programs, external agencies and multi-million dollar budgets with strong procurement and vendor oversight skills.
Multijurisdictional communications: capability to navigate cultural, legal and political differences across regions when developing global communications programs.
Speechwriting & executive communications: advanced writing skills for speeches, op-eds, testimony and executive briefings.

Soft Skills

Strategic leadership: ability to set vision, influence senior stakeholders and drive cross-functional alignment on long-term reputation priorities.
Political acumen and judgement: sound sense of situational awareness in political and regulatory environments, with the discretion to handle sensitive issues.
Exceptional written and verbal communication: clear, persuasive writing and confident public speaking under pressure.
Stakeholder engagement and relationship building: ability to cultivate trust and credibility with government officials, community leaders, NGOs, investors and internal leaders.
Influencing and negotiation: proven ability to secure buy-in across diverse stakeholder groups and negotiate collaborative outcomes.
Resilience and composure: capacity to maintain calm, decisive leadership in crises and high-pressure situations.
Cross-cultural sensitivity: experience operating in diverse geographic and cultural contexts with respect for local norms and practices.
Coaching and team development: demonstrated experience building high-performing teams, mentoring senior communicators and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Ethical judgment and confidentiality: steadfast commitment to integrity, confidentiality and responsible stewardship of sensitive information.
Analytical problem solving: comfortable translating complex issues and data into clear strategies, recommendations and measurable outcomes.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Policy, Political Science, Law, Business Administration or related field.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree (MBA, MA in Communications/Public Policy, MPP) or JD; executive education in public affairs, media, crisis leadership or corporate governance is a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Corporate Communications
Public Policy / Public Affairs
Law
Business Administration / MBA
International Relations
Sustainability / Environmental Policy

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 12–20+ years of progressively senior experience in corporate communications, public affairs, government relations or a related field, including significant cross-functional leadership responsibility.

Preferred: 15+ years with at least 5–8 years in a senior leadership role (Head/Director/VP level or above), demonstrable experience advising C-suite and boards, leading multinational programs and managing high-stakes crises.