Public Affairs Director US

Public Affairs Director

Who We Are

Essity is a global leader in health and hygiene, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, with North American headquarters in Philadelphia, PA. We are a multi-billion-dollar company committed to breaking barriers to well-being through innovation in Professional Hygiene, Consumer Goods, and Health & Medical Solutions.

Working at Essity is not just a career; it’s where you’ll play your part in a better future, making the world a healthier, more hygienic, and safer place. With impactful innovations coupled with sustainable solutions, we strive to reach more people every year with the necessary and essential solutions for well-being. At Essity, there’s shared belonging and individual growth. Our culture grows with you.

About the Role

Essity is looking to add a Public Affairs Director to support our business units within the United States. Reporting to our Vice President of Public Affairs at Essity, you will be part of the Essity Global Public Affairs team and community, as well as the Country Management team in the US, working closely with the different business unit leadership teams, particularly in Professional Hygiene and Health & Medical, along with our growing Consumer Goods business, manufacturing teams, communications, and legal.

Our Public Affairs team works proactively across all business units by contributing to and adapting business strategies to ensure a competitive advantage. We achieve this through public policies while contributing to societal progress and policy developments. We have high ambitions and targets to continuously develop the business and sustainability agenda with the goal of maintaining our position as a global leader in Hygiene & Health and sustainability.

The ideal candidate will either be based in Philadelphia, PA, or Washington, DC. Regular travel to the office will be required to interface with business leaders.

We’re looking for people who embody our values, aren’t afraid to challenge, innovate, experiment, and move at a fast pace. We’re always looking for ways to improve our products and ourselves. If this is you, we’d love to talk.

What You Will Do

• Anticipate, assess, and follow country public policy and regulatory developments relevant to Essity’s business (existing & emerging), securing a system for sharing and anchoring the early warning locally and globally.
• Map and establish strong external networks and relationships with key stakeholders in the US (policymakers, NGOs, and other influencers) to drive advocacy, contribute to policy shaping, and position Essity with relevant policymakers, associations, and partnerships.
• Own the local trade association engagement plan, ensuring alignment between Essity’s various trade associations and working group engagements, including info sharing and global alignment.
• Develop Essity US’s main policy messages, targeted advocacy plan, and accountabilities in prioritized issues. Translate regulations and legislative activities into business risks and opportunities, aligning with Global Public Affairs messages and plans to ensure Global PA messages/actions support the US market needs.
• Develop and contribute to the issues management process for Essity’s prioritized corporate issues with Communications.
• Ensure effective communication with local agencies and partners as needed, as well as with internal teams.
• Participate in relevant Public Affairs networks (external and internal) to secure local needs, contribute to best practice and knowledge sharing/building, and drive/lead local Public Affairs networks to achieve positioning, intelligence gathering, advocacy, and execution.

Who You Are

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field of study.
• Significant experience within Public Affairs or Government Affairs.
• Broad experience and hands-on knowledge about public policy-making and regulations in the US, as well as a network of relevant stakeholders.
• Able to interpret and communicate with the business regarding how policies are impacting Essity.
• Experience representing a company with public policy stakeholders, NGOs, and other external stakeholders.
• Strong negotiation and influencing skills, able to advocate for the company’s position, including defending business decisions.
• Ability to communicate effectively to different stakeholders with diverging interests.
• Strong networking and interpersonal collaboration and communication skills.
• International experience and proven ability to achieve results in a matrix organization.
• Ability to turn strategy into actions and deliver results.
• Strong decision-making and prioritization skills combined with the ability to challenge stakeholders.
• Business curiosity and ideally a comprehensive understanding of the business, industries, and markets Essity operates in, and of how the whole value chain works.
• Ability to travel up to 50% of the time.

About Our DEI Culture

Guided by our Beliefs & Behavior, our culture is the foundation that connects our history with our future. At Essity, care, collaboration, and inclusion are more than buzzwords; they are practiced on an everyday basis. With a purpose of breaking barriers to well-being, promoting gender equality, and enabling customers and consumers to lead a fuller life at all stages of life, DEI is at our core.

As we work in diverse teams across geographies, cultures, and professional areas, inclusive leadership is something we expect from ourselves and each other. In our leadership platform, we express this as leveraging the power of differences. From experience, we know that diverse and inclusive teams are key to innovating and profitably growing our business while simultaneously addressing our ambitious climate targets.

What We Can Offer You

At Essity, we believe every career is as unique as the individual and empower employees to reach their full potential in a winning culture motivated by a powerful purpose.

Compensation and Benefits:

Expected Compensation:
Competitive annual salary range + annual incentive bonus + benefits.
Pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors such as knowledge, skills, and experience.

Along with competitive pay, you will be eligible for the following benefits:

• United Healthcare PPO / EyeMed Vision Insurance / Delta Dental Insurance
• Wellness program provided through Rally
• Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• 401(k) with employer match and annual employer base contribution
• Company-paid Basic Life, AD&D, short-term, and long-term disability insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• PTO offering with Paid Holidays
• Voluntary benefits include critical illness, hospital indemnity, and accident insurance
• Employee discounts program
• Scholarship program for children of Essity employees

Other Benefits:
Collaborative and Caring Culture | Empowerment & Engaged People | Work with Impact and A Powerful Purpose | Individual Learning & Career Growth | Health & Safety Priority | Sustainable Value Together | Innovation | Sustainable Working Life | Competitive Total Rewards

Additional Information

The Company is committed to equal employment opportunity and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified candidates and employees pursuant to applicable law. We value and encourage diversity and solicit applications from all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military and veteran status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

If you require reasonable accommodation as part of the application process, please contact [email protected]

Together, we are improving lives, every day

Working at Essity is not just a career; it is a chance to directly make the world a healthier, more hygienic, and safer place. With impactful innovations coupled with sustainable solutions, we strive to reach more people every year with the necessary and essential solutions for well-being.

Learn more here