Restaurant Brands International Inc.

Sr. Director, Corporate Communications

Business Services
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Extensive experience in corporate communications or public relations in a senior in-house role.
  • Exceptional writing and editing skills for varied formats, matching executive voices.
  • Strong relationships with business, financial, and consumer media with a track record of impactful coverage.
  • Proven experience advising C-suite executives at the senior levels of an organization.
  • Deep expertise in issues and crisis communications with the ability to act swiftly and guide leadership through uncertainty.
  • Collaborative mindset with experience in navigating matrixed organizations.
  • Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, or related field.

Responsibilities

  • Serve as primary communications advisor to the CEO and senior leaders on corporate reputation and messaging.
  • Develop executive narratives including speeches and talking points that align with corporate priorities.
  • Manage media relationships and cultivate top-tier media coverage through proactive strategies.
  • Lead external corporate communications and reputation management, including issues and crisis communications.
  • Oversee logistics for major corporate events, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities.
  • Collaborate across departments to ensure integrated communication on major initiatives.
  • Mentor and manage a team of communications professionals to achieve high performance.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive global paid parental leave program to support employees expanding their families.
  • Free telemedicine and mental wellness support to promote employee well-being.
Full Job Description
Position Overview

RBI is seeking an exceptional Senior Director of Corporate Communications to serve as a strategic communications leader and trusted advisor to the company's most senior executives. This is a high-impact, highly visible role at the intersection of media relations, executive communications, and corporate reputation - requiring someone equally comfortable crafting a CEO narrative for a major earnings event while managing a variety of global reputational issues. What makes this role genuinely distinctive is the level of access and influence it carries. This is not a role that supports the C-suite from a distance - it operates directly alongside RBI's top executives, serving as their primary communications counsel, strategic sounding board, and voice in the room when it matters most.

Reporting to the Chief Corporate Officer, this leader will be the primary communications partner to the CEO, Executive Chairman, and other members of the C-suite, while also serving as a strategic thought partner to the CCO and a close collaborator with the People team on culture and employer brand communications. They will lead RBI's external corporate communications function - shaping how the company is perceived by media, investors, partners, policymakers, and the public.

What Makes This Role Unique

This is a rare opportunity to operate at the center of a high-profile, globally recognized consumer brand portfolio - with direct access to and influence over some of the most visible business leaders in the restaurant industry. The person in this role will shape how RBI tells its story to the world at a time of accelerating momentum for the company. They will be a true partner to the CCO and a key voice on the leadership team - not just executing communications but helping set the direction.

Key Responsibilities

1. Executive Advisory & C-Suite Partnership
  • Serve as the communications advisor to the CEO, Executive Chairman, and other senior leaders - on all matters related to corporate reputation, external messaging, and stakeholder communications.
  • Develop compelling executive narratives, talking points, speeches, op-eds, and written communications that reflect each leader's distinct voice and advance company priorities.
  • Prepare executives for high-stakes media interviews, analyst calls, and public appearances, including developing briefing books and coaching on message delivery.
  • Be available and responsive to the needs of senior leadership, providing real-time counsel during fast-moving situations.


2. External Communications & Media Relations
  • Own and drive RBI's external corporate communications strategy, bringing fresh thinking to how the company tells its story - embracing a modern mix of channels and formats including long-form content, corporate social platforms, podcasts, and earned media to reach diverse audiences in compelling ways.
  • Lead media relations, cultivating and maintaining strong relationships with journalists and editors at top-tier business, financial, trade, and consumer media outlets.
  • Develop and execute a proactive earned media strategy that amplifies RBI's business momentum, leadership, and brand portfolio across global markets.
  • Manage reactive media inquiries with speed, accuracy, and judgment - including issues management and crisis communications when needed.
  • Develop and maintain RBI's corporate communications infrastructure: press releases, media kits, b-roll, fact sheets, and the company's internal and external websites.
  • Own RBI's external social media presence, including the corporate LinkedIn strategy (content calendar, measurement, paid programs, and executive amplification).


3. Reputation Management & Issues/Crisis Communications
  • Proactively identify and monitor potential reputational risks across the business, providing early warning and strategic guidance to leadership.
  • Lead communications for sensitive business issues including major corporate announcements, leadership transitions, restructurings, and industry controversies.
  • Partner with Legal and Investor Relations to ensure communications are coordinated, compliant, and consistent across internal and external audiences.
  • Develop and maintain crisis communications playbooks and protocols.


4. Major Events & Flagship Experiences
  • Own planning and logistics for RBI's major corporate events, ensuring every flagship moment is executed seamlessly and reinforces the company's strategic priorities and ownership culture.
  • Lead planning and logistics for brand conventions across all four RBI brands - both North American and international - partnering closely with brand communications teams on content, narrative, and audience experience.
  • Manage planning and logistics for brand roadshow events, coordinating across functions to ensure seamless execution.
  • Establish event standards, measurement frameworks, and post-event reporting to continuously raise the bar on quality, engagement, and impact.


5. Earnings, Investor & Financial Communications
  • Partner closely with Investor Relations to align corporate narrative with investor messaging - ensuring the story told publicly is consistent, coherent, and compelling.
  • Support quarterly earnings communications, including CEO/leadership talking points and any related media strategy.
  • Help manage RBI's corporate reputation with the financial media and broader analyst community.


6. People & Culture Communications Partnership
  • Serve as the communications bridge between Corporate Affairs and the People team (led by Jeff Housman), ensuring employer brand, culture, and talent narratives are integrated into RBI's external communications strategy.
  • Collaborate on communications around major people initiatives - including culture, leadership announcements, and RBI's ownership culture - ensuring messages are cohesive inside and outside the organization and serving as a champion for the values and mindset that define how RBI operates.
  • Support the development of RBI's employer brand presence in the external market through media placements, LinkedIn strategy, and thought leadership.


7. Brand & Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Collaborate closely with the communications leads across Burger King, Tim Hortons, Popeyes, and Firehouse Subs to ensure corporate and brand narratives are mutually reinforcing.
  • Partner with Marketing, Operations, Government Affairs, and Legal to ensure integrated, cross-functional communications on key initiatives.
  • Support communications for major company milestones: brand expansions, partnerships, acquisitions, product launches, and corporate announcements.


8. Team Leadership & Operating Excellence
  • Manage and mentor a team of communications professionals, setting a high bar for quality, speed, and strategic thinking.
  • Establish clear workflows, processes, and measurement frameworks to ensure the team delivers with discipline and focus.
  • Produce and report on communications results (media coverage, share of voice, executive profile metrics, engagement) to inform planning and demonstrate impact.
  • Manage external agency and vendor relationships effectively and within budget.


Qualifications

  • Extensive experience in corporate communications, public relations, or a related field - with meaningful time spent in a senior in-house corporate environment.
  • Exceptional writer and editor: able to craft everything from a tight press statement to a longform CEO op-ed, with the ability to match an executive's voice authentically.
  • Strong established relationships with business, financial, and consumer media - and a track record of earning coverage that matters.
  • Proven experience advising C-suite executives and operating as a trusted, strategic partner at the most senior levels of an organization.
  • Deep experience in issues and crisis communications, with the judgment to act quickly and the steadiness to guide leadership through uncertainty.
  • Collaborative and cross-functional by nature - comfortable navigating matrixed organizations and building relationships across Legal, IR, People, Marketing, and brand teams.
  • Experience in financial communications and investor relations adjacent roles is a strong asset.
  • Quick service restaurant, CPG, or retail experience is an asset but not required.
  • Demonstrated executive altitude: a proven ability to work confidently alongside and advise top executives, earning trust and credibility at the most senior levels of an organization.
  • Strong financial acumen: comfortable with earnings materials, investor communications, and business performance narratives; able to translate financial results into compelling external stories.
  • Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, or related field.
  • Ability to travel as needed to support executive events, media opportunities, and key company moments.


Key Competencies

  • Strategic communications leadership
  • Executive influence & trusted advisor instincts
  • Exceptional writing & editorial judgment
  • Media relations depth & instincts
  • Crisis & issues management
  • Cross-functional collaboration
  • High-pressure composure & judgment
  • Team building & talent development

About Restaurant Brands International Inc.

Restaurant Brands International Inc. (RBI) is a Canadian multinational fast food holding company. RBI was formed in 2014 as a result of a merger between American fast food restaurant chain Burger King and Canadian coffee shop and restaurant chain Tim Hortons, and expanded in 2017 with the acquisition of American fast food chain Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. RBI is one of the world's largest fast food restaurant companies with over 27,000 locations in more than 100 countries. The company's brands include Burger King, Tim Hortons, and Popeyes. RBI is headquartered in Oakville, Ontario, Canada.
Learn more about Restaurant Brands International Inc.
Size
5,700 employees
Market Cap
$19.8 billion
Industry
5 Year Trend
+6.7%
NASDAQ

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