CHS Inc. is a leading global agribusiness owned by farmers, ranchers and cooperatives across the United States that provides grain, food and energy resources to businesses and consumers around the world. We serve agriculture customers and consumers across the United States and around the world. Most of our 10,000 employees are in the United States, but today we have employees in 19 countries. At CHS, we are creating connections to empower agriculture.
Summary
CHS has an exciting opportunity to lead communication efforts in support of our financial and government affairs teams. This position will drive strategic communications that reach our farmer-owners, cooperative-owners, Board of Directors, strategic leadership team, lenders, policymakers and other key stakeholders. You'll partner with centers of excellence within communications including, but not limited to channels, content, reputation, business communications, internal communications and media relations.
The person in this position will hold dual roles, responsible for supporting our investor relations efforts by effectively communicating our company's financial performance, strategies, growth prospects and mission to stakeholder audiences; as well as supporting our government affairs efforts by communicating our advocacy and legislative efforts for state and federal initiatives. You will be responsible for ensuring the company is appropriately and strategically positioned with all stakeholders, particularly owners, lenders, regulators and policymakers. Your expertise will contribute to enhancing the company's reputation and maximizing owner value.
Responsibilities
Financial communications
Serve as strategic communications partner to the finance organization. From day-to-day communications support to large-scale, complex communications strategy, this position will work closely with the finance function to strategically plan and execute communications aligned with function objectives.
Develop and execute a comprehensive communications strategy for lenders, in partnership with finance and strategy leaders to effectively communicate the company's performance, objectives and key messages to key stakeholders.
Prepare and present financial updates, earnings releases and other owner or stakeholder related communications, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and best practices.
Coordinate lender meetings, which includes supporting agenda and content development, preparing speakers through key message development and practice sessions, coordinating meeting logistics with CHS events team and ensuring the overall success of the meeting.
Assist with, as needed, the preparation of financial reports, presentations and speeches as requested by the CFO, corporate treasurer, lenders or other stakeholders.
Assist in executing both external and internal communications plans for CFO and key members of her team; assist with both finance and enterprise Town Hall meetings and/or the preparation of content for meetings or presentations.
Government affairs communications
Serve as strategic communications partner to the government affairs team, developing communications strategies and tactics that align with the company's policy and advocacy priorities, as well as informing government affairs about upcoming announcements that impact CHS trade territory.
Manage external communications and regulatory and legislative issues impacting the business.
Align with the government affairs team on strategic storytelling to showcase the company's advocacy efforts on behalf of CHS owners.
Align with product line communications to understand how policy impacts business strategies and drive continued alignment with product line strategies.
Partner with CHSPAC leadership to drive clarity and engagement through communications regarding enrollment and impact reporting.
Monitor state and federal policy announcements, identifying those announcements that impact CHS or our owners and lead strategic communication updates to key audiences, as needed.
Overarching responsibilities
Establish and maintain credibility with leaders and other stakeholders through effective planning and execution of communication initiatives that consistently deliver on business goals and objectives.
Track ongoing operational and strategic changes across the business and track them through ongoing contacts with key leaders to ensure they are properly communicated to key audiences.
Understand the company and product line strategies, to ensure communication strategies and tactics align with stakeholder, business, owner and customer needs.
Stay abreast of industry and competitor activity with regards to company strategy, financial results, advocacy platforms and other key topics. Stay up-to-date on relevant financial and industry regulations and ensure compliance in all investor-related activities.
Measure for effectiveness and continuous improvement, applying and sharing learnings to further build communication proficiency and support for the team's work across the company and relevant audiences.
Minimum Qualifications (required)
High School diploma or GED
Job experience: 10+ years of experience in corporate communications, with a focus on financial communications, investor relations and strategic communications.
Executive communications experience: Experience working with senior executives and other high-level stakeholders in a corporate setting, including a proven track record of managing complex communication strategies and delivering high-quality results and experience advising senior leaders on communication strategies and messaging in sensitive or high-profile situations.
Financial communications expertise: Strong understanding of financial concepts, reporting and the ability to translate complex financial data into clear, engaging content for both internal and external audiences, including experience preparing and presenting financial communications, including earnings releases, quarterly reports and financial presentations to investors and key stakeholders and knowledge of financial regulations and compliance requirements for investor relations communications.
Strategic communication and relationship building: Demonstrated ability to develop and execute comprehensive communication strategies, especially in the @context of financial performance and business strategy, including building and maintaining strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders (i.e. investors and regulators).
Content creation and presentation skills: Exceptional writing and editorial skills, with experience crafting clear, concise and compelling financial and strategic communications for diverse audiences. In addition, strong presentation and public speaking abilities, with experience preparing senior leaders for meetings, presentations and public speaking engagements and events, including the ability to create visually engaging content and presentations, leveraging various communication platforms to reach target audiences.
Project management and organizational skills: Strong project management skills, with the ability to coordinate complex communication initiatives, manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines. Detail-oriented and organized, with the ability to track ongoing strategic and operational changes and ensure they are communicated effectively across relevant audiences. Experience managing logistics for large-scale events or meetings, including preparation of content, coordination with event teams, and ensuring smooth execution.
Performance measurement and continuous improvement: Ability to measure the effectiveness of communication strategies and make recommendations for continuous improvement.
This position will report to CHS Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota headquarters 3 days per week.
Ability to travel as needed (approx. 1-3x/year)
Additional Qualifications
Bachelor's degree preferred in Communications, Communication Arts, Marketing, Journalism, Business, English or related field
A master's degree or additional certifications in a relevant field would be a plus.
Cross-functional collaboration: Experience working with centers of excellence within communications (e.g., content, channels, media relations) to ensure alignment across all communication efforts. Proven ability to collaborate with other functions and businesses inside the organization to deliver cohesive and impactful communication strategies.
Industry knowledge and regulatory compliance: Understanding of the agricultural, cooperative or financial industries, particularly as they relate to cooperative ownership, finance and regulatory requirements. Proven ability to stay abreast of industry trends, financial performance metrics and competitor activities to ensure the company's communication strategies remain relevant and impactful. In addition, a familiarity with industry regulations and best practices for communicating with investors, lenders, policymakers and other key stakeholders.
Pre-employment screening is based on the job requirements and industry guidelines and may or may not be required for the position. If required, selected candidates must pass pre-employment screenings to include all or a combination of drug, criminal, motor vehicle check, physical requirements and FMSCA Clearinghouse
CHS offers a competitive total rewards package. Compensation includes base wage and, depending upon position, may include other earnings such as bonus, incentives and commissions. Actual pay offered will vary based on multiple factors which may include, without limitation, experience, education, training, specialized skills and certifications, minimum wage/salary requirements under local law.
Benefits include medical, dental, vision, wellness programs, life insurance, health and dependent care spending accounts, paid time off, 401(k), pension, profit sharing, short- and long-term disability, tuition reimbursement and adoption assistance, subject to the eligibility requirements for each benefit plan.
CHS is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disability.
Please note that any communication from a CHS recruiter would be sent using a chsinc.com email address. In addition, a CHS recruiter will not ask for confidential information over the phone or in an email, or request money from a candidate involved in an offer process. If you have questions regarding an employment opportunity, please reach out to chscareers@chsinc.com ; to verify that the communication is from CHS.
