Sr. Communications Specialist - Agriculture

CHS, a diversified global agribusiness cooperative owned by farmers and local cooperatives across the United States, has an exciting opportunity to deliver on the communication needs of the company’s agriculture product lines. This position will collaborate with a team of strategic communication experts who partner with our agriculture and energy businesses to provide valuable insights and guidance.

As a Sr. Communication Specialist, this individual will design and deliver communications plans, strategies and messaging aimed at advancing business objectives and bolstering employee engagement. This role will actively contribute to critical ag business initiatives and must convey essential information to both internal and external stakeholders while providing valuable support during times of change.

The Sr. communication specialist is part of the company’s dynamic CHS communication team and reports to the leader of agriculture communications.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute communication plans: Create communication plans aligned with business needs and strategies. Effectively work across cross-functional teams to independently develop supporting materials, including key messages, announcements, timelines, FAQs, fact sheets and memos. Execute communications plan through coordination across multiple stakeholders. 
• Drive business objectives: Partner with agricultural leaders to drive their objectives, ensuring alignment with the broader CHS enterprise strategies and CHS communications strategies. 
• Project management: Coordinate and manage the review process for key projects, ensuring deadlines are met, feedback is incorporated and buy-in and approvals are obtained across cross-functional business and functional leaders.
• Drive communications best practices: Align with centers of excellence, including branding, content, digital, media relations and marketing to ensure communications plans and strategies are aligned with best practices and done in partnership. 
• Create high-impact presentations: Design and develop PowerPoint presentations for business partners, ensuring clarity, visual appeal and alignment with corporate branding. Translate complex data and concepts into engaging, easy-to-understand visual aids. 
• Utilize storytelling and content creation: Seek examples from the business to frame stories, infographics and other content ideas that convey the value of CHS to owners and customers. 
• Leverage data and analytics: Use data, analytics and monitoring to shape communications, including channel and messaging strategies. Utilize data and analytics to report on communications strategies and to drive recommendations moving forward.

Minimum Qualifications (required):

• High School diploma or GED 
• 4+ years of experience in strategic communication, with strong writing and editing skills.

Additional Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in communication, journalism or a related field. 
• Experience in creating and implementing communication plans, including internal and external strategies and tactics. A sample communications plan and writing samples must be submitted by the applicant. 
• Strong business acumen and a keen interest in the agribusiness industry, with specific familiarity in agronomy (crop protection and crop nutrients) and/or grains. 
• Experience creating PowerPoint presentations for business leaders. 
• Strong executive presence and communication skills to clearly articulate ideas and strategies. 
• Ability to operate independently and execute flawlessly on both strategic and tactical levels. 
• Excellent people skills, with the ability to build and maintain strong relationships with business leaders and other colleagues. 
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, collaborate in a team environment and navigate complex organizational dynamics.
• Ability to consistently deliver within established deadlines while prioritizing, multi-tasking and advancing several projects simultaneously. 
• Comfortable navigating ambiguous situations. 
• Ability to work in-person 2 days/week at the CHS headquarters in Inver Grove Heights, Minn. 
• Proficiency with the Microsoft platform, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. 
• 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.