Director, Public Relations and Issues Management

Medtronic is a global leader in healthcare technology with a mission to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life. Our 95,000 employees work across more than 150 countries to put patients first — developing innovative medical technologies that improve the lives of 72+ million patients each year.

About the role

The Global Communications and Corporate Marketing function is responsible for protecting and advancing Medtronic’s reputation among key stakeholders worldwide. This team partners across business units and corporate functions to strengthen trust, manage enterprise issues, and elevate awareness of the company’s impact, innovation, and leadership in healthcare.

The Director, Public Relations & Issues Management serves as a key advisor across the organization, helping navigate complex reputational challenges while driving proactive media engagement and corporate storytelling. This position is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and operates in an onsite work environment. Travel requirements are expected to be limited and aligned with business needs.

The Director, Public Relations & Issues Management leads enterprise reputation initiatives through a combination of strategic issues management, crisis communications, and proactive public relations. This role partners with senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders to assess and manage reputational risk, develop communications strategies for complex business situations, and strengthen external visibility through earned media and thought leadership opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise issues management strategies for reputational, operational, regulatory, product, policy, and business-related risks.
• Advise senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders during emerging issues, incidents, and crisis situations, providing strategic communications counsel and response recommendations.
• Develop and execute crisis communications plans, preparedness programs, simulations, tabletop exercises, and response protocols.
• Create executive briefings, messaging frameworks, stakeholder communications, FAQs, holding statements, and issue response plans.
• Partner with business units and corporate functions to support communications planning related to product recalls, quality events, litigation, cybersecurity incidents, workforce matters, and regulatory actions.
• Establish and maintain monitoring processes to identify and assess potential issues across media, social media, regulatory developments, litigation activity, public policy, and industry trends.
• Develop and execute public relations strategies that support enterprise priorities and strengthen awareness of the company’s impact, expertise, and innovation.
• Build relationships with media, industry influencers, and external stakeholders while securing opportunities that enhance visibility, credibility, and trust.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree with 10+ years of communications or corporate communications experience working across cross-functional teams, or advanced degree with 8+ years of communications or corporate communications experience working across cross-functional teams.
• 7+ years of managerial experience leading people, programs, or complex strategic initiatives.
• Demonstrated expertise in media relations, public relations, strategic communications, and reputation management.
• Experience serving as a company spokesperson and representing an organization with external media audiences.
• Experience developing communications strategies and stakeholder engagement plans for complex business issues.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing issues and crisis communications for a large multinational organization operating within a regulated industry.
• Healthcare, medical technology, life sciences, or pharmaceutical industry experience within a global Fortune 500 environment.
• Experience advising senior executives and cross-functional leadership teams on reputational risk and communications strategy.
• Experience supporting communications related to regulatory actions, litigation, product recalls, cybersecurity incidents, or quality events.
• Demonstrated success working across highly matrixed organizations to drive alignment and execute enterprise communications initiatives.

For Baccalaureate degrees earned outside of the United States, a degree that satisfies the requirements of 8 C.F.R. 214.2(h)(4)(iii)(A) is required.

Benefits

Medtronic offers a wide range of benefits, resources, and competitive compensation plans designed to support you at every career and life stage.

• Health, Dental, and Vision insurance
• Health Savings Account
• Healthcare Flexible Spending Account
• Life insurance
• Long-term disability leave
• Dependent daycare spending account
• Tuition assistance/reimbursement
• Simple Steps (global well-being program)
• Incentive plans (Medtronic Incentive Plan (MIP) and annual long-term incentive plan)
• 401(k) plan plus employer contribution and match
• Short-term disability
• Paid time off and paid holidays
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Employee Assistance Program
• Non-qualified Retirement Plan Supplement (subject to IRS earning minimums)
• Capital Accumulation Plan (available to Vice Presidents and above, or subject to IRS earning minimums)

Note: Some benefits may not apply to workers in Puerto Rico. Regular employees are those who are not temporary, such as interns. Temporary employees are eligible for paid sick time, as required under applicable state law, and the Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

Pay

Salary ranges for U.S (excluding PR) locations (USD): $178,400.00 - $267,600.00. The base salary range is applicable across the United States, excluding Puerto Rico and specific locations in California. The offered rate complies with federal and local regulations and may vary based on factors such as experience, certification/education, market conditions, and location.