Public Affairs Director

Who We Are

Essity is a global leader in health and hygiene headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, and North American headquarters in Philadelphia, PA. We are a multi-billion-dollar company that is 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 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 in particular Professional Hygiene and Health and Medical, but also our growing Consumer Goods business, and manufacturing teams, communications and legal.

Our Public Affairs team works proactively across all business units by contributing to and adapting the business strategies to ensure a competitive advantage. The Public Affairs team does 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. Regularly travel into the office with 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

• Anticipating, assessing and following 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.


• Mapping and establishing strong external networks and relationships with key stakeholders in the US (policy makers, NGOs and other influencers) to drive advocacy, contribute to policy shaping and position Essity with relevant policy makers, relevant associations and partnerships. 


• Owning the local trade association engagement plan, both ensuring alignment between Essity’s various trade associations and working group engagements and representations, including info sharing and global alignment.


• Developing Essity US’s main policy messages, targeted advocacy plan and accountabilities in prioritized issues. Translating regulations and legislative activities to business risks and opportunities and aligning with Global PA messages and plans to ensure Global PA messages/actions support the US market needs.


• Developing and contributing to the issues management process for Essity prioritized corporate issues with Communications.


• Ensuring effective communication with local agencies and partners as needed as well as with internal teams.


• Participating in relevant Public Affairs networks (external and internal) to secure local needs are taken into consideration and contributing to best practice and knowledge sharing/building and driving/leading local Public Affairs networks to achieve positioning, intelligence gathering, advocacy and execution.

Who You Are

• Bachelors degree within 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 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.


• Turns strategy into actions and delivers results.


• Strong decision making and prioritization skills combined with the ability to challenge stakeholders.


• Business curiosity and ideally 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. And with a purpose of breaking barriers to wellbeing, promoting gender equality and enable customers and consumers to lead a fuller life at all stages of life, DEI is in 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 innovate and profitably grow our business while simultaneously address 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 to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, and accident insurance


• Employee discounts program


• Scholarship program for children of Essity employees. 

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 EssityHRNorthAmerica@essity.com

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.

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