Corporate Affairs Manager, MEA - Saudi Arabia

Job description

Welcome to Haleon. We’re a purpose-driven, world-class consumer company putting everyday health in the hands of millions. In just three years since our launch, we’ve grown, evolved and are now entering an exciting new chapter – one filled with bold ambitions and enormous opportunity. Our trusted portfolio of brands – including Sensodyne®, Panadol®, Advil®, Voltaren®, Theraflu®, Otrivin®, and Centrum® – lead in resilient and growing categories. What sets us apart is our unique blend of deep human understanding and trusted science. Now it’s time to fully realise the full potential of our business and our people. We do this through our Win as One strategy. It puts our purpose – to deliver better everyday health with humanity – at the heart of everything we do. It unites us, inspires us, and challenges us to be better every day, driven by our agile, performance-focused culture. About the role Haleon is seeking a forward-looking Corporate Affairs Manager to lead its Corporate Affairs agenda in Saudi Arabia. Based in Jeddah or Riyadh, the role will operate at the intersection of government affairs, business strategy, public policy, reputation, communications and external intelligence. Using political and corporate intelligence, data and digital tools, the Corporate Affairs Manager will anticipate external developments, inform business decisions and identify opportunities aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s health transformation priorities. The role will work closely with Haleon Saudi Arabia’s leadership team to strengthen the company’s reputation, shape constructive stakeholder dialogue and build trusted public and private-sector partnerships. Reporting to the Head of Corporate Affairs, Middle East & Africa, the successful candidate will be a trusted adviser and strong member of the MEA Corporate Affairs team, combining political acumen and commercial judgement with analytical capability, digital fluency and a curiously courageous mindset to turn insight into action. Key responsibilities Develop and execute a market-relevant, modern and integrated Corporate Affairs strategy for Saudi Arabia, aligned with the Saudi business plan and the MEA Corporate Affairs strategy. Lead the government affairs agenda for Saudi Arabia, building trusted engagement with government, regulators and other public-sector stakeholders to support constructive policy dialogue, anticipate change and advance business priorities responsibly. Act as a trusted adviser to the General Manager and leadership team, translating political, policy, regulatory and societal developments into clear business implications, choices and recommendations. Serve as a strong strategic partner and team member to the Head of Corporate Affairs, Middle East & Africa, bringing Saudi insights, constructive challenge and delivery leadership to the wider agenda. Build and sustain trusted relationships across government, healthcare institutions, industry and professional associations, media and civil society, supported by clear stakeholder strategies and engagement plans. Identify and develop credible public and private-sector partnerships that advance shared priorities under strategic national priorities. Lead engagement on policy and regulatory issues affecting consumer health, working closely with Regulatory Affairs, Legal, Commercial, Supply Chain and other functions to develop evidence-led positions, advocacy plans, consultation responses and executive briefings. Build an effective Corporate Affairs intelligence capability, combining policy and geopolitical monitoring, stakeholder insight, media and social listening and digital tools to identify risks and opportunities early and strengthen decision-making. Lead external and internal communications for Saudi Arabia, strengthening Haleon’s corporate narrative, employee engagement, executive visibility and reputation through relevant owned, earned, social and internal channels. Lead issues preparedness and crisis communications for the market, ensuring disciplined governance and coordinated responses. Lead and effectively manage communications agencies and specialist consultants, setting clear briefs and holding partners accountable for value and ROI. Represent Haleon, and prepare senior leaders to represent Haleon, in industry associations, public forums, media engagements and high-level stakeholder meetings. Qualifications and skills Essential Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Public Policy, Political Science, Law, Business or a related discipline. 9+ years of relevant experience in corporate affairs, government affairs, public policy, strategic communications in Saudi Arabia within a MNC, government entity, industry association or leading advisory firm. Strong understanding of the Kingdom's policy, regulatory landscape, healthcare, economic and media environment. Demonstrated political acumen and the ability to interpret complex stakeholder dynamics with discretion, balance and sound judgement. Digital fluency and experience of using data, social and media intelligence tools. Established credibility and experience engaging senior government, regulatory, industry and business stakeholders in the Kingdom. Fluency in Arabic and English, with excellent written, verbal and presentation skills in both languages. Demonstrated experience in issues management, scenario planning, crisis communications and executive counsel. Proven ability to work with cross-functional teams. Experience managing agencies, consultants or research partners, with the ability to write clear briefs, evaluate advice critically and drive high-quality delivery. Role-model a curiously courageous mindset by constructively challenging established thinking, testing new approaches and speaking up with sound judgement. Preferred Experience in consumer health, pharmaceuticals, FMCG or another highly regulated sector. Saudi Nationals preferred Experience supporting policy agendas related to prevention, self-care, health awareness, market access, localisation, investment or public-private collaboration. A strong network across relevant Saudi institutions, industry bodies, professional associations, advisory communities and media. Comfort with experimentation and continuous learning. A collaborative, agile and hands-on style, with the curiosity to explore, the courage to challenge constructively and the discipline to deliver. Job Posting End Date 2026-09-14 Equal Opportunities Haleon are committed to mobilising our purpose in a way that represents the diverse consumers and communities who rely on our brands every day. It guides us in creating an inclusive culture, where different backgrounds and views are valued and respected – all in support of understanding and best serving the needs of our consumers and unleashing the full potential of our people. It’s important to us that Haleon is a place where all our employees feel they truly belong. During the application process, we may ask you to share some personal information, which is entirely voluntary. This information ensures we meet certain regulatory and reporting obligations and supports the development, refinement, and execution of our inclusion and belonging programmes that are open to all Haleon employees. The personal information you provide will be kept confidential, used only for legitimate business purposes, and will never be used in making any employment decisions, including hiring decisions. Adjustment or Accommodations Request If you require a reasonable adjustment or accommodation or other assistance to apply for a job at Haleon at any stage of the application process, please let your recruiter know by providing them with a description of specific adjustments you are requesting. We’ll provide all reasonable adjustments to support you throughout the recruitment process and treat all information you provide us in confidence. Note to candidates The Haleon recruitment team will contact you using a Haleon email account (@haleon.com). If you are not sure whether the email you received is from Haleon, please get in touch.