Director, Government Relations

Job Description Summary:

Role Summary

The Director, Government Relations, is a senior individual contributor responsible for advancing the company's policy, regulatory, and sustainability priorities through strategic engagement with government, industry, and academic stakeholders.

Reporting to the Senior Director, Public Policy and Sustainability, this role leads advocacy efforts on complex policy issues, represents the company in high-level external forums, and serves as a trusted advisor to business leaders on emerging regulatory and public policy developments. The position requires a high degree of independence, strategic judgment, and influence, as well as the ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments and drive consensus among diverse interests. The role will be instrumental in positioning the company as a credible partner in priority areas such as circular economy, recycling, sustainability, and health & ingredients.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of advocacy strategies on key policy and regulatory issues aligned with the company's business and sustainability priorities.

• Serve as the company's primary representative on assigned policy matters, building and maintaining trusted relationships with government officials, regulators, industry associations, academic institutions, and other external stakeholders.

• Represent the company in industry forums and working groups, leading coalition-building and consensus development to advance policy objectives.

• Lead complex negotiations and stakeholder engagement efforts involving government, industry, and academia, balancing diverse interests to achieve favorable outcomes.

• Monitor and analyze legislative, regulatory, and political developments, translating external trends into strategic insights, risks, and opportunities for the business

• Provide strategic counsel to senior business leaders and drive cross-functional alignment across relevant internal stakeholders.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in Public Policy, Law, Economics, Political Science, International Relations, or a related field preferred.

• Minimum 10–15 years of experience in government relations, public policy, regulatory affairs, diplomacy, industry associations, or related fields

• Proven experience developing and executing advocacy strategies and influencing policy or regulatory outcomes.

• Demonstrated ability to independently engage and build credibility with senior government officials, regulators, industry leaders, and other external stakeholders.

• Significant experience leading complex, multi-stakeholder negotiations involving government, industry, academia, and/or civil society organizations.

• Strong understanding of Japan's political, legislative, and regulatory environment.

• Excellent stakeholder management, strategic thinking, communication, and consensus-building skills.

• Native-level Japanese proficiency and business-level English proficiency required.

Skills:

Location(s):

City/Cities:

Travel Required:

Relocation Provided:

Job Posting End Date:

Our Purpose and Growth Culture:

We are taking deliberate action to nurture an inclusive culture that is grounded in our company purpose, to refresh the world and make a difference. We act with a growth mindset, take an expansive approach to what’s possible and believe in continuous learning to improve our business and ourselves. We focus on four key behaviors – curious, empowered, inclusive and agile – and value how we work as much as what we achieve. We believe that our culture is one of the reasons our company continues to thrive after 130+ years. Visit Our Purpose and Vision to learn more about these behaviors and how you can bring them to life in your next role at Coca-Cola.