Communications Manager – People, Culture & Engagement

Join the world's largest HVAC company, named by Forbes as one of America's Best-In-State Employers 2025!

Make your mark at the world’s largest HVAC company 

Daikin Applied is seeking a Communications Manager – People, Culture & Engagement to serve as the lead communications partner for Human Resources. This role will develop and execute communication strategies that advance the company's most strategic people, culture, leadership and workforce initiatives, helping employees understand, engage with, and contribute to Daikin Applied's long-term success. 

Partnering closely with HR leaders and Centers of Excellence, this individual will focus on high-impact enterprise initiatives aligned with the company’s five-year strategic plan —including talent development, organizational transformation, leadership effectiveness, employee experience, and culture-building efforts. The ideal candidate is a strategic communicator who can translate complex people strategies into compelling narratives and communication programs that drive understanding, engagement and action. 

Working closely with the Chief Human Resources Officer, Senior Director of Development & Culture, HR leadership, marketing and communications teams, and cross-functional partners across the organization, this role will help strengthen enterprise communications around culture, support change, and elevate the employee experience. While the position serves as Human Resources' primary communications partner, its focus is on the organization's most strategic people and culture communications priorities. This role is part of the Marketing organization and reports to the Director of Corporate Communications. Come be a part of an exciting journey at Daikin Applied, where innovation and excellence drive our every endeavor!

Location: Plymouth, MN, Hybrid

What you will do: 

• Serve as the strategic communications partner to Human Resources, leading communication strategies for high-impact people, culture, leadership, and organizational initiatives that support enterprise priorities and Fusion 30 objectives
• Partner closely with HR leaders and Centers of Excellence to lead enterprise communications strategies that build understanding, engagement and confidence in company priorities and transformation efforts   
• Develop and execute integrated communications strategies and experiences to help employees connect their work to the company’s mission, strategy and culture
• Lead communications for enterprise people initiatives, including organizational transformation, leadership development, workforce planning, employee experience, talent development, recognition, culture programs and other strategic priorities
• Provide strategic communications counsel to HR and business leaders, helping shape messaging, audience engagement strategies, communication plans and change readiness approaches 
• Develop and implement change communications strategies that support organizational changes, new programs, technology implementations, policy updates and evolving ways of working
• Measure employee engagement, communication effectiveness, and sentiment to continuously improve communications outcomes. Create executive and leadership communications including presentations, talking points, town hall content, leader toolkits, FAQs and communication resources that enable leaders to effectively engage employees
• Develop compelling, multi-channel content and campaigns across digital, email, intranet, video, events, and emerging communication platforms to drive awareness, understanding and action
• Measure communication effectiveness and employee engagement, leveraging analytics, feedback and insights to continuously improve communication strategies and outcomes 
• Collaborate with Corporate Communications, Legal, and other functional stakeholders to deliver aligned, consistent and impactful employee communications experiences
• Champion innovation and continuous improvement in employee communications, identifying new approaches, tools, and best practices that strengthen culture, engagement and organizational effectiveness 

What’s in it for you:  

• The ability to make an impact and shape your career with a company that is passionate about growth
• The support of an organization that believes it is vital to include and engage diverse people, perspectives, and ideas to achieve our best

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Human Resources, Organizational Development, Marketing, or a related field
• 7+ years of experience in employee communications, HR communications, change communications, corporate communications, or a related discipline 
• Demonstrated experience partnering with Human Resources leaders and Centers of Excellence on people, culture, talent, leadership, employee experience, or organizational effectiveness initiatives
• Strong strategic communications planning skills, including the ability to assess stakeholder needs, identify communication opportunities and risks, and develop integrated communication strategies that support business and employee outcomes
• Demonstrated ability to distinguish between tactical communication support and strategic communications opportunities, focusing efforts on initiatives that drive enterprise-wide understanding, engagement, behavior change, and business impact 
• Experience supporting organizational change, transformation, workforce initiatives, leadership communications, talent development, culture programs or employee engagement efforts
• Proven ability to counsel and influence senior leaders and stakeholders on messaging, communication strategy, stakeholder engagement, and change adoption
• Exceptional writing, editing and storytelling skills, with experience developing executive communications, presentations, talking points, leader toolkits, FAQs, and employee-facing content 
• Ability to connect HR initiatives to other business priorities and communications already happening across Daikin. and make clear, compelling communications that resonate with diverse employee audiences 
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, navigate competing stakeholder needs, and deliver results in a fast-paced environment 
• Experience using communication metrics, employee feedback, and engagement data to measure effectiveness and continuously improve communication outcomes
• Experience developing communications across multiple channels, including email, intranet, video, leadership events, digital platforms and employee engagement channels
• Work visa sponsorship is not available for this position

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience serving as a strategic communications partner to a Human Resources, People & Culture, Talent Management, or Organizational Effectiveness function
• Experience leading communications for enterprise-wide organizational change, workforce transformation, technology implementations, culture initiatives, or employee experience programs
• Knowledge of change management principles and best practices 
• Experience supporting leadership development, succession planning, talent management, learning and development, or employee engagement initiatives
• Experience working in a manufacturing, industrial, engineering, or technical environment 
• Experience supporting a global or multi-site organization

Benefits:

• Daikin Applied offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements: 
• Multiple medical insurance plan options + dental and vision insurance  
• 401K retirement plan with employer contributions matching 100% of the first 3% of employee contributions and 50% on the next 2% of employee contributions
• Company provided life insurance + optional employee paid voluntary life insurance, dependent life coverage and voluntary accident coverage
• Short term and long-term disability
• 3 weeks of paid time off for new employees + 11 company paid holidays
• Vacation accrues on a monthly basis, unless applicable federal, state and local law requires a faster accrual
• Paid sick time in accordance of the federal, state and local law
• Paid parental leave and tuition reimbursement after 6 months of continuous service

The typical annual base salary for this position ranges from $90,000k - $153,300k and a bonus potential up to 10%. The range displayed represents the pay range for all positions in the job grade which this position falls. Individual base pay will depend on a wide range of factors including your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.  

#LI-AW1

#LI-hybrid