C&EA Manager, AsPac

Entity: People, Culture & Communications Job Family Group: Communications & External Affairs Group Job Description: Position overview The C&EA Manager, AsPac supports internal and external communications, stakeholder engagement and external affairs across the AsPac PU. The role partners closely with the AsPac VP and leadership team to deliver integrated communications and engagement activity that supports business priorities, strengthens reputation, manages risk and advances strategic objectives. The role supports employee engagement, regional and market communications, issues and crisis management, and external affairs activity including stakeholder mapping, government relations-adjacent support, advocacy and trade association engagement. Strong understanding of the AsPac communications, policy, regulatory and cultural landscape is important, alongside familiarity with external partner environments in priority markets including Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia and Vietnam. This role reports to the Head of Global Communications & External Affairs, with a dotted line to the AsPac VP. Key responsibilities 1. Regional communications leadership • Develop and deliver an AsPac communications plan aligned with business goals, PATH360, transformation priorities and Day 1 readiness. • Advise and collaborate closely with the AsPac VP and leadership team on essential messaging, leadership visibility and communication priorities. • Adapt global communications for regional and market-specific contexts, ensuring cultural and linguistic relevance across AsPac. 2. External communications & reputation management • Support external communications in AsPac, including media engagement, executive positioning, local announcements and reputation building. • Partner with AsPac Marketing to align product, brand and corporate communications with the broader Castrol narrative and regional commercial priorities. • Monitor industry, competitor, geopolitical, regulatory and market developments to keep communications and external engagement relevant and risk aware. • Support the positioning of Castrol as a standalone business with customers, partners, government collaborators and other external audiences where required. 3. External affairs, stakeholder engagement & advocacy • Support regional external affairs plans aligned with business priorities, reputation, business value and key market issues. • Develop and maintain collaborator maps and engagement plans for priority AsPac markets, including government officials, regulators, industry associations, major partners, community collaborators and other relevant external audiences. • Partner on government relations-adjacent matters to ensure consistency and compliance across markets. • Proactively assess the policy, regulatory, societal and reputational landscape, identifying and managing emerging issues affecting Castrol’s licence to operate and commercial agenda. • Support advocacy positions and engagement strategies on priority topics, including through appropriate use of trade associations and third-party representation. 4. Internal communications & engagement • Manage internal communication channels to keep AsPac employees informed, engaged and aligned with Castrol’s strategy. • Support transformation and behavioural change communication across the region, including Day 1 changes and new ways of working. • Tailor communications for diverse AsPac audiences, ensuring local market, cultural and language considerations are reflected. • Support leader-led communication across the AsPac VP leadership team, including briefing materials, talking points, cascade content and Q&A support. 5. Crisis communications & issues management • Serve as the AsPac support lead for crisis communications, coordinating with global Castrol teams. • Develop crisis communication materials for reputational, safety, regulatory and operational issues, ensuring timely and accurate information. • Prepare leaders for high pressure situations through briefing materials, messaging guidance and scenario-based exercises. • Support issues management by identifying emerging risks, coordinating responses and advising leaders on stakeholder-sensitive positioning. 6. Content development & channel execution • Create and manage high-quality content across internal platforms, media materials, leadership messages and digital channels. • Ensure communications adhere to regulatory requirements, cultural expectations and brand standards across AsPac. • Maintain clarity, consistency and accessibility across all regional content. • Support localisation of global content and campaigns, ensuring relevance for AsPac markets and appropriate translation or adaptation where needed. 7. Insights, measurement & continuous improvement • Monitor communication effectiveness through analytics, feedback and sentiment tracking. • Continuously improve communication processes, tools and ways of working across the region. • Find opportunities for innovation in engagement and channel usage. Qualifications & experience Essential • 10+ years’ experience in communications and external affairs, ideally in Asia Pacific. • Experience delivering communications in multi-country, culturally diverse environments. • Experience in external affairs, partner engagement, public policy or issues management. • Ability to manage complex collaborator environments and advise leaders on reputational risk. • Strong understanding of AsPac cultural, policy, regulatory, collaborator and media environments. • Proven track record of supporting crisis and issues management. • Ability to collaborate effectively with senior leaders and cross-functional collaborators. • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills. • Strong project and channel management skills, including digital tools. • Ability to work under pressure, manage priorities and deliver with agility. Advantage to have • Experience with industry as…