Senior Director Corporate Communications

GPC is Hiring: Senior Director, People & Transformation Communications

Location - GPC Corporate Headquarters, Atlanta Metro – Cumberland Area (on-site)

Reports To - Vice President, Global Strategic Communications

Genuine Parts Company (GPC) is seeking an experienced communications leader to shape and lead communications for its People strategy and enterprise transformation priorities. This highly visible role will partner with senior leaders to help drive clarity, engagement, and meaningful change across a complex global organization.

Genuine Parts Company (GPC) established in 1928, is a leading global service provider of automotive and industrial replacement parts and value-added solutions. Our Automotive Parts Group operates across North America, Europe and Australasia, while our Industrial Parts Group serves customers across North America and Australasia. We keep the world moving with a vast network of over 10,800 locations spanning 17 countries supported by more than 65,000 teammates.

GPC is entering a significant new chapter. In February 2026, the company announced plans to separate its Global Automotive and Global Industrial businesses into two independent, publicly traded companies. The separation, targeted for completion in the first quarter of 2027, is expected to enhance strategic clarity, operational focus, and financial flexibility for both businesses. We invite you to learn more at www.genpt.com.

Why This Role Matters

GPC is entering a pivotal period of transformation, making clear, trusted employee communication more important than ever. Beyond transformation, this newly created role fills a critical need for dedicated strategic communications leadership across GPC’s broader People agenda—from culture and leadership priorities to total rewards, talent, and the overall teammate experience. This leader will connect these initiatives into a clear, consistent narrative, helping teammates understand not only what is changing, but GPC’s broader People strategy and what it means for them.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a senior internal communications and change leader with experience in a large, complex, ideally global organization, who can operate credibly with the C-suite while also executing at a high level. They will bring significant transformation and change management experience, formal change management certification, and a track record of translating complex or difficult People decisions into clear, trusted employee communications. They should be a strategic thinker with exceptional executive presence and writing skills, comfortable navigating ambiguity, integrating multiple workstreams, and bringing fresh thinking around AI and measuring communication effectiveness.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the enterprise communication strategy for GPC's People agenda, including workforce priorities, culture, leadership expectations, and organizational direction.
• Develop a clear, integrated narrative for GPC’s People strategy, connecting talent, total rewards, workforce planning, organizational design, and culture initiatives.
• Lead communications and change enablement for major transformation initiatives, including organizational evolution, restructuring, and the planned business separation.
• Partner closely with the Chief People Officer, Global People Leadership Team, and senior leaders on critical workforce announcements and sensitive employee communications.
• Translate complex People and business decisions into clear, trusted messaging that helps teammates understand what is changing, why it matters, and what it means for them.
• Design change enablement strategies that build teammate readiness and adoption, partnering across HR, business leadership, and Global Internal Communications to align messaging and sequencing.
• Measure and continuously improve communication effectiveness through feedback mechanisms, readiness insights, and innovative approaches, including AI and emerging tools.

Professional Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in corporate communications, transformation communications, or change leadership, with significant internal communications experience in a large, complex organization—ideally global.
• Prosci certification or comparable formal change management certification, with demonstrated practical change management experience.
• Proven experience supporting significant organizational transformation, including organizational realignment, culture change, restructuring, M&A, corporate separations, or cost-out environments in a global, complex environment.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex and sensitive business and People decisions into clear, compelling, and trusted employee communications.
• Exceptional narrative development, strategic thinking, and executive writing skills, with experience integrating messaging across multiple workstreams.
• Strong executive presence and demonstrated ability to partner with and influence C-suite and senior leaders.
• Proven ability to operate effectively in high-change, high-ambiguity environments with strong judgment and discretion.
• Experience leveraging AI, measurement, and employee feedback/readiness insights to strengthen communications strategy and effectiveness.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Business, Human Resources, or a related field required.

Leadership & Personal Characteristics

• Executive Presence - Operates with credibility and confidence in front of the C-suite.
• Strategic Communicator - Translates complex business decisions into clear, compelling messaging.
• Change Enabler - Builds trust and readiness across teams navigating major transformation.
• High-Potential Leader - Demonstrates a career trajectory and presence that signal future growth.
• Collaborative Partner - Builds strong relationships across HR, leadership, and cross-functional teams.

Culture & Environment

GPC combines the strength and stability of a nearly century-old company with the chance to help shape the next evolution of its communications function. Teammates describe the culture as genuine and collaborative, with a strong history of developing and promoting talent from within. As GPC enters a new chapter, communications are increasingly valued as a strategic partner to leadership, creating an opportunity for this leader to make a meaningful and lasting impact.

Compensation & Benefits

GPC offers a competitive compensation package, including base salary, short- and long-term incentive opportunities, and comprehensive benefits.