Strategic Communications Director

Are you ready to apply your skills and expertise to share our story with stakeholders across New Zealand and abroad? Halter’s technology is transforming farming allowing farmers to grow and harvest more grass, increase productivity, work less and care for their animals and their environment better than before. We are looking for an exceptional strategic communications director with the ability to drive and strengthen our reputation across global markets. Thinking differently and challenging norms is what we do and we’re looking for someone to help tell our story around how this technology is changing lives, delivering significant benefits and transforming an industry.

About the role

Halter is one of the world’s fastest growing agritech companies, and the most transformative technology available to dairy and beef farmers. Halter is the fastest growing company in New Zealand, with over 250,000 cows with Halter on farms throughout NZ, AUS and the US. With Halter’s collars and app, farmers can virtually fence and guide their cattle through their mobile phone, as well as monitor cattle health, fertility and location. Our customers run more productive and sustainable farms, while caring for their animals. Halter is changing lives for thousands of farmers. You will set and deliver our global communications and engagement strategy by working closely with our strategic relations teams in each market to build awareness about how Halter operates and the many benefits to farmers and the industry. You’ll ensure consistent messaging on complex topics to key stakeholders, markets and customers. You will also partner closely with our premier government relations advisory teams in each market on our engagement strategy and delivery. You bring 5-10 years’ experience in senior communications roles and a background in media or communications. Reporting to the VP of Strategic Relations, this is an opportunity to lead our communications and engagement strategy at home in New Zealand and across our international markets.

Location: Auckland. With domestic and international travel opportunities.

What your day could look like

• Communications Strategy Development - Develop and implement comprehensive engagement and communication strategies that align with Halter’s mission, operating principles and growth strategy, working closely across teams and with external government relations advisory teams. Ensuring organizational alignment of core messaging across internal and external communications. You will channel Halter’s natural communication style and tailor this for different markets. Monitoring and analysing emerging industry trends, insights and stakeholder feedback to shape communication priorities and narratives.
• Media Engagement - Your relationships with and knowledge of media in the markets we operate will be paramount and it is expected that you will bring expertise in story development and strategic media pitching. The ability to generate great results from proactively working with media is one of your strengths.
• Documentation - In partnership with colleagues and advisors, you will help develop documents and presentations for external stakeholders across a range of topics. For example, you might partner with our advisors on writing a submission from Halter to a government on a particular topic that would be publicly available. 
• Issues Management - At times you will need to respond with urgency as events unfold. You are expected to have an ability to think calmly under pressure, to prioritise tasks and to manage communications strategically to support customers and to support Halter’s brand and reputation while working effectively with external stakeholders.
• Public Relations - Act as a senior spokesperson for Halter, representing the organization at high-profile industry events, government meetings, and public forums. Partner with the media and oversee public relations efforts to amplify Halter’s visibility and influence, ensuring alignment with organizational messaging and values. Champion thought leadership initiatives, positioning Halter as an industry innovator through compelling narratives and engagement across traditional and digital channels.
• Internal Collaboration & Leadership - You'll be a core member of the senior leadership team, and you'll work closely with the Executive team to integrate communications strategies into organizational objectives, ensuring alignment across teams. Provide mentoring and guidance to team members involved in communications, public relations, and advocacy efforts. Manage, coach and work closely with a talented Communications Manager. Oversee the planning and delivery of major announcements, strategic campaigns, and critical communications initiatives.

Core requirements: these skills are essential for this role. We expect applicants to demonstrate evidence of these requirements in their CV, cover letter and in interviews.

• Significant experience in developing and delivering strategic communications strategies. You bring at least 5-10 years' experience in senior strategic communications roles, a mastery working with media and of communicating technical topics across multiple markets, and a bonus if you have experience in government relations and/or the farming industry. You have examples of delivering successful strategic communications campaigns through developing key messaging, telling stories and sharing narratives across a range of channels. You have examples of how you’ve effectively adapted your communication to suit different audiences and styles. You have examples of dealing with complex technical or regulatory topics and delivering effective communications from them. You deeply understand the media landscape and are strategic in your thinking and approach to stakeholders. You are highly organized at building and strengthening networks and relationships.
• Influencer & Communicator - You’re an influential communicator and presenter. You have examples of conveying complex technical topics with clarity and confidence. You’re an exceptional listener. You have high quality written and verbal communication skills. You’re an ambassador by building rapport and trust with people naturally. You have examples of influencing senior stakeholders at a level similar to senior politicians or executives.
• Proactive & Self-Directed - You have a proven track record of working in a highly self-directed, proactive, resourceful way to deliver value. You have high emotional intelligence and self-awareness. You approach challenges with a “can-do” attitude. You are driven to deliver value. Your ambition and growth mindset is matched by your genuine humility.

Why our team loves working at Halter

• Every now and again a company comes along that disrupts and transforms an entire industry, leaving society in a better place. Few people get the opportunity to work at companies like these. Halter is an incredible technology transforming an essential industry. We have a genuine and shared connection to our mission to make a difference in the world.
• Our product changes the lives of our customers, directly improving their livelihoods and their lifestyle. Your work matters.
• Dedicate yourself to solving real-world problems alongside an epic team in a high-growth culture. The excitement, risk and reward of a high-growth technology scale-up on the global stage. Our ideas are truly valued, we are able to move fast, and our impact is real.
• State-of-the-art, dog-friendly office that’s been thoughtfully designed right in the heart of Auckland city. Did we mention dogs and cows?
• Healthy body, healthy mind. We’re partnered with Southern Cross Health Insurance to support your well-being.
• We offer 6 months of fully paid parental leave for primary caregivers, 4 weeks of fully paid secondary caregiver leave and many other parental benefits that support you and your family.
• Our personal growth is important. Halter offers an annual $1000 self-development budget to be used for anything that fuels personal growth.
• Our time to recharge is valued, we’re offered wellness leave and unlimited paid annual leave.
• We offer an inclusive and attractive remuneration package made up of salary, benefits and an employee stock ownership plan.

Our Office First Approach

There’s a reason you visit your friends in person, live with your family and don’t do dinners over Zoom. Humans are wired for connection. We believe a world-class, in-person office culture is the best way for high-performing teams. 

Being office first is a core pillar of our culture. We believe in-person connections are key to driving your own growth, learning, impact, and building genuine long-lasting relationships. Strong relationships make it easier to disagree, give feedback, and do meaningful and aligned work. We don’t like having heaps of rules or policies, but this means having strong, trusted relationships is critical.

Our office vibe is something special, it’s hard to describe until you’re here, but people at Halter who have come from fully remote or hybrid companies say they could never go back - the high energy and spectacular people they are now surrounded by everyday makes work so enjoyable. Your growth, your learning and your impact is truly unlimited here, and a big part of that comes from being together solving problems, innovating, building context, and constantly learning from each other.

About Halter

At Halter, we’re on a mission to enable farmers and graziers to run the most productive and sustainable operations. Our customers are using Halter to break free from the time-intensive constraints of conventional practices. Imagine watching 500 cattle stand up and walk calmly towards their next break? No quad bikes, no dogs, no fences. Just a group of cattle walking at their own pace. People say it looks like magic. Our customers are revolutionizing grazing with Halter. It's changing lives and transforming an industry. People join Halter to do meaningful work. By joining us you’ll be solving challenging problems within a talented team and a culture built for high performance. Our team out-think, out-work and out-care. We’re committed to delivering real change in the world - this isn’t easy, and in truth, we love that it’s hard. We’re backed to deliver on a mission that matters by Tier 1 investors including Bessemer Venture Partners, DCVC, Blackbird, Promus Ventures, Rocket Lab’s Peter Beck and Icehouse ventures.

To find out more, visit our careers website, LinkedIn & Instagram.

Join our team

Halter is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace — a place where we can each be ourselves and do the best work of our lives. Research shows that while men apply to jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the requirements, women and under-represented groups of candidates tend to only apply when they meet every requirement. If you think you have what it takes but don’t necessarily tick every requirement on this job description, please still get in touch and apply to Halter. We’d love to chat to see if you’ll be an epic fit!

If this opportunity sounds like you, please apply below by sending through your cover letter explaining why you’re excited about this role and working at Halter, along with your CV, and we’ll be in touch!

Please also feel free to check out the careers page for more information on working at Halter and don't forget to follow us on LinkedIn & Instagram.