Director, Community Impact

Director, Community Impact

Our passion for putting patients first is reflected in Edwards’ deep commitment to advancing global health initiatives that increase access to care for underserved patients. Our Global Health and Community Impact team brings this mission to life by supporting high‑impact programs and partnerships that save lives, strengthen health systems, and improve social determinants of health in communities where we live and work. Every effort we support is grounded in purpose, driven by compassion, and designed to amplify Edwards’ global impact in ways that are both meaningful and measurable. 

Join our Global Health and Community Impact team in deepening and amplifying Edwards Lifesciences and Edwards Lifesciences Foundation’s impact on people in the communities where employees live and work who are facing barriers through our Strengthen Our Community (SOC) initiative.

Given the collaborative and complex nature of this work, this role is onsite fulltime at the Irvine, California headquarters.

How you’ll make an impact:

The Director, Community Impact will lead the execution and continuous evolution of Edwards’ global SOC strategy, translating strategic priorities into scalable initiatives that are globally consistent and locally adaptable, that strengthen communities and that reinforce culture by engaging employees worldwide.

This subject matter expert and enterprise leader will be accountable for shaping strategy, driving execution, inspiring internal and external connection, and delivering measurable impact. 

The role also serves as a visible global representative and spokesperson of the company and Edwards Lifesciences Foundation internally and externally, strengthening Edwards’ reputation and stakeholder trust. 

1) Community Impact Strategy, Signature Initiatives, & Strategic Partnerships

• Lead execution and ongoing refinement of the global SOC strategy, ensuring alignment to established multi-year priorities, foundation investment focus areas, and success metrics. 
• Translate strategy into scalable global programs, campaigns, and recognition initiatives with regional adaptability.
• Build strategic partnerships across charitable partners, regional leadership, employee resource groups, human resources, and communications, to align community initiatives with identified needs.

2) Communications, Thought Leadership & Campaigns

• Serve as a spokesperson for the company and Foundation, inspiring others to join us through authentic storytelling, building trust with key stakeholders, and elevating our voice and influence in community impact.
• Partner with Communications to shape a cohesive global narrative and deliver storytelling that connects employee volunteerism to measurable community outcomes with foundation partners.
• Lead global employee impact campaigns and programs (i.e. Heart Month, Global Month of Giving, disaster relief initiatives, employee relief program), including strategy, execution, adoption, measurement and optimization. 

3) Employee Volunteerism & Governance

• Lead the global employee impact and volunteer infrastructure, inspiring 16,000+ employees to participate in charitable activities through impactful committees, campaigns, volunteer programs, and non-profit board service.
• Design, scale and oversee employee leadership models to expand local ownership and participation of initiatives/campaigns, ensuring strong succession planning and leadership support.
• Drive clarity how employee volunteerism is led and executed (i.e. who owns what, how decisions are made, and how we operate) so employee volunteerism efforts are consistent and effective worldwide.
• Establish and maintain governance frameworks, standards, and policies to ensure consistency, compliance, and scalability.

4) Impact Measurement, Reporting & Partner Governance

• Co-own the community impact measurement strategy and implementation tactics in partnership with Director, Finance & Impact.
• Establish partner requirements and compliance processes while driving global adoption of reporting frameworks to ensure data and reporting quality.
• Identify insights and trends to inform strategy and decision-making.
• Translate data and insights into clear impact narratives for internal and external stakeholders, strengthening transparency, credibility, and inspiring others to join us in community impact.  

What you’ll need (Required)

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, public affairs, non-profit management, business, or related field, and 12 years of experience in community impact, employee volunteerism, corporate philanthropy, communications campaigns, and/or related programs, or equivalent work experience based on Edwards criteria

What else we look for (Preferred)

• Demonstrated success leading global initiatives and complex programs with multiple internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience with employee giving platforms, matching gift systems, volunteer management tools, and grantmaking software.
• Experience designing and operationalizing impact measurement and partner reporting.
• Experience managing vendors, budgets, and governance committees at enterprise scale.
• Proven ability to inspire and drive action through influence, not authority.
• Strong executive presence and ability to serve as a spokesperson internally and externally.

• Experience in healthcare, life sciences, or other regulated industries with compliance considerations for charitable activity.

Working Conditions / Travel

• Periodic domestic and global travel for key events, employee and partner engagement.
• Ability to be present at evening/weekend initiatives during campaigns and major events.

Aligning our overall business objectives with performance, we offer competitive salaries, performance-based incentives, and a wide variety of benefits programs to address the diverse individual needs of our employees and their families.

For California, the base pay range for this position is $145,000 - $205,000 (highly experienced).

The pay for the successful candidate will depend on various factors (e.g., qualifications, education, prior experience).  Applications will be accepted while this position is posted on our Careers website.  

Edwards is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer including protected Veterans and individuals with disabilities.

COVID Vaccination Requirement

Edwards is committed to protecting our vulnerable patients and the healthcare providers who are treating them. As such, all patient-facing and in-hospital positions require COVID-19 vaccination. If hired into a covered role, as a condition of employment, you will be required to submit proof that you have been vaccinated for COVID-19, unless you request and are granted a medical or religious accommodation for exemption from the vaccination requirement. This vaccination requirement does not apply in locations where it is prohibited by law to impose vaccination.