Media Relations & Editorial Lead

Department:                 Communications

Reports To:                   Senior Director, Communications

The Media Relations & Editorial Lead is a key driver of brand reputation, a strategic communicator responsible for keeping internal and external stakeholders informed and engaged, a steadfast guardian of brand standards, and a central point of contact for the communications needs of store operations and other cross-functional partners. In this role, the Lead will bring these priorities to life by crafting compelling written and editorial content, driving our public relations efforts, and spearheading brand award submissions.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Media Relations: Lead external media relations activities, including: developing and executing comprehensive PR strategies aligned with brand goals; cultivating and maintaining a strong network of media contacts; writing press releases and proactively pitching story angles to secure earned media coverage; facilitating responses to press inquiries, interview requests, and breaking news; serving as the primary contact and providing in-person support for media interviews and onsite filming; and monitoring media coverage to track the overall effectiveness of PR campaigns.
• Editorial & Content Creation: Lead internal and external writing and content creation activities, including: researching, drafting, editing and publishing engaging articles for company platforms; developing key messaging and talking points for key projects and issues management; supporting executives with the drafting of associate memos, presentations, and briefings for interviews and speaking engagements; and crafting compelling, high-quality submissions for industry and brand awards.
• Crisis Communications & Issues Management: Alongside the Senior Director of Communications, serve as a critical line of defense for brand reputation by managing communications for crises and emerging issues, including: drafting talking points, FAQs and targeted communiques for key stakeholders, including media; collaborating closely with leadership and legal partners to ensure swift, accurate alignment and approvals; conducting real-time media and social sentiment monitoring during live incidents to track story development, assess public response, and inform messaging adjustments; and maintaining a rotating, weekend on-call schedule to monitor alerts and respond to urgent media inquiries or operational incidents outside of standard business hours.
• Communications Governance & Standards: Drive standards, accountability, and oversight across all communication touchpoints, including: establishing and enforcing centralized communication processes and workflows to streamline how information is shared across the company; creating standardized templates and managing asset governance; auditing cross-functional content to ensure all written materials across the organization adhere to a consistent brand voice, tone, and editorial standard; and serving as a consultative gatekeeper to train and guide internal partners on communications best practices.
• Cross-Functional Support & Special Projects: Serve as an adaptable resource and collaborative partner for emerging business needs, including: managing, prioritizing, and executing ad-hoc communication requests from store operations and corporate departments; providing strategic communications support for special projects, internal and external events, major business initiatives, and cross-functional campaigns; and performing other duties and undertaking special assignments as directed by leadership to support the evolving goals of the Communications team and the broader organization.
• Attendance & Schedule Compliance: Maintain regular, timely attendance in compliance with the work schedule, providing adequate notice for occasional absences.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Marketing, or a related field (completed collegiate coursework in Communications required).
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in public relations, corporate communications, and/or media relations.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills.
• Strong project manager – ability to plan, develop, and execute concurrent internal and external communications programs in a fast-paced, deadline-focused, team environment, while aligning with leadership’s overall strategic plans.
• Skilled at relationship-building with internal and external stakeholders, executives and decision-makers to influence positive communications outcomes.
• Ability to make ethical decisions and judgement calls on behalf of a company in crisis and/or highly confidential situations.
• Proficient in Google Workspace platforms.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment described below is representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Spend up to 90% of time at a desk sitting/standing in place for long periods of time
• Remainder of time spent in a store environment

Work Schedule

This is a full-time position. Because grocery retail operations occur over extended hours and weekends, this role requires mandatory availability outside of normal business hours (M-F days) to handle on-call needs or breaking news.