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Sr. External Communications Manager

S&S Cycle • Full-time • Bolingbrook, Illinois, United States • 3d ago

Position Details

Title: Sr. External Communications Manager

Type: Job

Class: Full-time

Date: 8/11/2025

Region: Northern Illinois

City, State: Bolingbrook, IL

Summary:

Calling all storytellers, brand builders, and big thinkers. If you believe in the power of connection, creativity, and bold ideas, we’ve got a role made for you. We’re on the search for an External Communications Senior Manager to shape how the world sees and experiences our brand. You’ll lead the charge in bringing our story to life externally, elevating our visibility, reputation, and voice across commercial and corporate channels. This is your chance to make an impact, spark emotion, and build something unforgettable. Ready to dream big with us?

The ideal candidate will excel at driving and managing impactful external campaigns, building strong media relationships, managing external agencies, and collaborating with internal stakeholders to ensure brand consistency across all channels. This individual will also serve as a key project manager—coordinating multi-channel campaign efforts across internal functions and ensuring alignment with internal communications and enterprise-wide initiatives.

If you are a strategic thinker with a passion for impactful communications, collaboration, and a track record of delivering results, we’d love to hear from you!

This position will report directly to the SVP of Marketing.

Responsibilities:

External Corporate Communications

Develop and oversee the strategy and execution of all external corporate communications to ensure consistent messaging, tone, and branding.
Collaborate with internal communications and cross-functional teams to align on campaign strategies and execution plans.

Brand Communication Strategy

Partner with brand marketing teams to create and implement a communications strategy that supports the annual brand plan and overall business goals.
Ensure marketing communications align with broader organizational objectives and resonate with target audiences.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Project Management

Serve as the lead project manager for external communication campaigns—coordinating timelines, deliverables, and inputs from marketing, sales, operations, and internal communications.
Build strong partnerships with internal functional leaders to ensure consistent, integrated messaging across all customer-facing touchpoints.
Partner closely with the internal communications team to align messaging and support internal engagement efforts, particularly those tied to commercial strategies.

Commercial Internal Communications Support

Partner with internal communications to support commercial-related internal messaging—ensuring employees are informed, aligned, and equipped to reinforce key customer communications.
Help translate key external campaigns and customer-facing initiatives into internal messages that support clarity, consistency, and commercial readiness.

Agency and Vendor Management

Serve as the primary liaison with external agencies or vendors to ensure deliverables meet quality standards, timelines, and budgetary constraints.

Media and Public Relations

Build and maintain strong relationships with media outlets, journalists, and influencers to enhance the company’s visibility and reputation.
Draft, distribute, and manage press releases, respond to media inquiries, and coordinate interviews or other PR-related projects.
Oversee media monitoring and reporting to track and analyze the company’s presence in the press.

Market Research and Insights

Conduct market research to identify industry trends, competitor activities, and customer behaviors.
Use data-driven insights to refine communication strategies and improve audience targeting.

Crisis Communication

Develop and implement communication plans for crises or sensitive situations to protect and uphold the company’s reputation.
Act as the primary point of contact for key stakeholders during crisis communication efforts.

Measurement and Reporting

Establish and monitor KPIs for communication initiatives, regularly reporting on effectiveness.
Leverage analytics to optimize strategies and enhance campaign outcomes.

Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, or a related field.
Proven experience in corporate communications, brand strategy, or media relations, preferably in a leadership role.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to craft compelling narratives.
Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and cross-functional workstreams in a fast-paced environment.
Experience managing external agencies and vendors.
Proficiency in data analysis and using insights to inform strategies.
Demonstrated ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Crisis communication experience is a plus.

Compensation & Benefits: