The External Senior Communications Manager – Media & Digital is a strategic and execution‑focused communications leader responsible for shaping and delivering high‑impact external storytelling that strengthens reputation, drives brand familiarity, and supports business growth.
This role blends earned media excellence with a strong digital mindset—supporting a modern, newsroom‑driven approach to communications across traditional media, owned channels, and emerging digital platforms. The ideal candidate brings deep media relations experience, intellectual curiosity about digital technology, and a passion for translating complex topics (innovation, sustainability, digital solutions, transformation) into compelling, credible narratives.
What You Will Do:
Media Relations & Earned Media
- Develop and execute proactive media strategies aligned to enterprise priorities, business campaigns, and innovation launches.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with tier‑one, trade, and emerging digital media across relevant beats (business, technology, innovation).
- Lead media outreach, story pitching, press materials, interviews, and spokesperson preparation.
- Monitor media coverage, issues, and external trends; provide insight‑driven recommendations to leaders.
Digital‑First Storytelling
- Contribute to a digital‑newsroom approach to external communications, ensuring stories are designed for relevance, reach, and engagement across channels.
- Partner closely with content, social, and digital teams to translate earned media moments into owned and shared content.
- Apply knowledge of digital platforms, analytics, and audience behavior to continuously optimize storytelling and channel mix.
Technology, Innovation & Transformation Communications
- Support communications for digital technology, innovation, and transformation initiatives, helping make complex concepts clear, credible, and human.
- Stay informed on digital trends, platforms, and tools that influence media, reputation, and stakeholder engagement.
- Bring forward new ideas for how technology can improve storytelling, measurement, and distribution.
Collaboration & Stakeholder Management
- Serve as a trusted communications partner to internal stakeholders across business, marketing, digital and executive teams.
- Work seamlessly with agency partners to extend capacity, expertise, and reach.
What Success Looks Like:
- Clear, compelling stories that elevate reputation and support business priorities.
- Strong media relationships that consistently result in credible coverage.
- Digital‑savvy communications that reach the right audiences, in the right channels, at the right time.
- Trusted partnership with internal stakeholders and communications leadership.
Position Details:
- This is a hybrid role based out of Naperville, IL or St. Paul, MN.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in English, Communications, Journalism, or a related field
- 10 years of professional experience
- 7 years of experience in agency communications, external communications, media relations, or related. Experience in journalism is highly regarded
- Proven track record securing high‑quality earned media and managing complex media relationships
- Strong writing, storytelling, and message development skills across formats and audiences
- Experience working in a fast‑paced, matrixed, global organization
- Immigration sponsorship not available for this role
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience communicating about digital technology, innovation, or transformation topics
- Demonstrated curiosity and working knowledge of digital platforms, analytics, and evolving media landscapes
- Experience integrating earned media with owned and social channels
- Background in B2B, industrial, technology, or purpose‑driven organizations
Annual or Hourly Compensation Range
Benefits
Ecolab strives to provide comprehensive and market-competitive benefits to meet the needs of our associates and their families. Click here to see our benefits.
If you are viewing this posting on a site other than our Ecolab Career website, view our benefits at jobs.ecolab.com/working-here.
Potential Customer Requirements Notice
To meet customer requirements and comply with local or state regulations, applicants for certain customer-facing roles may need to:
- Undergo additional background screens and/or drug/alcohol testing for customer credentialing.
- Be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, including a booster if eligible, unless a religious or medical accommodation is requested by the applicant and approved by Ecolab.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Ecolab will provide reasonable accommodation (such as a qualified sign language interpreter or other personal assistance) with our application process upon request as required to comply with applicable laws. If you have a disability and require accommodation assistance in this application process, please visit the Recruiting Support link in the footer of each page of our career website.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in English, Communications, Journalism, or a related field
- 10 years of professional experience
- 7 years of experience in agency communications, external communications, media relations, or related (journalism experience highly regarded)
- Proven track record securing high‑quality earned media and managing complex media relationships
- Strong writing, storytelling, and message development skills across formats and audiences
- Experience working in a fast‑paced, matrixed, global organization
- Hybrid role based out of Naperville, IL or St. Paul, MN
- Experience communicating about digital technology, innovation, or transformation topics
- Working knowledge of digital platforms, analytics, and evolving media landscapes
- Experience integrating earned media with owned and social channels
- Background in B2B, industrial, technology, or purpose‑driven organizations
Ecolab Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Ecolab and has not been reviewed or approved by Ecolab.
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Retirement Support — Feedback suggests the company provides strong retirement programs, including a 401(k) with employer matching and a pension, alongside options like an employee stock purchase plan. Offerings such as retiree healthcare benefits and diverse investment choices reinforce long-term financial support.
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Healthcare Strength — Feedback suggests medical coverage is broad, with HSA plan options and company contributions, prescription benefits, dental and vision, and virtual care and mental health support. Company-paid wellness programs and income protection (short- and long-term disability, life and accident) further strengthen core coverage.
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Parental & Family Support — Family-focused programs include fertility support, adoption assistance, and paid parental leave, complemented by counseling and resource services. These offerings are positioned as supportive of employee well-being across different life stages.
Ecolab Insights
What We Do
A trusted partner at nearly three million customer locations, Ecolab (ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services. With annual sales of $12 billion and more than 44,000 associates, Ecolab delivers comprehensive solutions, data-driven insights and personalized service to advance food safety, maintain clean and safe environments, optimize water and energy use, and improve operational efficiencies and sustainability for customers in the food, healthcare, hospitality and industrial markets in more than 170 countries around the world. For more Ecolab news and information, visit www.ecolab.com, or follow us on twitter.com/ecolab, facebook.com/ecolab or instagram.com/ecolab_inc.
