Summary:
The Public Relations Manager plays a key role in shaping and executing Panera's communications strategy. This dynamic position involves collaborating with cross-functional teams and agency partners to drive brand visibility and relevance, manage media relations and monitoring, and support strategic marketing initiatives. The ideal candidate is a strong writer, proactive communicator and possesses excellent media relations skills.
This is a hybrid role. Candidates must be able to work out of our Newton, MA offices three days per week.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Communications Planning:
- Contribute to the development and implementation of Panera's communications strategy as part of the Corporate Affairs team.
- Collaborate with internal marketing teams and agency partners to create integrated consumer communication plans aligned with Panera's initiatives.
- Support the ideation and execution of key brand moments, coordinating with legal, operations, marketing, and other relevant departments.
- Work to ensure brand consistency across all communication platforms.
Media Relations:
- Manage the press inbox daily, ensuring timely and accurate responses to media inquiries.
- Manage the Panera press page, ensuring all coverage and press materials are up-to-date weekly.
- Stay up-to-date with industry news and national trends
- Research, draft, and refine press materials, Q&As, and key messaging for various company consumer and corporate announcements.
- Prepare comprehensive press recaps for stakeholders, including quarterly and annual performance measurement.
- Assist in developing and executing proactive consumer media strategies for major brand campaigns and product launches.
- Act as a member of Panera’s crisis team, responding to issues management needs in coordination with the Corporate Affairs team.
Qualifications:
- 4-6 years of experience in the public relations field
- Agency experience required
- High energy self-starter with an unapologetic bias for action
- Must be able to work autonomously with people at multiple levels within the organization
- Experience managing or working with agency resources a plus
- Ability to multi-task, work successfully with teams, and work under pressure
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Exceptional project management skills with strong attention to detail
- Bachelor's degree, preferably with a concentration in public relations, marketing or communications
- Flexibility to respond to issues outside of standard working hours required
- Occasional travel required
Competitive Pay $104,942 to $146,918 annually.
The actual pay offered will be determined by multiple factors, including but not limited to the candidate’s relevant experience, job-related knowledge, skills, and geographical location. Individual compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.
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What We Do
Panera began in 1987 as St. Louis Bread Company, a humble community bakery founded with a sourdough starter from San Francisco and a dream of putting a loaf of bread in every arm. While our business has expanded well beyond St. Louis since then, that same sourdough starter is still used in our iconic sourdough bread and the craft of baking bread fresh each day remains at the heart of Panera Bread. Each day, our trained bakers fill our bakery shelves with delicious freshly baked cookies, pastries, bagels, and a range of breads from focaccia to classic baguettes.
We believe in serving delicious, freshly prepared, clean food made with carefully selected ingredients that we are proud to serve our own families. Our menu, crafted by chefs and bakers, features classic, comforting dishes, each with an intriguing twist.
We respect our planet and take measures to lessen our impacts. We believe in treating people with warmth, kindness, and respect, whether it’s a guest in our cafe or one of our associates. And we believe in helping our local communities, especially in times of need.
We’re also focused on improving quality and convenience. With investments in technology and operations, we offer omni-channel access to your Panera favorites – like mobile ordering, catering, and Rapid Pick-Up® for to-go orders, Curbside pick-up and delivery – all designed to make things easier for our guests.
Today, Panera operates as both Panera Bread® or Saint Louis Bread Co St. Louis Bread Company in 48 states, the District of Columbia and Canada.
Panera Bread is privately held by JAB Holding Company. Panera Bread is part of Panera Brands, one of the largest fast-casual restaurant platforms in the U.S., comprised of Panera Bread®, Caribou Coffee® and Einstein Bros.® Bagels.
