Manager, Public Relations & Grassroots

Job Summary

The Manager of PR & Grassroots will lead strategic public relations efforts and community engagement initiatives for Church’s Texas Chicken, driving brand awareness, enhancing corporate reputation, and fostering meaningful connections with local communities. This role requires a passionate storyteller, a media-savvy professional, and a skilled grassroots marketer who can craft compelling narratives while executing impactful community programs.

In collaboration with senior leadership and marketing, the Manager of PR & Grassroots will be responsible for designing and implementing PR and grassroots strategies, overseeing execution both internally and externally. This individual must be results-driven, with a deep understanding of evolving PR trends, social media, and other key brand communication platforms. The ideal candidate will be an exceptional communicator, capable of representing Church’s Texas Chicken to the public while ensuring brand consistency and positive positioning. Additionally, they will serve as the primary liaison for PR agency partners and lead grassroots initiatives that strengthen the brand’s presence in local communities.

Key Duties/Responsibilities

• Design a PR strategy and develop a plan that supports the brand’s primary efforts to reflect the Brand’s areas of growth.
• Develop PR engagement for regional execution and local franchise activation.
• Identify opportunities to create stories relevant to our public that align with our brand, engaging the press and expanding our reach to generate additional earned media exposure.
• Create an annual calendar to effectively engage with Marketing, internal teams, and franchisees as needed.
• Lead our PR agency in areas required to support our objectives and efforts, as well as our communications partner and other available resources pertinent to Grassroots efforts.
• Engage project partners in relevant and opportunistic grassroots initiatives, keeping our core customers and franchisees at the center.
• Participate in the design of the marketing plans for NROs (New Restaurant Openings) from a PR perspective.
• Develop relationships with key media organizations and influential individuals.
• Present reports on the effectiveness of PR campaigns and grassroots initiatives.
• Develop and execute successful strategies to position the company as well as the CEO and senior leaders in general and across the industries we serve.
• Lead the external communications plan to support leadership’s interaction with top-tier media as necessary, including technology media, speaking events, and other forums that target C-level audiences and potential customers.
• Speak on behalf of the company in interviews and press conferences if necessary.
• Develop and implement crisis communication plans in collaboration with internal stakeholders.
• Monitor brand reputation across media and social platforms, addressing potential risks proactively.
• Serve as a key point of contact for reputation management issues.
• Manage public relations budgets.

Position Requirements (Education, Qualifications, Experience)

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, journalism, or relevant field.
• 5+ years of demonstrated successful experience in external communications in a corporate or agency environment, preferably in the restaurant, hospitality, or franchise industry.
• Portfolio of successful campaigns you have overseen.
• Experience in pitching to C-level leaders to media, and the capability to train and prepare them for media interviews.
• Expert knowledge of social media, online marketing, and internet culture.
• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Creative thinking with an affinity for innovation and problem-solving.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Established connections with media outlets and influential accounts.
• In-depth understanding of web and marketing analytics.
• Ability to conduct market research and present reports.
• Advanced editing skills with a willingness to be hands-on with writing and editing to get the job done effectively.
• Demonstrated experience with social media and advanced understanding of how to best leverage it at the corporate level to position the company.
• Willingness to travel for local market activations and events as needed.

Competencies

• Critical Thinking – Defines and resolves a situation or problem by analyzing issues involved, weighing options, and evaluating alternatives; maintains objective attitude; approaches situations and problems systematically; uses observation, experience, reflection, and/or reasoning to drive business forward.
• Influencing Others – Convinces and persuades others in either positive or negative circumstances to accomplish goals and objectives; responds to objections successfully; uses tact when expressing ideas or opinions.
• Initiative – Takes action proactively; addresses issues or opportunities without supervision; focuses on desired results and accomplishments; demonstrates clear purpose, enthusiasm, and a “can-do” attitude.
• Innovative and Creative – Looks for ways to improve oneself, the job, the project, the system, and the organization; challenges conventional practices, generates new ideas to create novel solutions to problems.
• Managing Execution – Manages multiple projects and effectively prioritizes tasks and goals; uses goals to guide actions and create detailed action plans; organizes and schedules people and tasks; utilizes resources effectively to meet goals.
• Negotiating – Presents issues or ideas in a clear and influential manner; maintains an open-minded and non-judgmental attitude; listens to others’ views and empathizes.
• Relationship Management – Initiates and develops relationships with others; demonstrates credibility; confronts conflict quickly and professionally; inspires confidence in others.

Physical Requirements

• Employees must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Travel required: 10–20%

Additional Information

1. If you’re hungry for a career that’s fun, fast-paced and loaded with opportunity, then you’ve come to the right place. At Church’s®, we’re not your typical quick service restaurant. We make real comfort food that makes a difference in peoples’ lives. And for over 60 years, our restaurant has been a place where hard-working people can get ahead and go on to do amazing things by serving others.
2. Church’s Chicken is an equal employment opportunity employer and makes hiring and employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or any other factor prohibited by applicable law.

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