Manager, Brand PR - Better For You & Natures Bakery

Location: USA-Illinois-Chicago

Mars Snacking is seeking a strategic, creative, and highly collaborative communications professional to serve as Manager, Brand PR and Earned Influence as part of the Mars Snacking Accelerator Corporate Affairs Team. This role will help execute earned- and influence-led brand initiatives that drive reputation and increase awareness and growth of the portfolio of Better-for-You brands, including KIND, RXBAR, NutriGrain, and Pure Organic, in North America and Canada.

This role is responsible for earned media, strategic partnerships, brand storytelling, executive visibility, content creation, reputation management, and internal engagement around brands. This position requires a communicator to envision and execute high-impact campaigns, with data-driven insights and instinctive cultural timing, ensuring our brands don’t just join a conversation, but spark trends and start movements, ultimately increasing brand equity and driving growth.

Accelerator, a global Division of Mars Snacking, is on the front line of unlocking growth across high-potential categories and brands to fuel what’s next for Snacking. It’s home to both emerging and enduring brands, including KIND, TRÜ FRÜ, NATURE’S BAKERY, RXBAR, EGGO, POP-TARTS and RICE KRISPIE TREATS. Combining the scale of Mars with the agility of a start-up, our Division has the ambition to accelerate the future of snacking by delivering products consumers love today, discovering category-shaping innovations for tomorrow and developing entrepreneurial teams whose impact will last for generations.

We’re looking for passionate talent who dare to dream big, agile collaborators who talk straight and decide fast, and driven performers with a growth mindset. We’re proudly part of Mars, while also building something boldly different. If this inspires and energizes you, you’ve found the right place where you can do cool things with fun people for one of the biggest snacking companies in the world!

Key Responsibilities

• Support Brand initiatives that increase awareness of Mars, its portfolio of Better-for-You brands, and Purpose, including but not limited to: Brand Integrated Communications, Strategic Partnerships, Communications & Programming, and Social Impact.
• Maintain a strong understanding of current and new media trends that can influence and reach our target audience, with a growth and digital-first approach.
• Serve as the earned media expert across the brand’s integrated agency team (IAT) and internal cross-functional forums.
• Manage and inspire agency partners to deliver earned-first storytelling, cultural intelligence, and reputation impact.
• Own the Brand Communications editorial calendar, ensuring content and planning timelines are aligned internally and externally, while leading the development and submission of all internal inform communications materials.
• Develop, edit, and distribute Brand communications materials including press releases, Key messaging/Q&A documents, social posts, presentations, and speeches.
• Identify and deliver opportunities to amplify brand moments internally to drive Associate pride.
• Lead award submissions: partner with agencies, keep a calendar of target awards, edit template submissions to fit individual award applications, and ensure reviews and applications are submitted.
• Support executive visibility opportunities for BFY leaders, including developing executive messaging, briefing materials, and communication assets.
• Identify opportunities to position BFY leaders as credible voices on important topics.
• Manage Brand PR budget tracking, inputs, and monthly reporting processes.
• Help with proactive and reactive media relations, and event opportunities.
• Leverage consumer feedback and insights to inform proactive communications and mitigate future risk.

Education & professional qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, journalism, or an associated profession is required, or the equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• 5-8+ years of experience in brand communications, PR,
• Agency experience and/or brand PR roles in the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) industry

Knowledge/Experience

• Strong background in agency management, cross-functional leadership, and operational delivery
• Proven ability to concept and execute culturally resonant brand campaigns with measurable impact
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling capabilities
• Strong project management and organizational skills
• Ability to manage priorities and deadlines simultaneously
• Sound editorial judgment, discretion, and attention to detail
• Experience working with internal and external stakeholders in a large, highly matrixed organization
• Experience supporting executive communications and reputation management preferred
• Ability to travel up to 25% of the time.

What to Expect from Mars

Work with diverse and talented Associates, all guided by the Five Principles.

Join a purpose-driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.

A strong focus on learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.

An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.

The base pay range for this position at commencement of employment is between the range listed below, however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position will include variable pay, medical and dental benefits, participation in 401k plan, and paid time off benefits. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an applicant receives an offer of employment.

The pay range shown is applicable to all US locations listed within the job posting:USD 108,160.00 - USD 148,720.00