Manager, Public Relations & Grassroots

Church's Chicken•Atlanta, GA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

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.

Requirements

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 the corporate level to position the company
Willingness to travel for local market activations and events as needed

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 Grass Roots 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, leading 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.