senior manager retail communications

Starbucks • Seattle, WA

13d • Hybrid

About The Position

The senior manager, Retail Communications leads a team responsible for helping North America coffeehouse partners understand company priorities, prepare for what is ahead, and deliver great partner and customer experiences. This role develops and executes internal communications strategies that enable partners to successfully deliver seasonal moments, including all promotional launches, customer experiences, operational priorities, and company initiatives while fostering connection, confidence, and pride in wearing the green apron. This is a highly visible people leadership role that operates with significant autonomy. The senior manager develops communications talent, sets clear direction for the team, and serves as a trusted communications advisor to senior leaders and teams across the business.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in internal, employee, retail or enterprise communications in a retail or retail-adjacent environment.
• A strong understanding of frontline audiences and what they need to feel informed, prepared, and connected.
• Proven experience leading, coaching, and developing communications professionals.
• Strong judgment and the ability to lead through sensitive, fast-moving, or unclear situations.
• Exceptional writing and editing skills, with the ability to simplify complexity.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and lead cross‑functional work with PRO/HR, Legal, Operations, and senior leaders.
• Executive presence and comfort advising senior leaders.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with external communications and issues is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a high-performing team
• Build, coach, and develop a team of communications professionals.
• Set clear priorities, create accountability, and help the team focus on the work that will have the greatest impact.
• Create an environment where partners can do their best work, grow their skills, and contribute their ideas.
• Ensure the team consistently delivers clear, high-quality communications in a fast-moving environment.
• Provide support to partners across the broader retail communications team to manage daily workflows.
• Build strategies to enable partner readiness
• Lead communications strategies for high profile retail priorities, seasonal moments, customer experiences, and company initiatives.
• Build integrated plans that connect messages, timing, audiences, and channels.
• Balance business needs with the realities of working in a coffeehouse.
• Ensure communications are clear, timely, actionable, and easy for coffeehouse partners to deliver on their roles.
• Build strategies to drive partner engagement
• Build clear narratives that connect company priorities to the everyday work of coffeehouse partners.
• Turn complex strategies and operating priorities into simple, engaging communications.
• Help partners understand not only what is changing, but why it matters to them, their teams, and their customers.
• Identify opportunities to recognize partners, celebrate progress, and build pride in wearing the green apron.
• Consult, advise and influence
• Influence decisions by bringing forward the partner perspective and communications implications early in the planning process.
• Provide clear recommendations and raise risks to ensure communications land with clarity and authenticity.
• Develop leader messages, presentations, videos, and other communications for key moments.
• Serve as a trusted communications advisor to business partners and senior leaders.
• Align teams around the partner experience
• Build strong relationships across Coffeehouse Excellence, Product, Marketing, Merchandising, Partner Resources, Global Communications and more.
• Bring teams together around shared integrated communications plans, priorities, and timing.
• Use partner insights and feedback to continually improve how retail communications are planned and delivered.
• Enable the broader retail communications team priorities and daily deliverables.

Benefits

• medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, and other voluntary insurance benefits.
• short-term and long-term disability
• paid parental leave
• family expansion reimbursement
• paid vacation from date of hire
• sick time (accrued at 1 hour for every 25 hours worked)
• eight paid holidays
• two personal days per year
• eligible partners participation in a 401(k) retirement plan with employer match
• discounted company stock program (S.I.P.)
• Starbucks equity program (Bean Stock)
• incentivized emergency savings
• financial well-being tools
• 100%25 upfront tuition coverage for a first-time bachelor’s degree through Arizona State University’s online program via the Starbucks College Achievement Plan
• student loan management resources
• access to other educational opportunities
• backup care
• DACA reimbursement

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed