Senior Manager - Consumer Brand PR

8901 - Corp Office West Crk - 12800 Tuckahoe Creek Parkway, Richmond, Virginia, 23238

CarMax, the way your career should be! 

About this job

The Senior Manager of Consumer Brand PR oversees proactive PR campaigns to drive brand awareness and strengthen CarMax’s position with consumers as a culturally relevant brand, most trusted industry expert, and top destination for buying and selling used cars. The Senior Manager develops a comprehensive vision for how the Consumer Brand PR program should evolve to meet future Marketing and company strategies and ensures that CarMax’s proactive positioning and programming evolves with emerging PR trends, the news media landscape and consistently delivers exceptional results.

The Senior Manager is a trusted advisor to marketing leadership on enhancing and protecting the company’s brand reputation in all advertising and marketing efforts, as well as working across multiple agency teams to recommend integrated brand activations and real-time marketing moments with corresponding public relations strategy to drive earned media coverage and social media buzz. 

The Senior Manager oversees the work of PR agency partners to execute a robust media outreach program for key company announcements and initiatives, including PR amplification of product and experience launches, advertising creative campaigns, sports marketing initiatives, product and experience launches, brand activations/real time marketing moments, and campaigns to position the company’s differentiated data insights and consumer advice.

They serve as a company spokesperson when necessary, and oversee the team to build strong relationships with key national, regional and online news media. In addition, they regularly provide key message development and communications training for brand spokespeople to ensure they successfully represent the CarMax brand in external-facing opportunities, including company leaders, among them the Chief Marketing Officer, as well as external brand ambassadors.    

What you will do – Essential Responsibilities

• Work across departments to foster alignment of strategic priorities, messaging and cadence of key consumer brand PR announcements. Identify and recommend opportunities to proactively promote company initiatives and key storylines to advance company and brand goals.

• Prepare the strategy and oversee execution of fully coordinated PR plans, in partnership with cross-functional teams; lead the development of compelling announcements, story angles, and expert content that garner meaningful media coverage of the CarMax brand.
• Courageously influence across the company, and as such, should possess strong knowledge of our corporate strategy, company functions, programs, and performance to recommend methods to elevate our brand and achieve business priorities.
• Partner across the company to uncover and prioritize opportunities to tell our brand story and advance our positioning.
• Advise the business on the reputation risk level of campaigns, celebrity partnerships and brand activations; develop mitigation plans and oversee response efforts as needed.
• Develop strategic messaging and oversee consistent execution of approved messaging.
• Lead strategic visioning for the consumer brand PR function and establish goals and objectives.

• Ensure organizational awareness and buy-in of planned programs, as well as effective and consistent cross-channel execution. 

• Present to various leadership groups about upcoming PR initiatives and progress towards our goals.
• Work cross-functionally to build consensus for approach and ensure alignment and buy-in across the organization before launching external initiatives.
• Serve as a trusted communications advisor to leaders and ensure high quality and consistent communications strategy and execution across a variety of channel communications.

• Oversees a team of high performing PR Agency partners on multiple programs simultaneously:

• Coordinate progress against multiple workstreams with high-complexity.
• Ensure that PR team members (internal and external) have all the resources needed to deliver on our goals. Lead by setting clear expectations, motivating, and empowering them to develop plans and lead their collaborative cross-functional teams.
• Take a lead role in removing barriers for the team (internal team members and agency partners).
• Manage and monitor active agency projects; provide feedback and guidance to agency partners so they can effectively deliver on initiatives.
• Lead stakeholder and business partner communications between CarMax and agency partners.
• Facilitate inter-agency communications and collaborative projects.

Purpose of the role

This role is critical to positioning CarMax as the top destination for used car buyers and sellers and a culturally relevant, modern brand. Building the company’s brand in these areas helps build brand awareness and affinity with target consumers, builds third-party credibility and recognition, inspires action and supports our associate pride. The ideal candidate is a communications leader with expertise in media relations, influencer marketing, and PR agency management. They will have demonstrated experience driving exceptional results through a variety of PR strategies utilizing earned, paid and social tactics. They will be able to motivate and leverage the strengths of a team, driving a positive workplace culture and mutually beneficial relationships with our partners.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Four-year college degree (Marketing, Advertising, Mass Communications, Public Relations or related field) required
• 7+ years of marketing and management experience
• Proven record of developing and managing successful PR programs, demonstrated success building relationships with national reporters and driving proactive media placements.
• Experience overseeing the work of communications professionals (and agency partners) to meet shared goals
• Experience developing processes and systems to ensure consistent, quality work across teams; demonstrated success coaching and leading individuals in execution of the processes
• Ability to build and maintain positive working relationships at varying levels
• Exceptional business acumen & experience developing and communicating company messaging in clear, concise and compelling way for internal and external audiences.
• Media relations experience with national consumer, business, tech, personal finance, and lifestyle news media outlets.
• Experience managing & maximizing a PR marketing budget to drive business performance.
• Ability to work completely independently and handle ambiguity.
• Proven ability to manage cross-functional teams & channel stakeholders.
• Strong presentation development skills, including preparing PowerPoint presentations that tell visual & impactful stories.
• Proven ability to think logically & creatively to develop innovative, new solutions.
• Ability to manage multiple channel programs simultaneously and to meet deadlines.
• Ability to communicate complex messages in a manner that is clear, effective, and engaging, to a variety of internal and external audiences, including senior leaders. 
• Ability to convey a professional and positive image to external customers, media contacts, etc.
• This position is a critical role to CarMax and is expected to be highly responsive to internal and external customers. As a first responder to media and customer inquiries, across the United States and in different time zones, this position will participate in assigned nightly and weekend media and social monitoring to ensure reporters and business partners receive timely, appropriate responses.

About CarMax

CarMax disrupted the auto industry by delivering the honest, transparent and high-integrity experience customers want and deserve. This innovative thinking around the way cars are bought and sold has helped us become the nation’s largest retailer of used cars, with over 200 locations nationwide.

Our amazing team of more than 25,000 associates work together to deliver iconic customer experiences. Along the way, we help every associate grow their career and achieve their best, at work and in their community.  We are recognized for our commitment to training and diversity and are one of the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For®.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:

CarMax is committed to bringing together people from different backgrounds and perspectives, providing employees with a safe, welcoming, and inclusive work environment.

CarMax is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, and any other characteristics protected by law.

Upon an applicant's request, CarMax will consider reasonable accommodation to complete the CarMax Job Application.