Responsibilities

• Partner with CEO, executive and senior leadership and cross functional teams to align external communication strategies with enterprise goals and business priorities.
• Develop integrated communication plans that support business goals, operational initiatives, and brand positioning.
• Ensure alignment between corporate messaging, media engagement, and community outreach.
• Lead the development and execution of enterprise media relations strategy to proactively shape external narratives. Execute media interviews with executives and senior leaders, including print, online and broadcast.
• Execute media relations events centered around key financial and strategy announcements and strategic company investments.
• Develop proactive storytelling strategies that elevate brand visibility and reinforce corporate priorities.
• Serve as a primary spokesperson and media advisor for the organization.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key media targets.
• Oversee media monitoring, messaging consistency, and reputation tracking across channels.
• Lead and direct external public relations agency and related budget.

Requirements

• 8 years of progressive experience in corporate communications, media relations or public affairs.
• Proven experience leading media relations and crisis communications at a regional or enterprise level.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Strong track record of managing complex issues and reputational risk in a large, matrixed organization.
• Expertise in managing external public relations or communications agencies.
• Experience counseling and engaging with executive leadership and serving as a trusted communications advisor.
• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Business or related field, or equivalent related work experience.

Preferred

• Experience in regulated, industrial, logistics, food, or consumer-facing industries.
• Experience managing national media relationships and high-visibility corporate narratives.
• Background in issues-heavy environments (e.g., supply chain, labor relations, operations, safety, or regulatory contexts).

Benefits

• Benefits for this role may include health insurance, pre-tax spending accounts, retirement benefits, paid time off, short-term and long-term disability, employee stock purchase plan, and life insurance . To review available benefits, please click here: https://www.usfoods.com/careers/benefits.html .