Public Relations Manager

REMOTE • CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES

Marketing • Public Relations • Grocery 

Join NCG as our Public Relations Manager and help shape, elevate, and protect our collective public voice across the grocery co-op sector! If you are passionate about mission driven storytelling and strengthening the cooperative movement, we’d love to meet you. 

Come join National Co+op Grocers’ (NCG) collective movement towards a just, resilient and regenerative food system that is accessible for all! We are a business services cooperative that helps community-owned grocery stores thrive—strengthening local economies, promoting sustainable food systems, and empowering consumers. We are revolutionizing the grocery industry to make it work better for people and the planet!

This position will lead PR strategy, manage our agency partner, craft compelling narratives, and support thought leadership that amplifies the impact of food co-ops nationwide. This is an ideal position for a professional with strong agency management skills, crisis communications and a track record of developing high-impact PR strategies.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Partner with the Chief Marketing & Communications Officer and PR agency to develop a public relations strategy and budget that aligns with NCG’s business goals and elevates co-op positioning across the grocery sector.
• Manage the PR agency in identifying & assessing opportunities for earned media, partnerships and thought leadership to strengthen brand awareness for both NCG and the co-op system.
• Support senior leadership with communications training and messaging that reinforces NCG’s priorities and strengthens its reputation.
• Assist with the development of clear, compelling narratives for diverse audiences, including media, partners, vendors, consumers, and other stakeholders.
• Oversee agency in execution of media outreach, press release development and story placements.
• Maintain the ongoing evaluation, development, and maintenance of PR resources for member co-ops to ensure relevance and usefulness.
• Review and process PR-related invoices and provide initial reviews of PR budget tracking.
• Manage PR-related incidents or inquiries from member co-ops, assessing needed support.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in public relations, corporate communications, or media relations, ideally in the food, grocery or cooperative sectors. including budget management.
• Proven experience managing external PR agencies and cross functional teams.
• Demonstrated experience in crisis communications, issue management, and senior leadership support.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and executing PR strategies that elevate brand awareness and thought leadership.
• Demonstrated knowledge and application of effective marketing and communications techniques.
• Demonstrated ability to plan for, carry out and provide support for projects with minimal supervision.
• Up to 10% of business travel is required, including overnights and weekends.

Compensation & Benefits

NCG offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package, as an example:

• 4 weeks Paid Time Off
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) with company contributions
• Company-paid life and disability insurance
• Company-paid identity theft protection
• Matching 401(k) plan

The salary for this position is $136,852.

Workstation Options

• Home Office (Contiguous U.S.): Eligible if within 100 miles of a major airport and has sufficient internet bandwidth and mobile phone service.
• St. Paul, MN Office: Workstations available at 2610 University Ave W, with free parking and access to the Green Line Light Rail (Westgate Station).

Accessibility

NCG is committed to providing equal access to all interested candidates. If you require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact (866) 709-2667 ext. 2817 or email careers@ncg.coop for assistance.

Our goal is to attract and retain qualified talent and encourage applications from all individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any characteristic protected by applicable law.

No recruiters or agencies please.