Brand PR Director, Confectionary

Mars, Incorporated and its Affiliates; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 154,000 - 211,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Benefits package

Job summary

Mars, Incorporated and its Affiliates, in North America, seeks a Brand PR Director to lead earned-first communications for its confectionery portfolio, including M&M’S, SNICKERS, SKITTLES and EXTRA. You will steer PR strategy, partnerships and executive visibility across Marketing, Digital, Legal and Corporate Affairs to elevate the brands’ reputation and growth.

The role drives culture-aligned storytelling, sponsorships, and cross-functional collaboration with internal stakeholders and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, journalism or associated profession is required, or the equivalent.
• 10+ years of strong communications and leadership capabilities for consumer-facing brands with earned-first strategies.
• Knowledge of reputation-driving strategies for consumer brands.
• Expertise in brand communications and navigating the consumer media landscape.
• Experience with strategic agency management including scoping, contracting, and success measurement.
• Proven success in leading communications across multiple brands and portfolio.
• Influencing without direct authority to motivate teams and challenge status quo.
• Knowledge of Retail, Paid Media, Influencer, Social, and CP channel management.
• Digital-first mindset and understanding of the consumer media landscape.
• Line management experience in ambiguous settings.
• Ability to travel.

Responsibilities

• Drive the strategic direction and execution of brand PR, sponsorships, and earned-first communications that support Confectionary’s growth ambitions.
• Identify cultural conversations, media moments, and relevant voices to increase brand awareness and relevancy with today’s consumers.
• Unify external brand communications, including earned media, key brand moments, and portfolio wide campaigns.
• Ensure consistent brand messaging across consumer, corporate, and Associate-facing platforms.
• Develop and maintain messaging architecture for confectionary brands, including core narratives, tone-of-voice, and proof points.
• Serve as the earned media expert across the brands’ integrated agency teams (IAT) and internal cross-functional forums.

Skills

Earned-first strategy

Brand leadership

Agency management

Cross-functional collaboration

Digital branding

Influencer/CP channel knowledge

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in communications/marketing/journalism or related field

Job description

Job Description:

The Brand PR Director for Mars Snacking North America helps lead the earned-first strategy and execution of brand communications for Mars Snacking North America’s portfolio of iconic, billion-dollar confectionary brands including M&M’S®, SNICKERS®, SKITTLES®, and EXTRA®. to elevate the brands’ presence, reputation, consumer engagement and cultural relevance.

This role is responsible for earned media, strategic partnerships, brand storytelling, internal engagement, executive visibility, content creation, and reputation management as it relates to some of the biggest Mars Snacking brands in our business’ largest region.

This role oversees the development and execution of breakthrough earned media programs that generate talkability, strengthen brand equity, and fuel long term business growth. They act as a strategic connector across Marketing, Digital, Legal, Consumer Care, Corporate Affairs, and Snacking leadership to ensure all brand communications are aligned, authentic, culturally resonant, and both promote and protect the brands’ reputation.

What are we looking for?

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, journalism or associated profession is required, or the equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
• 10+ years of strong communications and leadership capabilities for consumer-facing brands, with a proven track record of delivering earned-first, integrated communications strategies that outperform KPIs.
• Understanding of and experience in developing reputation-driving strategies and programs tied to consumer brands.
• Expertise in brand communications and navigating the consumer media and social landscape.
• Experience with strategic agency management, including scoping, contracting, and success measurement.
• Proven success in leading communications across multiple brands and portfolio is preferred.
• Influencing without direct authority to motivate teams and challenge “status quo” at all levels within the business to achieve shared objectives.
• Knowledge of Retail, Paid Media, Influencer, Social, and CP channel management is critical for cross functional project management.
• Digital-first mindset and understanding of the consumer media landscape.
• Line management experience to help lead through sometimes-ambiguous setting, with the ability to adapt quickly.
• Ability to travel.

What will be your key responsibilities?
Brand PR and Communications

• Drive the strategic direction and execution of brand PR, sponsorships, and earned-first communications that support Confectionary’s growth ambitions.
• Identify cultural conversations, media moments, and relevant voices to increase brand awareness and relevancy with today’s consumers.
• Unify external brand communications, including earned media, key brand moments, and portfolio wide campaigns.
• Ensure consistent brand messaging across consumer, corporate, and Associate-facing platforms.
• Develop and maintain messaging architecture for confectionary brands, including core narratives, tone-of-voice, and proof points.
• Serve as the earned media expert across the brands’ integrated agency teams (IAT) and internal cross-functional forums.

Cultural & Brand Impact

• Drives long‑term brand growth by identifying cultural opportunities and shaping communications that spark participation, conversation, and consumer connection.
• Ensures all earned programs ladder up to broader brand and business objectives, priming consumers for engagement, conversion, and loyalty.
• Identify and activate partnerships (e.g. talent, creators, sports, entertainment) that enhance confectionary brand’s cultural relevance and brand equity.
• Help craft sponsorship strategy and execution, ensuring integration into brand storytelling and communications amplification.
• Manage partner communications, contract negotiations, and relationship development with a focus on mutual value and visibility.

Agency and Team Leadership & Integration

• Mentor a high performing team, guiding the development of culturally resonant, earned driven programming.
• Spearhead agency management and optimization—including ways of working, accountability, and performance metrics.
• Oversee agency relationships across the portfolio, ensuring strategic alignment, operational excellence, innovative approach and best in class execution.

Budget & Portfolio Planning and Oversight

• Manage more than $15MM in annual communications investment, ensuring efficient allocation, strategic prioritization, and strong ROI across brand initiatives.
• Lead annual planning for brand communications across confectionary portfolio with agency support.

Measurement & Performance Optimization

• Establish KPIs, dashboards, and agile measurement approaches to evaluate earned media performance, brand sentiment, and subscription-driving communications.
• Lead the strategic measurement framework for earned media, partnering with global teams and agency partners to implement industry‑leading tools, KPIs, and analytics.
• Translate insights into actionable recommendations that optimize performance and inform future planning.

Executive Visibility

• Support Mars Confectionary CBU Leadership team to plan and execute Brand PR priorities.
• Manage message development, media training, and executive positioning as needed for Brand PR interviews.

Internal Stakeholder Management

• Support internal communications in partnership with the Internal Communications team and P&O to inform, inspire, and align Associates on brand priorities in the Confectionary portfolio.
• Cascade brand priorities, key campaign updates, and business milestones through Mars channels such as CA Alerts, MyMars, and BOD/Family communications.

What can you expect from Mars?

Work with diverse and talented Associates, all guided by the Five Principles.
Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
A strong focus on learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.

The base pay range for this position at commencement of employment is between the range listed below, however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.The total compensation package for this position will include variable pay, medical and dental benefits, participation in 401k plan, and paid time off benefits.Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an applicant receives an offer of employment.

The pay range shown is applicable to all US locations listed within the job posting:USD 153,600.00 - USD 211,200.00