External Communications Senior Specialist - Richfield MN

Best Buy; Minneapolis (MN); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Generous employee discount

Physical and mental well-being support

Job summary

Best Buy is seeking an External Communications Senior Specialist to develop and execute communications across multiple areas of the business, partnering with teams to translate priorities into clear plans and stories. This role emphasizes media relations, complex messaging, and providing counsel to leadership.

The position is hybrid, requiring on-site work Monday through Thursday at the Richfield, MN corporate office with Friday remote work.

Qualifications

• 2+ years in public relations or communications.
• 2+ years working with news outlets and reporters.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• 2+ years interpreting complex information for external audiences.
• 1+ years independently managing three or more concurrent projects with cross-functional partners.
• 2+ years supporting communications for complex or fast-moving business issues.

Responsibilities

• Develop external communications plans translating business priorities into objectives, messages and tactics.
• Lead proactive and reactive media relations including building reporter relationships and coordinating interviews.
• Support quarterly earnings communications with materials and cross-team reviews.
• Identify reputation-building stories and prepare announcements, pitches, statements and briefings.
• Monitor issues, assess risks and prepare the company spokesperson materials as needed.

Skills

Media relations

Written communication

Verbal communication

Project management

AI tools

Education

Bachelor’s degree in journalism, public relations, communications or a related field

Tools

Generative AI

Job description

As the External Communications Senior Specialist, you’ll develop and execute communications for assigned workstreams across several areas of Best Buy’s business, including retail, services, supply chain, finance and real estate. You will partner with teams across the company to understand business priorities, provide communications counsel and develop clear plans and stories that support the company’s goals. You will bring clarity to complex topics, exercise sound judgment and build strong working relationships across the company. You will also build relationships with reporters, editors and producers and help respond to external opportunities and issues.
This role is hybrid, which means you will be required to work on site Monday through Thursday at the Best Buy corporate office in Richfield, Minnesota. You can work virtually from home or another non-Best Buy location on Friday. The recruiter or hiring manager will provide more details during the hiring process.

What you’ll do

• Develop and execute external communications plans that translate business priorities into clear objectives, messages and tactics.
• Lead proactive and reactive media relations by building reporter relationships, developing pitches, coordinating interviews and supporting local media opportunities and inquiries.
• Support quarterly earnings communications by drafting materials and coordinating reviews across teams.
• Identify reputation-building stories and write or edit announcements, pitches, statements, key messages and briefing materials.
• Monitor emerging issues, assess communications risks, recommend timely responses and prepare or serve as a company spokesperson when needed.

Basic qualifications

• 2+ years of experience working in public relations or communications, either in-house or at an agency
• 2+ years of experience working with news outlets and reporters, including managing proactive and reactive media relations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including creating and editing content for different audiences and formats
• 2+ years of experience interpreting complex information and translating it into clear communications for external audiences.
• 1+ years of experience independently managing three or more concurrent projects or priorities while collaborating with multiple cross-functional partners.

Preferred qualifications

• 2+ years of experience supporting communications for complex, sensitive or fast-moving business issues under tight deadlines
• 2+ years of experience providing communications counsel to business leaders and cross-functional partners
• 2+ years of experience supporting communications for a publicly traded company or large consumer-facing organization
• 1+ years of experience using generative AI tools and assessing the impact of AI-driven search on content development, media relations and external communications.
• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, public relations, communications or a related field

What’s in it for you

We’re committed to helping our people thrive at work and at home. We offer generous benefits that address your total well-being and provide support as you need it, especially key moments in your life.

Our benefits include:

• Competitive pay
• Generous employee discount
• Physical and mental well-being support

Best Buy provides different types of leaves of absence (LOA) and potential pay sources to employees based on eligibility. The length of your LOA depends on your situation, where you live, your full-time or part-time employment status, and federal and state regulations. Intermittent or reduced-schedule leave is also available for certain medical or family care leaves. Paid time off (vacation or PTO) is offered to full-time and part-time employees based on work location, employment status, salary or hourly status (exempt/non-exempt), and years of continued or bridged service.

Certain roles, where market norms demand it, are eligible for various forms of incentive pay to drive performance and offer recognition for achieving financial and strategic results. For more information about our incentive pay plans, including eligibility, please refer to our Incentive Programs Summary.

For more information about benefits, LOA and paid time off, please refer to our Benefits Guide.

About us

As part of the Best Buy team, you’ll help us fulfill our purpose to enrich lives through technology. We bring that to life every day by humanizing and personalizing tech solutions for every stage of life — in our stores, online and in customers’ homes.

Our culture is built on deeply supporting and valuing our amazing employees who make it all possible. We’re committed to being a great place to work, where you can unlock unique career possibilities. Above all, we aim to provide a place where you can bring your full, authentic self to work now and into the future. Tomorrow works here.

Best Buy is an equal opportunity employer.

Position Type: Full time