Senior Manager, Business Communication

W.W. Grainger, Inc.; Lake Forest (IL); Hybrid; USD 123,000 - 205,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

PTO 18 days

6% 401(k) company match

Tuition reimbursement

Parental leave

Job summary

Grainger seeks a Senior Manager, Business Communication to lead strategic internal and leader communications and support external communications for key Grainger business functions. You will manage audiences from executives to non-exempt staff, ensuring communications align with Grainger’s strategy and respond to urgent issues as needed.

This high-visibility role supports sales, inventory, brand, online experience, and assortment teams, driving operational performance and organizational change

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, English, marketing, business or equivalent.
• 7+ years of strategic communications counsel experience on large projects and change initiatives.
• Experience using multiple channels to reach varied audiences.
• Experience partnering with stakeholders across organizational levels and advising senior leaders on messaging.
• Experience in a matrixed environment or Fortune 500 company across facilities or regions.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic planning, messaging, and coordination for functional communications and multi-audience initiatives.
• Lead projects including message development for priorities and engagement strategies, leader communications support, and content tailoring.
• Provide counsel on executive messaging, external communications, and business-priority communications.
• Coordinate communications between senior leaders, mid-level managers, and non-exempt staff to support alignment.
• Create communication playbooks, templates, and resources for leaders to communicate with teams.
• Measure activities and channels, suggest changes, and oversee deployment and change communications.
• Build and maintain external stakeholder relationships and manage reputational risk.

Skills

Strategic communications

Executive messaging

Stakeholder management

Change communications

Employee engagement

Education

Bachelor’s degree in communications

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Career Opportunities: Senior Manager, Business Communication (335538)

Requisition ID335538-Posted10/02/2026

Position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

Work Location Type: Hybrid

About Grainger

W.W. Grainger, Inc. is a leading broad line distributor with operations primarily in North America and Japan. At Grainger, We Keep the World Working®by serving more than4.6 million customersworldwide with maintenance, repair andoperating(MRO) products and value-added solutions delivered through innovative technology and deep customerexpertise. Known for its commitment to service and purpose-driven culture, the Company reported2025 revenue of$17.9 billion. For more information, visit www.grainger.com.

Compensation

The anticipated base pay compensation range for this position is $123,000.00 – $205,100.00. This role is eligible for an incentive target of up to 20% or $$, based on the achievement of individual and company performance objectives in accordance with the current terms of the incentive program which are subject to change.

Rewards and Benefits

With benefits starting on day one, our programs provide choice and flexibility to meet team members' individual needs, including:

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans with coverage starting on day one of employment and 6 free sessions each year with a licensed therapist to support your emotional wellbeing.
• 18 paid time off (PTO) days annually for full-time employees (accrual prorated based on employment start date) and 6 company holidays per year.
• 6% company contribution to a 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan each pay period, no employee contribution required.
• Employee discounts, tuition reimbursement, student loan refinancing and free access to financial counseling, education, and tools.
• Maternity support programs, nursing benefits, and up to 14 weeks paid leave for birth parents and up to 4 weeks paid leave for non-birth parents.

For additional information and details regarding Grainger’s benefits, please click on the link below:

The pay range provided above is not a guarantee of compensation. The range reflects the potential base pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual base pay compensation will depend, in part, on factors such as geographic work location and relevant experience and skills.

The anticipated compensation range described above is subject to change and the compensation ultimately paid may be higher or lower than the range described above.

Grainger reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion at any time, consistent with applicable law.

Position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

Lead the development of strategic internal and leader communications, company communications programs, and support external communications as needed for one of Grainger's key business functions. Manage audiences and partners simultaneously, while working collaboratively with leaders and team members in different positions from Executive leadership to the company's non-exempt team member base. Support the highest priority and most complex communications for the function.

This is a high-visibility leadership role supporting the teams responsible for sales and inventory management, as well as brand, online experience and assortment. This leader will use strategic communications to engage frontline and customer-facing teams in our strategy and ensure they are equipped to consistently represent the Grainger brand. You will provide communications support that advances operational performance, alignment and business outcomes of the function. Additional responsibilities include leadership messaging, functional storytelling and organizational change communications, and support of issues. This role operates in a fast-paced, matrixed corporate environment and supports senior leaders, business partners, and field-facing communications partners. You will also support urgent issues or crisis communications as business needs require.

This is a Hybrid position requiring 3 days per week onsite at the Lake Forest, IL headquarters.

You Will

• Lead strategic planning, messaging, and coordination for functional communications and communications involving multiple audiences, stakeholders, or business issues.
• Lead work and projects including message development for key priorities and initiatives, creation and support of engagement strategies, large meeting leader communications support, company strategy deployment, and translating and tailoring relevant corporate content for distinct audience needs.
• Provide communications counsel and messaging support to functional senior leadership, including executive and leader communications, external communications, and communications associated with business priorities, organizational changes, functional issues, crises, or other matters requiring coordinated communication support.
• Develop and coordinate communications between senior leaders, mid-level managers, and non-exempt team members to support organizational alignment, employee engagement, and customer service.
• Create communication playbooks, templates, and related resources that enable leaders to communicate with their teams and allocate communications resources based on business priorities, audience needs, and communication requirements.
• Measure communication activities and channels using available data and feedback, recommend changes based on results, and provide strategic oversight and direction to teams managing operational, deployment, and change communications.
• Build and maintain external stakeholder relationships that support Grainger's reputation and awareness of its strategy and local presence; assess communication activities for potential reputational impacts, elevate identified risks to appropriate leaders, and handle sensitive or proprietary company information.

You Have

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, English, marketing, business or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
• 7+ years of experience providing strategic communications counsel for large, complex projects and change initiatives by understanding the needs of different audiences
• Experience applying multiple communication methods and channels to address different audience and business needs.
• Experience partnering with stakeholders across organizational levels and advising senior leaders on communication strategies and executive messaging.
• Experience working in a matrixed environment and/or Fortune 500 company across multiple facilities or regions and leading large-scale change communications projects.
• Experience partnering with field communicators or distributed workforces preferred.

Position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status or any other protected characteristic under federal, state, or local law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive, accessible work environment that includes both providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during the application and hiring process as well as throughout the course of one’s employment, should you need a reasonable accommodation during the application and selection process, including, but not limited to use of our website, any part of the application, interview or hiring process, please advise us so that we can provide appropriate assistance.

Position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.