Brand PR Director, Confectionary

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, sponsor ships, 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…