Communications Sr Manager - External

S&S Activewear


Date: 4 hours ago
City: Bolingbrook, IL
Contract type: Full time
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About Us

S&S Activewear is a leading North American, tech-enabled specialty distributor of imprintable apparel, including t-shirts, fleece, athletic wear, headwear, workwear, scrubs and accessories. We pride ourselves on being the “critical link” that enables our 100+ brand partners such as Adidas, Columbia and Gildan to reach our hyper-fragmented base of customers, comprised of apparel decorators, eRetailers and promotional products distributors that embellish apparel items for diverse end consumer use cases (e.g., everyday wear, concerts, fitness attire, life events, team sports, etc.). At S&S, we differentiate in the market through a customer service focus, strategic product portfolio, world-class distribution infrastructure, a collaborative growth culture and a relentless focus on technology and innovation.

Our success has compounded since the Company’s humble beginnings in 1988 as a regional t-shirt distributor to a leading, multi-billion-dollar value-added distribution platform that drives market penetration for our suppliers while enabling the growth, operations and fulfillment for a diverse range of customers across channels and business sizes. We strive to be the apparel distributor of choice while inspiring and fostering growth for customers, employees and suppliers through our core values of service, deep relationships, innovation, continuous improvement and accountability.

About The Role

Calling all storytellers, brand builders, and big thinkers. If you believe in the power of connection, creativity, and bold ideas, we’ve got a role made for you. We’re on the search for an External Communications Senior Manager to shape how the world sees and experiences our brand. You’ll lead the charge in bringing our story to life externally, elevating our visibility, reputation, and voice across commercial and corporate channels. This is your chance to make an impact, spark emotion, and build something unforgettable. Ready to dream big with us?

The ideal candidate will excel at driving and managing impactful external campaigns, building strong media relationships, managing external agencies, and collaborating with internal stakeholders to ensure brand consistency across all channels. This individual will also serve as a key project manager—coordinating multi-channel campaign efforts across internal functions and ensuring alignment with internal communications and enterprise-wide initiatives.

If you are a strategic thinker with a passion for impactful communications, collaboration, and a track record of delivering results, we’d love to hear from you!

This position will report directly to the SVP of Marketing

Compensation & Schedule

Salaried (based on experience)

Monday - Friday (8am-5pm), Full-Time, Exempt

Remote Opportunity

What You Will Do

  • External Corporate Communications
    • Develop and oversee the strategy and execution of all external corporate communications to ensure consistent messaging, tone, and branding.
    • Collaborate with internal communications and cross-functional teams to align on campaign strategies and execution plans.
  • Brand Communication Strategy
    • Partner with brand marketing teams to create and implement a communications strategy that supports the annual brand plan and overall business goals.
    • Ensure marketing communications align with broader organizational objectives and resonate with target audiences.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration & Project Management
    • Serve as the lead project manager for external communication campaigns—coordinating timelines, deliverables, and inputs from marketing, sales, operations, and internal communications.
    • Build strong partnerships with internal functional leaders to ensure consistent, integrated messaging across all customer-facing touchpoints.
    • Partner closely with the internal communications team to align messaging and support internal engagement efforts, particularly those tied to commercial strategies.
  • Commercial Internal Communications Support
    • Partner with internal communications to support commercial-related internal messaging—ensuring employees are informed, aligned, and equipped to reinforce key customer communications.
    • Help translate key external campaigns and customer-facing initiatives into internal messages that support clarity, consistency, and commercial readiness.
  • Agency and Vendor Management
    • Serve as the primary liaison with external agencies or vendors to ensure deliverables meet quality standards, timelines, and budgetary constraints.
  • Media and Public Relations
    • Build and maintain strong relationships with media outlets, journalists, and influencers to enhance the company’s visibility and reputation.
    • Draft, distribute, and manage press releases, respond to media inquiries, and coordinate interviews or other PR-related projects.
    • Oversee media monitoring and reporting to track and analyze the company’s presence in the press.
  • Market Research and Insights
    • Conduct market research to identify industry trends, competitor activities, and customer behaviors.
    • Use data-driven insights to refine communication strategies and improve audience targeting.
  • Crisis Communication
    • Develop and implement communication plans for crises or sensitive situations to protect and uphold the company’s reputation.
    • Act as the primary point of contact for key stakeholders during crisis communication efforts.
  • Measurement and Reporting
    • Establish and monitor KPIs for communication initiatives, regularly reporting on effectiveness.
    • Leverage analytics to optimize strategies and enhance campaign outcomes.
What We're Looking For

  • Bachelor’s degree in Marketing , Communications, Public Relations, or a related field.
  • Proven experience in corporate communications, brand strategy, or media relations, preferably in a leadership role.
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to craft compelling narratives.
  • Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and cross-functional workstreams in a fast-paced environment.
  • Experience managing external agencies and vendors.
  • Proficiency in data analysis and using insights to inform strategies.
  • Demonstrated ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
  • Crisis communication experience is a plus.


PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or listen.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT

Work Environment This role operates within a remote or hybrid professional office setting, requiring a high level of self-motivation, discipline, and effective communication across virtual platforms.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

S&S Activewear welcomes people of all backgrounds and experiences and are committed to creating a diverse culture and supporting human growth. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and are committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees and applicants. We conduct business without regard to sex, race, creed, color, religion, marital status, national origin, citizenship status, age, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, military status, status as a veteran, or any other protected characteristic. Our policy is to recruit, hire, train, promote, assign, transfer, and terminate employees based on their own ability, achievement, experience and conduct and other legitimate business reasons. S&S participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm you are authorized to work in the U.S. This job offer is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background check.

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