Senior Manager, PR & Communications, North America

Amer Sports is a sporting goods company with internationally recognized brands including Salomon, Arc’teryx, Peak Performance, Atomic and Wilson.

“The Mountain Sport Company”, Salomon was born in 1947 in the heart of the French Alps and the birthplace of modern alpinism. Salomon’s commitment to innovative design and passion for mountain sports created a vast range of revolutionary new concepts in bindings, boots, skis and apparel for both Alpine and Nordic skiing and brought innovative solutions to footwear, apparel and equipment for snowboarding, adventure racing, mountaineering, hiking, trail running, and many other sports.

Through performance driven design, Salomon delivers innovation and progression to mountain sports; converting new ideas into action and expanding the limits of possibility. Salomon’s heritage, culture, and commitment are tied together by one simple concept: the world’s leading mountain people creating the world’s leading mountain products. Salomon is responsibly committed towards the outdoor through its sustainability program. Diversity is one of Salomon’s five values, therefore we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all.

Salomon is headquartered in Annecy, France.

OVERVIEW 

As a key member of the Salomon marketing team, the Senior Manager, PR & Communications is responsible for delivering and executing the pr and communications plan in North America for the run, outdoor and sportstyle categories. They work with the Director of Marketing to define seasonal initiatives that support the region’s commercial and brand building objectives. The role directly manages external agencies and is the direct point of contact with the global brand for all pr topics. In addition, the Senior Manager, PR & Communications ensures the right mix of brand, product, athlete, event and trade communication aligned with our brand calendar. They will define an ROI on our pr and communications efforts that is both quantitative and qualitative. This role will spend a significant amount of time ensuring collaboration across pr, marketing and merchandising teams.  

WHAT MAKES THIS A GREAT PLACE TO WORK & PLAY:  

• Hybrid work schedule 

• A generous PTO policy, plus 15 paid annual holidays and 3 floating holidays 

• Half-day Fridays for 5 months of the year  

• An exceptional employee discount on all our products and sister brands (Arc’teryx, Armada, Atomic, Wilson)  

• Complimentary gym membership and resort season pass to local locations & mountains 

• Opportunities to engage in the community and with industry partners  

SCOPE OF WORK: Outdoor, Road, Trail, Sportstyle, Apparel & Gear and Brand  

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES 

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty and responsibility with best-in-class performance: 

Strategy & Planning  

• Manage and execute NAM PR strategy and act as the liaison between global and local teams for efficiency.  

• Drive authentic storytelling around brand, athletes, products, events and milestones. 

• Localize global communications for the NAM market, working closely with global, regional and agency partner teams.  

• Build PR strategy into launch plans in our brand calendar and inclusive of all channels. 

• Media and pr training- create, execute, coach; bringing to life a new training opportunity for employees.

Agency & Media  

• Maintain relationships with key North American media, industry influencers, and strategic partners in collaboration with agency teams.  

• Management of external PR agencies including briefing, budgeting and tracking results.  

• Manage media opportunities and spokesperson strategy, working closely with agency teams. 

• Execute trade and consumer communications, working closely with agency teams.

• Distribute global press materials to in-house teams and agency partners with clear call to action. 

• Analyze media and industry trends to optimize communications strategy and future planning, working closely with agency teams.  

• Support press release creation and copy writing as needed. 

Cross-Functional Collaboration  

• Be the in-house expert in North America for PR needs. This includes event communication, wholesale partner support or internal NAM communication needs. 

• Weekly alignment with internal global partners. 

• Brief Integrated Marketing Manager on PR plans and associated embargos.

• Manage brand store communication: press releases, social media calendar, interviews and support elevated events as needed.

• Manage interview requests of internal Salomon staff and support the process. Assess and make recommendations on media opportunities for leadership team and/or global team involvement.  

Communications Execution  

• Support PR agencies in any trade activation such as panels, gifting, early or exclusive coverage. 

• Work with HQ teams on global event alignment and communication.  

• Owns PR score card in alignment with global teams reporting cadence. 

• Epicenter PR planning. 

• Tradeshow PR management with agency collaboration. Drive events, support content needs. 

• Brief Integrated Marketing Manager on PR plans and associated embargos.  

• Distribute global press materials to in-house teams and agency partners with clear call to action. 

• Manage PR budget inclusive of agency contracts, travel, media trips, seeding product and gifting moments. 

• Develop a communications calendar consistent with global. 

• Collaborate on process improvements.  

• Support press release creation and copy writing as needed.

REQUIRED EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE 

10+ years practical experience in the public relations sector. Running, fashion and/or outdoor industry preferred both with endemic and non endemic reach.  

B.S. or B.A.  In Business, Marketing, Brand Management, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and related experience. Experience building a narrative for both trade and consumer audiences.  

Demonstrated affiliate network proficiency. 

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, ABILITIES & COMPETENCIES 

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Expertise in PR tracking and reporting. 

• Clearly articulate seasonal briefings to the team and deliver results. 

• Planning, organizing and preparation. 

• Excellent presentation and communication skills.  

• Strong self-awareness and ability to work with a diverse group of stakeholders. 

• Self-motivated with the ability to manage multiple projects at once while prioritizing based on the business. 

• Budget management.  

• Ability to work with leadership team to understand business requirements, provide insight, and collaboratively achieve goals. 

REPORTS TO: Director of Marketing  

BUSINESS AREA: Marketing 

LOCATION: New York City    

TRAVEL: 25% travel required

PHYSICAL DEMANDS & WORKING ENVIRONMENT 

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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear.  The employee is frequently required to sit, stand and walk. The employee must occasionally kneel, stoop, crouch, twist and lift to 50 pounds, with or without accommodations.  

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus. This Job also requires driving and possession of a state issued Drivers License.  

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.