Communications specialist Jobs in Portland, OR

Description

Department: Internal Communications

Location: Onsite

Shift: Day; Monday - Friday; Full-Time

Wage: $120,000 - $140,000 annually, based on experience

Company Overview: At Bob’s Red Mill, we inspire joy with wholesome foods. Since 1978, we have been leading the natural foods industry by providing our customers with good food that makes them feel great. Wholesome means ensuring our food is of the highest quality, empowering and supporting our diverse group of employee owners, respecting our planet, and bettering our communities. We believe that joy is for everyone.

Position Overview: The Senior Internal Communications Manager develops and executes communication strategies that connect employee-owners to the business, reinforce Bob’s Red Mill culture and priorities, and strengthen organizational alignment. As a strategic partner to leaders, this role translates business priorities, change, and company direction into clear, credible, engaging messages that build understanding, trust, and connection.

The ideal candidate is an exceptional writer, storyteller, collaborative relationship-builder, and tech-savvy communications leader who can modernize how information is shared through digital tools, creative formats, analytics, and AI-enabled solutions. This role requires strategic thinking, sound judgment, creativity, adaptability, and a service mindset, with ownership of communication planning, content development, channel management, employee feedback, and engagement efforts.

Key Responsibilities

Essential Job Functions:

Strategic Communications

• Develop and execute comprehensive internal communication strategies aligned with company objectives.
• Serve as a trusted communications advisor to executive leaders and department heads.
• Partner with leaders to communicate strategic priorities, major business initiatives, organizational changes, and business-critical events with clear, timely messaging.
• Create annual communication plans that support company goals and employee engagement objectives.
• Ensure messaging is consistent, aligned with company values and culture, and helps employees connect business priorities and performance to their work and employee-owner culture.

Leadership Communications

• Draft executive communications including company-wide announcements, town halls, some key speeches and messages.
• Coach leaders on communication effectiveness and employee messaging.
• Translate complex business topics into clear, meaningful, employee-focused communications.
• Support leadership visibility with messaging, tools, and counsel that reinforce strategic priorities and create a consistent employee experience.

Content Creation and Storytelling

• Produce compelling written content across multiple communication channels.
• Develop employee stories, culture content, leadership communications, and organizational updates.
• Create engaging campaigns that increase awareness, understanding, and participation.
• Ensure communications are clear, accurate, well-written, transparent, objective, and aligned with business needs and employee feedback.
• Establish and maintain editorial standards and communication guidelines.

Digital Communications and Technology

• Manage and optimize internal communication platforms, including intranet, digital signage, email communications, and collaboration tools.
• Leverage technology, AI tools, and engaging formats to improve communication effectiveness, efficiency, employee experience, understanding, and action.
• Evaluate emerging communication technologies and recommend innovative solutions.
• Utilize analytics and reporting tools to measure communication effectiveness and employee engagement.
• Partner with IT and HR to enhance digital communication capabilities.

Employee Engagement and Culture

• Develop communication strategies that strengthen employee ownership culture and engagement.
• Support employee recognition, change management, and culture-building initiatives.
• Create communication plans for major company events, programs, and organizational initiatives.
• Foster two-way communication by gathering employee feedback, insights, and ideas to improve communication effectiveness and inform continuous improvement.

Leadership and Team Development

• Lead and develop internal communication team members, fostering creativity, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Build communication capabilities across the organization by providing guidance, tools, and best practices.
• Manage external vendors and agency partners as needed.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Possesses advanced communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Ability to work effectively with a team using direct communication, respect, creativity, and emotional intelligence.
• Ability to make presentations to executive management, department managers, supervisors, and staff.
• Skilled in organization, planning and problem solving.
• Proficient in using Microsoft 365, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Proficient in using mass communication tools and technologies.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
• Ability to translate strategy into processes or projects.
• Familiarity with change management practices.
• Ability to build rapport with employee-owners and management by engaging in a personable manner.
• Ability to effectively lead and manage multiple projects while meeting critical deadlines.
• Demonstrates Respect, Teamwork, Accountability and Determination.
• Ability to work in an environment where exposure to potential food allergens is or may be present.

Education and Experience:

• 10 or more years of progressive internal communications, corporate communications, or related experience; AND
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Marketing, English, or related field; AND
• Demonstrated experience supporting executive-level communications; OR
• Any combination of education and additional years of experience that provides the necessary skills, knowledge, and ability to perform assigned tasks.

Preferred Skills:

• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills.
• Experience managing communication strategies during periods of organizational change.
• Strong project management, collaboration, relationship-building, creativity, adaptability, and service orientation, with the ability to support employees and leaders through change.
• Strong collaboration, relationship-building, creativity, adaptability, and service orientation, with the ability to support both employees and leaders through periods of change.
• Experience leading communication programs across diverse employee populations.

Physical Demands:

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift 15 pounds at a time.

Work Environment:

• The primary work environment for this position is in an office setting.
• Employees will be exposed to common food allergens.

Benefits

We believe taking care of our community starts with giving our employee owners the resources to take care of their physical, mental, financial, and future well-being by offering a leading benefits package.

Benefits:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 401k
• Profit Sharing Program
• Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP)
• Paid Holidays & Vacation
• Employee Assistance Program – counseling, legal issue support, financial guidance, and more.
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Childcare Discounts
• And MORE!

Purpose: To inspire joy with wholesome foods.

Values: Respect, Teamwork, Accountability, Determination

Our success begins and ends with our people. We embrace diverse perspectives and value unique human experiences. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer that celebrates the diversity of the communities where we live and do business. Applicants for our positions are considered without regard to race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, religion, military or veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by law.

Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods produces more than 400 products, including a full line of certified gluten free products and an extensive line of certified organic products. With a wide variety of whole grain products, from flours and hot cereals to baking mixes and grains, employee-owned since 2010 Bob’s Red Mill has “whole grain foods for every meal of the day.”