Corporate Communications Manager

Crain Communications
retirement plan, remote work
United States, Michigan, Detroit
Jun 10, 2025
Description We are looking for a strategic, resourceful, and articulate Corporate Communications Manager to lead the charge in positioning our B2B media brand externally and strengthening internal communications across a 700-person organization. In this high-visibility role, you will manage our relationship with an external PR agency, craft compelling narratives that reflect our expertise across industry verticals, and support internal alignment as we grow our portfolio of journalism, events, and client services. You'll play a vital role in amplifying our thought leadership, reinforcing our credibility in key markets, and ensuring message consistency across editorial, commercial, and corporate channels. Key Responsibilities Internal Communications Develop and execute internal communications strategies that engage employees across editorial, event, sales, and shared services teams. Produce executive messages, organizational updates, and internal newsletters. Support internal change communications and promote alignment during periods of transformation or rapid growth. Support and manage ongoing internal communications from various corporate teams such as HR, and IT. Employee Engagement Coordinate with events/social teams in our three primary offices (NY, Detroit and Chicago) to ensure company holiday parties and social gatherings take place. Manage the budget associated with the efforts. Work with CEO Chief of Staff to arrange diagonal lunches with CEO as a means to soliciting feedback from employees on our culture. Manage, in conjunction with Editorial leadership, the Crain Editorial Awards program. Manage and Crain e-store vendor and ensure the site is accessible to all employees. Manage various communication channels such as email, Slack, Town Hall meetings, etc. For Town Halls, manage the vendor and details of the planning and execution such as partnering with an AV company, and managing the Zoom platform during the meeting, etc. External Communications & PR Agency Leadership Manage the relationship with our PR agency, ensuring alignment on business objectives, message strategy, and media outreach. Approve press releases, earned media pitches, and contributed articles created by the agency. Partner with subject-matter experts (editors, analysts, event leads) to elevate institutional thought leadership across target industries. Oversee public positioning of strategic initiatives, M&A activity, product launches, and executive movements. Track and report on media exposure, industry presence, and PR ROI to leadership. Manage Crain.com and update content as needed. Manage Crain social channels and work with video and social content team to update content regularly. Executive Visibility & Thought Leadership Partner with executives and editors-in-chief to shape LinkedIn content and other Crain social media channels. Identify and manage opportunities for executive participation in industry forums, podcasts, and event keynotes. Write talking points or scripts as necessary. Build message frameworks to ensure consistency and clarity across all leadership communication. Brand Reputation & Crisis Communications Lead corporate messaging strategies during sensitive issues or reputational challenges, in close partnership with PR agency, legal, and HR. Develop and maintain crisis comms protocols and stakeholder response templates. Support brand trust efforts in a landscape of increasing scrutiny on media credibility and corporate transparency. Track and communicate various journalism award programs. Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, or a related field. 6+ years of corporate communications experience in B2B media, business publishing, or an adjacent industry (e.g., professional services, SaaS, B2B events). Proven experience managing PR agency partnerships and coordinating cross-functional communications strategies. Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills - able to translate complex ideas into clear, compelling narratives. Familiarity with the intersection of editorial integrity and commercial strategy in a B2B media setting. Strong stakeholder management and project management skills. Preferred Attributes Experience working in a newsroom, publishing company, or B2B content environment. Understanding of lead-generation-oriented marketing and how communications supports the buyer journey. Familiarity with platforms like Outlook, Slack, SharePoint, and WordPress. This position is exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not eligible for overtime pay. Pay Transparency Disclosure: The estimated base salary range for this position is $85,000 - $100,000. The final salary offering will take into accounta wide range of specific and relevant factors, including experience, accomplishments and location. The salary range provided should not be considered as a salary limit or cap. In addition to base salary, Crain also offers competitive benefits including retirement plan savings contributions. About Crain Communications: Crain Communications is a leading business news and information company with a portfolio of 24 media brands that provide indispensable coverage and data for professionals globally and across sectors, including advertising, automotive, finance, healthcare, staffing, and workforce solutions. Many of Crain's brands are the most influential media properties in the industries and communities they serve, including Ad Age, Automotive News, Pensions & Investments, Modern Healthcare, Staffing Industry Analysts, as well as Crain's regional business brands. For more than a century, our dedication to deep sector expertise and journalistic integrity has enabled us to provide trusted insights across all our platforms, empowering today's business leaders to make industry-shaping decisions. To learn more about Crain Communications, visit crain.com. Environmental Demands Where you work matters. The job posting will provide specific information on where and when your amazing work would be performed. Employee work location is determined by the needs of the specific team and may include on-site, hybrid or remote. Employee work location is subject to change. An "in-office" role would require the employee to come into the office most days with occasional flexibility to work remotely if tasks can be performed elsewhere and if the manager approves. A "remote" role would allow an employee to work from a home office that is in one of the states Crain does business in. We can only employ a remote / "work from home" employee if they reside in one of these states: AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, MD, MA, MI, MN, NV, NY, NC, OH, OR, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI, and Washington, DC. A "hybrid" role would be a mix of in-office and remote work. There may be a specified schedule for coming into the office or it could be at the discretion of the employee with the manager's approval, subject to change. Employees who live within a reasonable commute distance from a Crain office are expected to work on-site 3 days per week. Many positions will also include work done in "the field." Depending on the role, this may include conducting in-person interviews, attending work-related events, meeting with sources or clients. Specifics will be noted in the job posting but are subject to change as a role evolves. Employees may be exposed to adverse environmental conditions, specifically during field work. Other typical job functions are performed under conditions such as those found in general office work. Travel to cover news stories/events, meetings with clients, and to our geographically separated offices may be required. It is the nature of many positions to experience non-standard working hours and be on-call when needed for responding to email, meeting with clients, attending work-related events, story development or breaking news. Most employees perform work Monday through Friday, although early-morning, evening or weekend shifts may be required. Work schedule and travel requirements are subject to change as a role and needs evolve over time. 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 many Crain jobs and are subject to change. Physical activities will include frequent in-person or virtual interactions. For most positions, it is essential to be able to remain at a desk/computer workstation for prolonged periods, perform computer-related tasks, and create/maintain documents within filing systems. Must have close visual acuity to perform an activity, such as preparing and analyzing reports and information, transcribing, viewing a computer terminal, or extensive reading. The typical physical requirements are light work-exerting up to 25lbs of force occasionally and/or up to 10lbs of force frequently and may include climbing, pushing, standing, hearing, walking, reaching, grasping, kneeling, stooping, and repetitive motion. Some positions will have additional physical requirements, including exerting up to 50lbs of force to move and/or carry equipment, supplies, files, or other materials as the role requires. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions and meet the environmental and physical demands of the role. Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)