📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Sr. Director, Brand Communications
🔹 Company: KEEN Footwear
🔹 Location: Portland, OR
🔹 Job Type: On-site
🔹 Category: Apparel & Fashion
🔹 Date Posted: May 21, 2025
🔹 Experience Level: 10+ years
🔹 Remote Status: No (On-site)
🚀 Job Overview
Key aspects of this role include:
- Setting strategic vision for global public relations and social media efforts
- Leading and executing brand communication strategies
- Managing crisis communications and brand reputation
- Guiding social media initiatives to drive business impact
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams and stakeholders
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a high level of strategic thinking, leadership, and communication skills to effectively manage global brand communications and drive business impact.
📋 Key Responsibilities
✅ Strategic Brand Communication & Public Relations:
- Oversee the development and execution of global brand communication strategy
- Maintain high-level relationships with key media contacts
- Create and quality assure press materials, ensuring consistency and alignment with brand voice and messaging
- Serve as a senior advisor during crisis communication situations
✅ Social Media Strategy & Community Engagement:
- Provide strategic leadership for the company’s social media vision
- Oversee monitoring and response protocols, ensuring timely, brand-consistent, and scalable engagement
- Direct the development of engaging and on-brand content across all key platforms
- Stay ahead of emerging social trends and technologies
✅ Performance Analysis & Reporting:
- Oversee tracking and reporting of PR and social media performance
- Provide strategic insights and executive-level performance updates
- Champion continuous improvement using data-driven insights
✅ Team Leadership & Cross Functional Collaboration:
- Lead and mentor brand communications team, setting priorities and fostering professional development
- Partner with marketing, HR, legal, and executive teams to ensure consistent and strategically aligned communications
- Advocate for communication excellence across departments
✅ Event & Influencer Engagement:
- Oversee key brand experiences, ensuring strategic alignment, media visibility, and operational excellence
- Oversee influencer and advocate relationship strategies, guiding the team in selecting, engaging, and measuring the effectiveness of partnerships
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a strong understanding of global brand communications, public relations, social media strategies, and the ability to lead cross-functional teams and collaborate with stakeholders.
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's in Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, or a related field required. Master's Degree, MBA, or advanced degree is a plus.
Experience: Ten (10) years in brand communications, public relations, social media, marketing, or a related field. Five (5) years in a leadership position.
Required Skills:
- Strong strategic thinking and ability to translate business objectives into impactful communication strategies
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience in media relations, content creation, and storytelling
- Proven ability to manage and mentor a diverse team of professionals
- Strong project management skills, with experience handling multiple high-priority projects simultaneously
- Expertise in crisis communications and brand reputation management
- Proficiency in digital marketing and social media trends
- Exceptional interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships at all levels of the organization
- Creative, innovative, and solution-oriented mindset
- Detail-oriented with a strong commitment to quality and consistency
- Ability to work under pressure and manage complex situations with a calm and strategic approach
Preferred Skills:
- Experience working in the apparel and fashion industry
- Fluency in multiple languages
ASSUMPTION: Candidates should have a strong background in brand communications, public relations, and social media, with a proven track record of driving business impact and leading teams.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $203,000 - $225,000 yearly
Benefits:
- Competitive total rewards strategy, including numerous benefits and perks
- Specific health and welfare benefits
Working Hours: Full-time (40 hours/week)
ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is an estimate based on industry standards for a senior director role in brand communications within the apparel and fashion industry in Portland, OR.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry: Apparel & Fashion. KEEN is a values-led, independently owned brand from Portland, Oregon, driven by a passion for life outside. They create original and versatile products, improve lives, and inspire outside adventure.
Company Size: 201-500 employees. KEEN is a mid-sized company, offering opportunities for collaboration and growth within a dynamic team environment.
Founded: 2003. KEEN was founded with a mission to create original and versatile products, improve lives, and inspire outside adventure.
Company Description:
- KEEN is a values-led, independently owned brand from Portland, Oregon
- Driven by a passion for life outside, KEEN creates original and versatile products
- KEEN strives to improve lives and inspire outside adventure
Company Specialties:
- Footwear design and manufacturing
- Brand communications and marketing
- Sustainability and social responsibility initiatives
Company Website: http://www.keenfootwear.com
ASSUMPTION: KEEN Footwear is a well-established brand in the apparel and fashion industry, known for its commitment to sustainability and social responsibility.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: Executive. This role is a senior leadership position, reporting directly to the Chief Marketing Officer or another executive-level position.
Reporting Structure: The Sr. Director, Brand Communications will report directly to the Chief Marketing Officer or another executive-level position within the organization.
Work Arrangement: On-site. This role requires a presence in the Portland, OR office, with up to 20% travel required.
Growth Opportunities:
- Potential for career advancement within the brand communications or marketing department
- Opportunities to lead and mentor team members, fostering professional development
- Chance to make a significant impact on the brand's global reputation and consumer engagement
ASSUMPTION: This role offers significant growth opportunities for the right candidate, with the potential to make a substantial impact on the brand's global reputation and consumer engagement.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: On-site. This role requires a presence in the Portland, OR office.
Office Location(s): 515 NW 13th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97209, US
Geographic Context:
- Portland, OR is known for its vibrant outdoor lifestyle, with easy access to hiking, biking, and water activities
- The city offers a diverse cultural scene, with numerous museums, theaters, and music venues
- Portland has a mild, oceanic climate, with cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers
Work Schedule: Full-time (40 hours/week), with up to 20% travel required.
ASSUMPTION: Portland, OR offers a unique blend of urban living and outdoor recreation, providing an ideal work-life balance for individuals who enjoy an active lifestyle.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Online application submission
- Phone or video screen with the HR department
- In-person or video interview with the hiring manager and/or team members
- Final interview with the Chief Marketing Officer or another executive-level position
- Background check and reference check
- Job offer and onboarding
Key Assessment Areas:
- Strategic thinking and communication skills
- Leadership and team management abilities
- Crisis communication and brand reputation management expertise
- Understanding of global brand communications and social media strategies
- Alignment with KEEN's values and company culture
Application Tips:
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience and skills for this role
- Demonstrate your understanding of KEEN's brand and values in your application materials
- Prepare examples of your work that showcase your strategic thinking, communication, and leadership skills
- Research KEEN's brand, values, and company culture to ensure a strong fit and alignment
ATS Keywords: Brand Communications, Public Relations, Social Media Strategy, Crisis Communications, Global Brand Management, Team Leadership, Marketing Strategy, Apparel & Fashion Industry
ASSUMPTION: KEEN Footwear uses an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to manage job applications, so including relevant keywords in your resume and cover letter can help your application stand out.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Social media management platforms (Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Buffer)
- Crisis communication software (Crisis Shield, Agility PR Solutions)
- Project management tools (Asana, Trello, Monday.com)
ASSUMPTION: This role requires proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, social media management platforms, crisis communication software, and project management tools.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Passion for life outside
- Inspiring adventure
- Improving lives
- Doing good, giving back
- Challenge the status quo
- Inspire others
Work Style:
- Collaborative and team-oriented
- Dynamic and fast-paced
- Creative and innovative
- Results-driven and accountable
- Committed to sustainability and social responsibility
Self-Assessment Questions:
- How do you align with KEEN's values, particularly 'passion for life outside' and 'inspiring adventure'?
- How comfortable are you working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and managing multiple high-priority projects simultaneously?
- How do you approach crisis communications and brand reputation management, and can you provide an example of a successful crisis management strategy you've implemented?
ASSUMPTION: KEEN Footwear values candidates who are passionate about life outside, inspiring adventure, and committed to improving lives and doing good. Successful candidates will demonstrate strong alignment with KEEN's values and company culture.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- Managing global brand communications and social media strategies across multiple time zones
- Balancing the need for consistent brand messaging with the requirement to adapt to local market conditions
- Navigating potential crises and reputational risks in a fast-paced, dynamic industry
- Managing a team with diverse skills and backgrounds, fostering professional development and collaboration
ASSUMPTION: These challenges require strong leadership, strategic thinking, and communication skills, as well as the ability to adapt and pivot in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- Compared to other senior director roles in brand communications, this position places a greater emphasis on global public relations and social media strategies, requiring a strong understanding of both traditional and digital marketing channels
- In the apparel and fashion industry, this role requires a deep understanding of consumer behavior, trends, and market dynamics specific to the outdoor lifestyle segment
- Career progression in this role may involve transitioning to a Chief Marketing Officer or another executive-level position within the organization
ASSUMPTION: This role offers unique opportunities and challenges specific to the apparel and fashion industry, with a focus on the outdoor lifestyle segment and global brand communications.
📝 Sample Projects
- Developing and executing a global social media campaign to launch a new product line, driving consumer engagement and brand awareness
- Managing a crisis communication strategy in response to a reputational risk, ensuring consistent messaging and protecting the brand's reputation
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams to plan and execute a brand experience event, driving media visibility and consumer engagement
ASSUMPTION: These sample projects demonstrate the strategic thinking, communication, and leadership skills required to succeed in this role, as well as the ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams and manage multiple high-priority projects simultaneously.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- Can you describe the company's long-term vision for global brand communications and how this role fits into that strategy?
- How does the team currently collaborate with other departments, and what opportunities exist for improving cross-functional communication and alignment?
- What are the most significant challenges facing the brand communications team in the next 12-24 months, and how can this role help address them?
- How does KEEN support the professional development and growth of its employees, particularly within the brand communications department?
- What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) used to measure the success of global brand communications initiatives, and how are they tracked and reported?
ASSUMPTION: Asking these questions demonstrates your interest in the role, the company, and the long-term success of global brand communications initiatives.
📌 Next Steps for Applicants
To apply for this position:
- Submit your application through this link
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience and skills for this role
- Prepare examples of your work that showcase your strategic thinking, communication, and leadership skills
- Research KEEN's brand, values, and company culture to ensure a strong fit and alignment
- Follow up with the hiring manager one week after submitting your application to express your continued interest in the position
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
