Back to jobs
New

Senior Manager, Brand Communications and PR

Remote

Who We Are: 

Our vision is to grant the wish of every eligible child. Through our mission, we are uniting communities to grant life-changing wishes. As the world’s largest wish-granting organization, we strive to create a sense of community and an environment where we warmly embrace our wish families, volunteers, and colleagues.

Joining Make-A-Wish means becoming part of a mission that believes in the power of a wish.  

Location:

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We do not sponsor employment visas or other immigration processes to attain or maintain employment eligibility.

Remote positions are open to applicants based anywhere in the continental U.S. Hybrid positions are open to applicants based in the Phoenix, Arizona area. 

Position Summary:

The Senior Manager, Brand Communications and PR leads Make‑A‑Wish America’s public relations and communications strategy and serves as a key advisor on brand reputation and risk. This role oversees media relations, PR, and crisis communications, and partners closely with senior leadership on strategic initiatives that advance the organization’s mission and visibility.

The Senior Manager provides strategic counsel and support to National Office teams, chapters, and corporate partners nationwide, and directly manages a team of communications professionals responsible for promoting, protecting, and enhancing the Make‑A‑Wish brand. This position integrates and executes a broad range of communications and PR activities aligned with the organization’s brand strategy and positioning, and serves as an ambassador by building strong relationships with media and external stakeholders.

Duties & Responsibilities

  • Lead and execute public relations strategy, including proactive media outreach, reputation management, leadership engagement, and consistent on‑message storytelling across traditional and emerging platforms.
  • Provide strategic public relations consultation to chapters to strengthen local media engagement while ensuring national alignment and consistency.
  • Identify and assess emerging issues and reputational risks, and partner with leadership to define and execute appropriate communications strategies and solutions.
  • Lead public relations strategy for national corporate partnerships and brand activations, including co‑branded announcements, executive messaging, and coordinated media engagement with internal and external stakeholders.
  • Partner with the Senior Manager, Digital & Social to develop and execute integrated social, owned, and earned media strategies that amplify key campaigns and ensure cohesive audience experiences.
  • Assign, prioritize, and manage media opportunities, and develop, review, and approve talking points, speeches, presentations, and supporting materials.
  • Serve as a spokesperson and lead contact for significant media interactions, and build and maintain strong national and regional media relationships.
  • Ensure alignment and consistency across chapter and national communications strategies, practices, and all public‑facing and internal materials, including adherence to voice and brand standards.
  • Lead measurement and analysis of earned media performance using monitoring tools and reporting frameworks to inform strategy, assess impact, and guide leadership decision‑
  • Oversee day‑to‑day operations of the National Communications team, including planning, budgeting, staffing, and agency management.
  • Foster a high‑performance culture through clear goal‑setting, accountability, performance management, professional development, and compensation administration.
  • Monitor shifts in the media, cultural, and communications landscape and apply emerging approaches and best practices to continuously evolve strategies, storytelling, and engagement models.

Qualifications

  • Seven or more years of experience in public relations or communications, including media strategy development and creation of press releases and related communications materials, in‑house or with an agency.
  • Five or more years of experience in crisis and issues management, with the ability to exercise sound judgment in fast‑changing environments.
  • At least two years of experience leading, mentoring, and developing PR and communications professionals.
  • Demonstrated success building and sustaining relationships with national media and top‑tier partners, and positioning stories to achieve broad visibility.
  • Experience leading public relations for national corporate partnerships and supporting executive‑level communications, including leadership messaging and high‑visibility announcements.
  • Proven ability to lead comprehensive, integrated communications programs across earned, owned, and social channels in collaboration with digital and cross‑functional teams.
  • Experience using earned media monitoring and analytics tools to evaluate performance and inform communications strategy.
  • Strong written, verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills, with the ability to engage senior leaders, boards, staff, and external audiences, and to manage multiple priorities under deadline pressure.
  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.

Working Conditions

  • Ability to thrive in a remote environment.  
  • Some travel required, up to 25% for organizational campaigns, events, and conferences.
  • May occasionally require work outside of the traditional Monday through Friday work week. This includes weekends and early evening weeknights.

This Role's Hiring Range

$86,196 - $101,500 USD

What We Offer:

Benefits

  • Comprehensive benefit package, effective day 1: Medical, Vision*, Dental*, Wellness
  • Competitive compensation with annual incentive potential    
  • Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account Options    
  • Health Reimbursement Account fully funded by Make-A-Wish America
  • Short Term Disability*, Long Term Disability* and Life Insurance 
  • Additional Insurance Plans: Accident, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, Pet Insurance through Figo 
  • 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with 5% match after one year of service
  • Eligibility for student loan forgiveness through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program   
  • The organization will send a laptop, 24” monitor, and a docking station/adaptor to new hires 

Time Off

  • Up to 15 PTO days 
  • 10 Sick Days 
  • 11 Paid Holidays 
  • 2 Volunteer Days after one year of service 
  • 2 Personal Days accrued annually   
  • Parental Leave      

Also... 

  • Employee Awards and Recognition Programs    
  • Individual and Leadership Development     
  • Discounts and special offers for theme parks, events, hotels, concerts, and movie tickets   

*Monthly premiums paid for the employee for vision, dental, and short/long term disability.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Please enter your street address, city, state, and zip code 

Select...
Select...
Select...
Are you a current or former employee of a Make-A-Wish America Chapter or National Team? *
Are you a current or former volunteer or board member for a Make-A-Wish Chapter or the National Team? *
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

U.S. Standard Demographic Questions

We invite applicants to share their demographic background. If you choose to complete this survey, your responses may be used to identify areas of improvement in our hiring process.
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Make-A-Wish America’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.