Sr. Manager, Internal Communications

About Us

At Cars.com, we help shoppers meet their perfect car match, and people find their perfect career match. As one of the top places to work in Chicago, according to The Chicago Tribune, Built-In Chicago and others, we pride ourselves on a culture of growth and innovation.

Cars.com has revolutionized the automotive industry for both shoppers and sellers through technology and solutions for buyers and sellers alike. We never shy away from a challenge, move fast, collaborate across functions to approach problems from every angle. We’ve built a culture that’s second-to-none and share core values that keep everyone working full-speed at the same goals with the same open, outcome-driven and bold attitudes.

Cars.com is a CARS brand. CARS includes the following brands: Cars.com, Dealer Inspire, DealerRater, FUEL, CreditIQ & Accu-Trade. Learn more here !

About The Role

We are looking for a Senior Manager of Internal Communications to join the CARS Communications department. The ideal candidate is a skilled storyteller and content creator who can deliver strategic communications programs for the business and individual departments that drive cohesion across our brands and build relevant connections between our employees and our corporate strategy. This person will effectively work across teams and business units to create, share and implement programs and communications that thoughtfully position our executives internally to drive business goals and build their individual brands, maintain a stellar corporate reputation, and keep employees up to date about company news and events and progress against our strategy. A close partnership with key stakeholders in HR and other departments will be necessary to manage and grow our robust Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs while effectively communicating our efforts to employees.

This person will be an innovative communicator that is especially tuned in to successfully communicating in a virtual-first environment where our employees – whether they are working remotely or in one of our offices -- feel connected to our mission and values, to our culture and to each other.

This role reports to the Senior Director, Communications with significant interaction with and accountabilities to the C-suite executive team. This individual works closely with the broader Communications, Marketing and HR organizations as well as other business units across the company to execute integrated internal engagement campaigns.

Responsibilities Include

• Play a key role in building and managing the internal communications strategy while executing all employee communications programs, events and materials.
• Create innovative ways to communicate in a virtual-first workplace that inform and motivate employees while keeping the company connected.
• Support company strategy by communicating key updates to the organization, tailored for our diverse employee base.
• Ensure internal communications are aligned and consistent with brand voice by collaborating with marketing team members.
• Drive our ESG strategy and manage programming efforts.
• Manage all internal communications channels such as e-newsletters, in-office TV monitors, Slack handle and more.
• Alongside our Senior Manager of Events, coordinate and manage internal events, such as town halls, fireside chats and more.
• Manage and grow our employee awards and recognition programs.
• Serve as an advisor on internal communications to other senior leaders across the organization.
• Partner closely with the HR team around employee brand efforts, informing employees about benefits, and driving our DEI programs.
• Drive measurable, data-driven results and manage internal communications analytics dashboards to ensure effectiveness of programs and channels.
  

About You

Your expertise:

• 8-10 years of experience in an internal communications role.
• Strong writing and storytelling skills are a must, as is thriving in a fast-paced environment.
• A creative mindset and a passion for communications.
• Very strong attention to detail and the ability to juggle competing priorities.
• Ability to be a self starter and a team player.
• Ability to meet aggressive timelines across different departments.
• Ability to see the Corporate-level perspective, the business group goals & objectives, and the fine details needed to implement complex communications.
• Experience supporting organizational change management, acquisitions, and crisis communications around sensitive workforce issues is a plus.
• External communications/PR experience is a plus.
• Experience creating internal communications narratives for diverse audiences.
• Innovative storytelling capabilities and fluency in multiple content types - editorial, digital, video, social, etc.
• Experience using Slack, Bananatag and/or similar tools is a plus.
• Bachelor's degree, preferably in Communications, Public Relations, Integrated Marketing, Journalism, or related field.
  

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.