Senior Policy Communications Manager
Instacart
We're transforming the grocery industry
At Instacart, we invite the world to share love through food because we believe everyone should have access to the food they love and more time to enjoy it together. Where others see a simple need for grocery delivery, we see exciting complexity and endless opportunity to serve the varied needs of our community. We work to deliver an essential service that customers rely on to get their groceries and household goods, while also offering safe and flexible earnings opportunities to Instacart Personal Shoppers.
Instacart has become a lifeline for millions of people, and we’re building the team to help push our shopping cart forward. If you’re ready to do the best work of your life, come join our table.
Instacart is a Flex First team
There’s no one-size fits all approach to how we do our best work. Our employees have the flexibility to choose where they do their best work—whether it’s from home, an office, or your favorite coffee shop—while staying connected and building community through regular in-person events. Learn more about our flexible approach to where we work.
Overview
About the Role - Instacart’s Communications team is seeking a Senior Policy Communications Manager to oversee public relations and strategic communications that advance the company’s policy and government affairs goals and support the company’s long-term growth. This dynamic role will focus on policy communications across the West and Midwestern United States as well as international markets, including Canada and Europe.
This team member will help develop and execute a local, regional and international playbook that elevates Instacart’s story in the press and with influential policy audiences, educates key stakeholders about important policy issues, and supports key business initiatives. Reporting to the Director, Policy Communications and working in close partnership with the company’s Policy & Government Affairs team and other cross-functional partners, this team member will lead communications on international, state, and local policy issues and reputation-building campaigns in the West and Midwestern United States as well across global policy markets.
About the Team - Instacart is the leading online grocery technology company in North America, and our mission is to create a world where everyone has access to the food they love and more time to enjoy it together. We have built a Communications team to match the company’s trajectory and ambitious growth plans. Our communications team’s north star: Bring Instacart’s mission to life through world-class storytelling that earns trust, elevates perception, drives our business, and inspires belief in our vision. The Policy Communications team plays a crucial role in that work and that vision. We’re looking for an exceptionally talented team member to help support our communications and policy goals and our company’s long-term growth.
About the Job
The Senior Policy Communications Manager will operate as a member of the Communications team that works hand-in-hand in strategic partnership with Instacart’s Policy & Government Affairs team (which oversees our government relations, public affairs, public policy research and development, and social impact work at the global, federal, state, local level), Instacart’s legal team, and other key partners and stakeholders.
Responsibilities will include but are not limited to:
- Develop and deliver strategic communications that advance the company’s policy priorities, including reactive and proactive communications, education, and outreach with press and other key stakeholders
- Proactively build relationships with local reporters in key policy markets and drive media coverage in those regions — some travel required
- Develop effective messaging and rapid response communications for regional, international, and local policy issues for internal and external audiences
- Drive key Instacart narratives through earned stories in top outlets across multiple markets
- Work closely with industry coalitions and associations to shape and coordinate campaigns and strategic initiatives
- Advance Instacart’s policy agenda and policy brand through strategic thought leadership work, owned media, events, public speaking opportunities, and more
- Provide internal communications support on key policy issues and developments
- Collaborate with communications colleagues across disciplines on strategic initiatives and announcements that support multiple objectives
- Provide strategic counsel, guidance and partnership to policy and legal team partners
About You
Minimum Qualifications
As Senior Manager, Policy Communications, you will have significant experience managing press relations, external agencies, coalition partners, and internal constituencies. Additionally, the ideal candidate will be/have:
- 8-10 years of relevant experience in communications, policy communications, public affairs, government affairs, political campaigns, and/or crisis communications
- Substantial experience with strategic storytelling through the press, building new relationships with journalists, cultivating new markets and beats, and being thoughtful, proactive and effective when it comes to press outreach and engagement
- Substantial policy or political campaign communications experience
- Experience pitching and placing local media stories, including local print, digital, and broadcast
- Experience communicating about and developing messaging around complex and emerging policy issues for various audiences and stakeholders; familiarity with technology, labor, food and/or health policy issues is a plus
- Elite writing and editing skills
- Experience developing and executing successful press conferences, conference panels and other public events
- Solutions-oriented to help develop creative answers to complex problems
- Poised under pressure and tight deadlines — including but not limited to crisis scenarios
- Collaboration-minded and team-oriented
- Outcome-focused and motivated by delivering measurable results
- Proven ability to influence and build consensus with internal and external stakeholders
- Loves communications and storytelling
Preferred Qualifications
The ideal candidate will also have:
- Experience working on policy issues at the local and state level
- Experience working on policy issues at a global level, including Canada and/or Europe
- Experience working with coalitions, peer companies, and industry associations
- Experience working on technology, labor, and/or food/health related issues
Instacart provides highly market-competitive compensation and benefits in each location where our employees work. This role is remote and the base pay range for a successful candidate is dependent on their permanent work location. Please review our Flex First remote work policy here.
Offers may vary based on many factors, such as candidate experience and skills required for the role. Additionally, this role is eligible for a new hire equity grant as well as annual refresh grants. Please read more about our benefits offerings here.
For US based candidates, the base pay ranges for a successful candidate are listed below.