Senior Manager, Policy Communications

Overview

About the Role 

Instacart’s Communications team is seeking a Senior Manager, Policy Communications 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 team member will lead federal, state, and local communications that elevate Instacart’s story in the press and with influential policy audiences; educate key stakeholders about important policy issues; and support key business initiatives. Reporting to the Director of Policy Communications and working in close partnership with the company’s Policy & Government Affairs team and other internal partners, this team member will oversee communications on federal policy issues as well as in top priority state and local markets in the eastern United States. This role is based in Washington, DC.

About the Team 

The Senior Manager, Policy Communications will be a member of the Policy Communications team — part of the broader Communications department. The Policy Communications team works hand-in-hand in strategic partnership with Instacart’s Policy & Government Affairs team (which oversees government relations, public affairs, public policy research and development, and social impact work at the federal, state and local level in the U.S. and Canada), Instacart’s Legal team, and other key partners and stakeholders, both internally and externally. 

About the Job 

Responsibilities include:

• Delivering strategic communications that advance the company’s policy priorities, including reactive and proactive communications, education, and outreach with press and other stakeholders 
• Building and cultivating strong reporter relationships in critical markets and on critical issues/beats and Driving key Instacart narratives through earned stories in top outlets across multiple markets
• Developing effective messaging and rapid response communications for federal, state and local policy issues for internal and external audiences
• Working closely with industry coalitions and associations to shape and coordinate campaigns and strategic initiatives
• Advancing Instacart’s policy agenda and policy brand through strategic thought leadership work, owned media, events, public speaking opportunities, and more
• Providing internal communications support on key policy issues and developments  
• Provide strategic counsel, guidance and partnership to Policy team partners, and collaborating with communications colleagues across disciplines on strategic initiatives and announcements that support multiple objectives 

About You

Minimum Qualifications

• 8+ 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; in particular, a deep understanding of and experience working within the DC media ecosystem
• Experience communicating about and developing messaging around complex and emerging policy issues for various audiences and stakeholders
• Experience developing and executing successful press conferences, conference panels and other public events
• Exceptionally strong writing and editing skills
• 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, team-oriented, and outcome-focused
• Proven ability to influence and build consensus with internal and external stakeholders
• Hold themselves and others accountable for their work and commitments

Preferred Qualifications

• Ideal candidate will have Capitol Hill and/or political campaign communications experience
• Existing reporter relationships, especially within D.C. and policy-focused press outlets
• Experience working on technology, labor, food and/or health policy issues
• Experience working with coalitions and industry associations

Last updated on Aug 5, 2024