Director, Brand PR

At Curaleaf, we’re redefining the cannabis industry with a strong commitment to quality, expertise, and innovation. As a leading global cannabis provider, our brands—including Curaleaf, Select, and Grassroots—offer premium products and services in both medical and adult-use markets.

Join us at Curaleaf to be part of a high-growth, purpose-driven company that champions corporate social responsibility through our Rooted in Good initiative, supporting community outreach and positive change. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact, drive innovation, and help shape the future of cannabis.

Title: Director, Brand PR

Location: Stamford, CT

Job Type: Exempt | Full-Time

About the Role:  The Director of Brand PR will lead end-to-end public relations to a multi-brand, multi-market portfolio. This leader will architect the earned strategy that launches products, fuels sustained brand talkability and turns retail moments into cultural moments while building local market momentum and safeguarding reputation.

Reporting to the SVP of Marketing, the Director will oversee national brand PR, retail PR, regional PR support, and issues management. They will serve as the connective tissue between Brand, Retail, and Shopper Marketing, ensuring that PR programs elevate brand equity and support commercial priorities.  Additionally, they will collaborate directly with Corporate Communications, to ensure that Curaleaf’s brand stories are communicated to corporate stakeholders, investors and internal team members.

The ideal candidate has deep consumer brand PR experience in CPG and/or retail, is equally comfortable with media relations and issues management, and has a proven record of leading agencies, coaching spokespeople, and building PR programs that deliver measurable outcomes.

What You’ll Do: 

Retail PR (National + Local)

• Lead store opening PR playbooks: media mapping, press events, preview nights, community integration.
• Manage inbound media requests; provide counsel to retail leaders and spokespeople.
• Deliver media training and on-site coaching for press visits.
• Drive adult-use market launches with compliant messaging, community briefings, and stakeholder engagement.

Brand PR (CPG Core)

• Lead product launch PR from concept to sustainment: earned media, sampling, trial activations, and momentum planning.
• Execute regional activations and pop-ups aligned with retail calendars.
• Oversee award submissions (product, design, innovation).
• Build ongoing media relations to sustain brand visibility.
• Manage partnership PR (talent, cultural, nonprofit, co-marketing).
• Guide influencer/creator PR in collaboration with Social teams.
• Support brand narrative development and companywide messaging alignment.

Regional PR Support

• Develop local PR programs: adapt national narratives, pitch media, support CSR initiatives.
• Partner with Corporate PR on customer-facing crisis communications.
• Monitor customer feedback via social channels and coordinate rapid response.

Measurement, Budget & Agency Leadership

• Define KPIs using AMEC Barcelona Principles; focus on outcomes over outputs.
• Forecast/manage PR budgets; lead agencies across consumer, corporate, crisis, and local markets.
• Establish scalable operating cadences (QBRs, news calendars, approval SLAs).

Additional Details

• Travel: 25–40%
• Other duties as assigned 
• Title, level, and compensation commensurate with experience

What You’ll Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, or related field.
• 10–15+ years in Brand PR/Communications with CPG and/or large-scale retail experience.
• Proven track record launching national products and sustaining brand visibility.
• Hands-on media relations with top-tier national and regional outlets.
• Built and managed agencies and large PR budgets.
• Measurement fluency with AMEC/Barcelona Principles.
• Strong cross-functional leadership with Brand, Retail, Legal/Regulatory, and Corporate Comms.
• Excellent writing and storytelling skills across press materials, op-eds, and bylines.

Even Better If:

• Experience in regulated industries (alcohol, cannabis, pharma, tobacco)
• Familiarity with retail PR environments (Target-scale, Trader Joe’s)
• APR credential a plus
• Master