Retail Communications Manager (Remote)

Company Description

At Lakeshore, we create innovative learning materials and world-class guest experiences for teachers, parents and children. Since 1954, we’ve grown into a global community—with a thriving e-commerce business, multiple catalogs, 60+ retail stores, a peerless national sales force, plus international offices that support our preeminent supply chain division. But today we’re working better, smarter and faster than ever—and setting our sights even higher. We’re building an infrastructure designed for scalability, embracing data-driven decision-making and using technology to improve efficiency and ensure the best tools for the best work. Most importantly, we continue to invest in a diverse team of inquisitive top talent who fuel each other’s passions and curiosity, take risks, try new things, and believe that every new day brings opportunities for growth.

Job Description

Lakeshore is looking for a creative and passionate Retail Communications Manager. In this role you will work closely with senior executives and other managers to establish effective communications, bulletins and messaging to keep field employees and internal departments informed in a fast paced environment. This position will lead internal communications to ensure accurate content reaches all levels of the organization with informed, inspired, and engaging communication that contributes to the success of the Retail Team. A successful candidate will do this by leveraging various communications channels, such as weekly newsletters, email content, social media, templated communications and innovative digital platforms. In this role you will guide decision-making to support the department’s day-to-day operations. Problem solving skills are needed providing support for your team to quickly resolve challenges that arise, guiding them toward the most productive solutions. The ideal candidate will have solid experience with proofreading, strategic planning, and workflow efficiencies, as well as superb communication, and interpersonal skills to support the department’s growth and development. Since you’ll be working closely with a variety of cross-functional teams, excellent collaboration skills are also a must.  

A day in the office looks like this: 

• Manage the communication strategy to support current and future initiatives as well as the day-to-day business tasks  
• Work with cross-functional partners, in a fast paced environment to plan for upcoming store-facing initiatives, events, and promotions to ensure advanced visibility and smooth execution in stores 
• Lead and manage 2 direct reports 
• Design and maintain weekly communication routines 
• Partner closely with our internal corporate communications team to align on communication opportunities 
• Writes, edits, and proofreads content for internal communications channels, including memos, newsletters, video scripts and standalone emails 
• Supports editorial updates of standard operating procedures, policy and procedure, store resources and reference materials 
• Acts as a strong advocate for our employees by infusing the employee perspective into everything we communicate 
• Develops and maintains a master communication calendar and production schedules for all forms of communications 
• Ensure that objectives and milestones are met, and deliverables are achieved 
• Serves as a customer liaison to assist and track customer feedback, including service issues, compliments, or complaints; and coordinates responses to ensure quick and timely resolutions 
• Collaborates with leadership in direction setting, decision making and process changes 

Qualifications

Got the skills and experience? Here’s what we’re looking for:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience 
• 5+ years equivalent work experience in retail
• 2+ years experience managing people 
• A strong people oriented manager that can help develop and support their team to achieve success 
• Refined proficiency in writing, public speaking and presentation skills, with a focus on interpersonal business communication 
• Flexible with the ability to react to a constant evolving and sometimes hectic environment 
• Provide structure to ambiguity and continuously seek improvement of processes 
• Ensure internal communications messages are consistent across all channels and for different departments of the organization 
• Be vocal on necessary updates to help contribute to the success of the broader retail organization 
• Consistently delivers high-quality outputs with strong attention to detail through an organized approach 
• Works effectively and independently under tight deadlines to coordinate multiple assignments and complete timely 
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Su