New

Sr. Manager, Community Affairs

Fresh Thyme Market
life insurance, parental leave, 401(k)
United States, Illinois, Downers Grove
2650 Warrenville Road (Show on map)
Jul 22, 2025
If you're someone who has a genuine desire to help people live better and healthier lives, join us as we work to be a trusted resource in our communities, offering real people, real food at real affordable prices across the Midwest. If you are ready to immerse yourself in an environment, that helps shoppers naturally, intuitively, and enjoyably find real, honest, affordable goodness to meet them wherever they are on their wellness journey, we'd like to hear from you. Join us to begin YOUR journey and be a part of the Fresh Thyme Market Team! Fresh Thyme Rewards Weekly pay Scheduling flexibility Paid parental leave Team member discount Career growth opportunities Fresh Thyme Market is seeking a strategic, energetic and values-driven Senior Manager of Community Affairs to lead our community engagement efforts across our entire footprint. This role is responsible for the development and successful execution of Fresh Thymes community engagement strategies, managing our Public Relations agency, and overseeing a team responsible for driving impactful local marketing initiatives. This role will serve as the key liaison between the company and the communities we serve - overseeing sponsorships, local activations, and external communications that enhance the company's Brand awareness, reputation, and strengthen stakeholder relationships in a way that reflect Fresh Thymes mission and values. As a key leader within the Marketing and Community Affairs team, this individual will ensure our community presence is authentic, impactful and aligned to brand-wide objectives and the unique needs of each local market we serve. This highly collaborative role will work closely with the Senior Manager of Marketing, the department Director and Group Vice President. The role is based in the Downers Grove Support Office and follows a hybrid schedule in office Monday-Wednesday and Thursday-Friday remote. Key Deliverables: Community Engagement: Design and implement a scalable community affairs strategy that deepens Fresh Thymes local roots and reflects the values of real solutions for healthier living. Identify, vet and manage community sponsorships, nonprofit partnerships, and cause marketing initiatives that resonate with Fresh Thyme customers and Team Members. Lead a team in the development of playbooks and toolkits for store and market-level community involvement and empower store leadership to engage locally with consistency and impact. Act as a brand ambassador at select community events and activations with the ability to embody Fresh Thymes core pillars of Quality, Experience and Community. Local Marketing Activation: Lead a highly motivated and results-driven team responsible for the creation of market-level activations, grand openings, wellness events, and seasonal campaigns that bring the Fresh Thyme brand to life. Collaborate closely with store operations, regional leadership and the Marketing team to develop local plans tailored to each store/markets community. Lead and oversee customized messaging and community outreach based on regional and consumer insights, feedback and demographic data. Track and report performance metrics for all local initiatives, ensuring measurable impact and ROI. Public Relations & Agency Management: Lead and manage the relationship with Fresh Thymes external PR agency - setting strategy and expectations, reviewing deliverables to ensure adherence, managing budgets, and ensuring alignment with brand voice and goals. Oversee proactive and reactive media relations; including press releases, brand reputation, executive visibility, community news stories and crisis response. Serve as a liaison between external stakeholders and both Fresh Thyme & Meijer Executive and Senior Leadership to shape and protect the company's brand and reputation. This description is not inclusive of all responsibilities within the position; may perform additional duties. Education and Experience: Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing or related field; Master's degree a plus 7+ years of progressive experience in community affairs, public relations, corporate communications, or local marketing Experience managing external PR agencies and executing community programs across multiple regions or locations A passion for health, wellness, sustainability and Fresh Thymes mission of better-for-you real solutions for healthier living Experience in grocery, retail or CPG industry Strong understanding of community impact frameworks and nonprofit partnerships Familiarity with inclusive marketing and multicultural engagement Background in integrating community relations with shopper marketing, Loyalty programs, or corporate social responsibility initiatives Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to influence internal and external stakeholders at all levels Ability to travel locally and regionally (15-30%) as needed to support events, activations and store-level engagements Organized with high attention to detail Sense of urgency and nimbleness Excellent people management skills backed by developing and motivating high-performing teams At Fresh Thyme, our team members *Thrive. We offer competitive compensation, incentive programs, and recognition programs that allows our most successful team members to be rewarded for their passion, dedication, and the results they consistently drive. Therefore, we are committed to offering competitive pay that reflects market standards and ensures consistency within our organization. The pay range for this position is listed below. The actual rate offered will meet or surpass the legal wage requirement for the job's location. $100,000.00 - $157,500.00 This pay range represents the minimum and maximum base pay for the position, which is determined by factors such as market data, the qualifications required, the level of responsibilities associated with the role and other roles at this same level. Specific pay rates will be within this range and based on your experience, qualifications, and skills compared to the internal team of this role. Compensation for this position also includes incentive bonus opportunities that may vary based on individual and company performance. Specific details will be discussed during the hiring process. Our team members Thrive* because we are committed to the whole person. Not only do we offer a comprehensive benefits package for our full-time team members that includes medical, dental, and life insurance, but we also offer a variety of programs designed to support our part-time members as well. ALL Fresh Thyme team members enjoy paid parental leave, our 24/7 Employee Assistance Program, and our 401(k) plan with an employer match. We are dedicated to creating a work environment that promotes work-life balance, long-term health and financial security, and continuous professional development. Come *Thrive* with us!