AVP, Crisis Communications

At Bath & Body Works, everyone belongs. We are committed to creating a culture of belonging focused on delivering exceptional fragrances and experiences to our customers. We focus on recruiting, retaining, and advancing top talent. In addition, we work to improve our communities and our planet to help the world live more fully.

The AVP, Risk and Reputation is responsible for protecting and enhancing the reputation of Bath & Body Works through strategic risk management, crisis communication planning, and proactive reputation-building initiatives. The AVP, Risk & Reputation Communications serves as a critical enterprise leader responsible for protecting and strengthening the reputation of Bath & Body Works in an increasingly complex and dynamic environment. This role is anchored in deep expertise in crisis and risk management, with primary responsibility for anticipating, assessing, advising on, and navigating high-impact, high-sensitivity issues that have the potential to affect the company’s brand, operations, and stakeholder trust.

This role will collaborate with internal stakeholders and serve as advisor to senior leadership, while working with external partners to identify potential risks, develop response strategies, and implement communications plans to maintain trust and credibility and protect our brand.

This individual brings a forward-looking, enterprise mindset—proactively identifying emerging risks, shaping response strategies, and ensuring the organization is prepared to respond with clarity, speed, and confidence. The role requires sound judgment, executive presence, and the highest level of discretion, regularly managing confidential and business-critical situations.

Responsibilities:

Risk Assessment and Monitoring:
Conduct regular assessments of potential risks to the organization’s reputation, including media scrutiny, public perception, regulatory changes, and competitive activities.
Monitor media coverage, social media channels, and industry trends to identify emerging issues and reputational threats.
Apply monitoring tools and analytics to track sentiment and assess the impact of PR activities on brand perception.

Crisis Preparedness and Response:
Develop and maintain comprehensive crisis communication plans, including protocols for rapid response and escalation procedures.
Coordinate cross-functional teams during crises to ensure timely and consistent messaging across all channels.
Provide counsel to senior leadership on crisis management strategies and reputational risks.

Stakeholder Engagement:
Cultivate relationships with key partners, including customers, employees, investors, media representatives, and community.
Serve as a spokesperson for the organization, effectively communicating its values, mission, and response to critical issues.
Organize outreach events, press conferences, and media briefings to maintain transparency and build trust.

Reputation Building Initiatives:
Develop and implement PR campaigns to enhance the organization’s reputation and promote its brand values.
Find opportunities for thought leadership and industry engagement to establish the organization as a trusted authority in its field.
Measure and analyze the effectiveness of reputation-building initiatives, adjusting strategies as needed to achieve desired outcomes.

Collaboration and Training:
Collaborate with various teams, including Marketing, Legal, Compliance, and Operations, to integrate risk management and reputation considerations into business strategies.
Provide training and guidance to internal collaborators on crisis communication standard methodologies, media relations, and reputation management.

• Leader of complete business or a major portion of a business function. May be a functional expert in their own area. Manages related functions and needs to balance competing demands for resource and policies where actions in one function may impact another function if not carefully integrated.

• Works cross-functionally with other teams to create annual operating plans consistent with function strategy and guides implementation with a view of 1-2 years out.
• Works within the strategy and operational plans set for their function and the policies that have been created.
• Meets with Customer team leadership on a monthly basis as needed with quarterly connection points to check progress. Reviews major challenges and changes to operating plans with leader as they occur.

• Provides input on the technical direction of their function for the plan, come up with alternatives. Figures out how to allocate talent resources provided to deliver expected results.

• Proven expertise in crisis communication, or reputation management in a corporate or agency setting.
• Strong understanding of media relations, social media dynamics, and crisis communication strategies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling messages for diverse audiences.
• Strategic problem solver who can anticipate potential risks and develop proactive solutions.
• Experience managing external PR agencies and vendors
• Knowledge of relevant industry regulations and compliance standards.
• Availability to be flexible in work hours including evenings and weekends, during times of crisis or heightened media scrutiny.
• Willingness to travel occasionally for meetings, conferences, or media engagements.
  

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, or related field
• Master’s degree preferred
• DEI related certification a plus