Director, Earned Media

Join one of the world’s most iconic brands and help shape how Coca-Cola shows up in the news cycle. As Director, Media, you will lead on earned media execution, media relationship management and real-time reputation management for Coca-Cola in North America. You’ll uncover and elevate stories that matter - innovation, sustainability, community impact, and brand moments. We’re seeking a savvy, earned media leader who is quick, thoughtful, innovative, collaborative, calm under pressure, and adept at working across all media channels. This role is central to how Coca-Cola protects and grows trust, relevance, and credibility in a complex and fast-moving external environment.

What You’ll Do

• Build and manage relationships with journalists, outlets, and influencers; proactively pitch stories and manage inbound inquiries.
• Manage press operations: write/approve press materials (releases, talking points, advisories), manage media lists, and coordinate distribution.
• Operate with a newsroom mindset - prioritizing speed, accuracy, and judgment in fast-moving news cycles.
• Ensure Coca-Cola’s stories are built for today’s multimedia environment — partnering with teams to develop the right narratives, visuals, and assets, so our earned media performs across formats, platforms, and moments.
• Support development and execution of integrated media/communications plans aligned with North America and global strategies – working as part of our consumer and corporate PR teams. Partner closely with bottling partners to align media strategy, coordinate responses, and elevate systemwide stories.
• Prepare and coach executives/spokespeople for interviews, panels, and thought leadership opportunities.
• Guide a high performing team and agency partners; ensure asset governance and content quality.
• Monitor coverage and sentiment, track KPIs, analyze insights, and optimize in real time.
• Ensure every touchpoint reflects Coca-Cola's brand voice, narrative, and reputation standards; partner closely with social/digital, brand, Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability (PACS), and bottling partners.
• Help anticipate reputational risks and shape proactive narratives before issues emerge; and support media strategy during sensitive, high risk, or rapidly evolving issues, working closely with the wider PACS team, Legal, and senior leadership.
• Build a real-time response system to monitor emerging cultural and social trends and conversation to identify opportunities and lead rapid-response efforts with Brand, Consumer and Corporate Communications.
• Stay at the forefront of emerging media trends, platforms, and technologies — continuously scanning the external landscape to identify new channels, formats, and opportunities, and translating insights into actionable strategies that keep Coca-Cola relevant, innovative, and culturally connected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, or related field
• 10+ years in media relations and communications. Additional experience in digital/social news communications and global or complex matrix experience preferred.
• Exceptional writing, editing, pitching, and message development skills.
• Strong influencing and stakeholder management across senior leaders and cross functional teams.
• Experience leading or directing agencies/vendors; comfort setting KPIs and holding partners accountable.
• Proven issues/crisis and rapid response experience in fast-moving news environments.
• Collaborative, network-oriented mindset; ability to work in an agile manner across teams and markets.
• Sound judgment and discretion when navigating sensitive topics, ambiguity, and competing perspectives in a highly visible brand environment.

What We Offer

• The platform and responsibility to steward an iconic global brand
• Access to worldclass leaders and best-in-class agency partners
• A creative, collaborative culture that rewards smart risk-taking and innovation
• A seat at the table during moments that matter most — helping shape how one of the world’s most recognized brands is understood, trusted, and discussed.

Skills:

The Coca-Cola Company will not offer sponsorship for employment status (including, but not limited to, H1-B visa status and other employment-based nonimmigrant visas) for this position. Accordingly, all applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis and must not require The Coca-Cola Company's sponsorship to continue to work legally in the United States.