Senior Director, Communications

The Sr. Director of Communications will set the enterprise communications strategy to drive brand recognition, protect our reputation, and accelerate growth. This leader will own the integrated communications agenda across consumer, corporate, executive, financial, and internal audiences and will lead our external agency partners and collaborators to bring it to life. Reporting directly to the Chief Commercial Officer, the Sr. Director is a member of the Commercial Leadership Team and a strategic partner to the broader executive team. This is a high-impact, high-visibility role for a seasoned communications leader who thrives at the intersection of culture, media, and business strategy, and who knows how to influence critical decisions, shape narratives, and make sweetgreen one of the most culturally relevant food brands.

What You’ll Do:Cultural Hype & Brand Narrative - Define and own sweetgreen’s cultural communications strategy, positioning the brand at the center of the food, wellness, and culture conversation:

• Lead the strategy for identifying and creating cultural moments from menu drops and chef collaborations to brand partnerships and community activations in partnership with the founders, VP of Marketing, and VP of Partnerships

• Define and own the always-on editorial strategy across earned channels (Substacks, newsletters, social, podcasts), ensuring sweetgreen drives its own narrative rather than just reacting to it

• Set the playbook for founder-led storytelling, directing agency partners and collaborators to help our founders show up authentically in direct-to-audience channels

• Oversee the content engine strategy that generates a steady drumbeat of conversation-worthy stories spanning brand messages, partnerships, business milestones, food quality, and menu innovation

External Communications - Set and own the corporate narrative strategy across consumer, business, executive, and financial audiences:

• Own sweetgreen’s earned communications agenda, directing agency partners to maximize press coverage, brand visibility, and third-party credibility across all channels

• Lead cross-functional collaboration with Marketing, Legal, Finance, and Operations to ensure consistent, strategic messaging across all external touchpoints

• Oversee the development of communication narratives and materials across channels, including press releases, brand films, investor communications, partnership announcements, and direct-to-audience content

• Manage and optimize the external agency relationships and communications budget, ensuring strong ROI and alignment with brand and business objectives

Executive & Founder Communication - Serve as the strategic communications partner to sweetgreen’s founders and executive team:

• Set the executive communications strategy, directing agency partners and content collaborators to shape and amplify founder and leadership voice across social media, podcasts, speaking engagements, and direct-to-audience platforms

• Advise, brief, and partner with the founders and C-suite leaders on media and speaking opportunities, ensuring messaging is on-strategy and reflects sweetgreen’s cultural authority

• Curate and manage direct communications of the CEO across social media channels (X and LinkedIn), to create a complementary narrative to the overall brand narrative

• Elevate executive visibility across internal and external audiences through a modern communications strategy that goes beyond traditional channels, in partnership with the VP of Marketing, Chief Commercial Officer, and Head of Investor Relations

Crisis & Issues Communications - Own sweetgreen’s proactive and reactive crisis communications program, safeguarding the company’s reputation across traditional and social channels:

• Own and continuously evolve the crisis communications playbook and framework, partnering with HR, Legal, Marketing, and Operations to ensure real-time preparedness and rapid response capabilities

• Lead the company’s external response to high-stakes issues, serving as the primary communications decision-maker during critical moments, ensuring sweetgreen is never caught off-guard by emerging reputation risks

What You’ll Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications or related field/experience

• 12+ years of progressive communications experience, with at least 5 years directing and managing agencies, external partners, and cross-functional communications programs.

• Experience at a culturally relevant consumer brand, high-growth DTC, or lifestyle brand strongly preferred

• A track record of building integrated communications strategies that have measurably moved brand reputation, share of voice, cultural relevance, or business outcomes, ideally with demonstrated success in owned and social channels, not just earned media

• Proven experience building or scaling founder-led communications programs, executive social media presence, or direct-to-audience content platforms

• Experience managing and optimizing external agency relationships and communications budgets, with a track record of delivering strong results through partners rather than through a direct team

• Deep executive presence and credibility as a counselor to founders and C-suite leaders, with experience preparing and supporting CEOs through high-visibility moments and influencing critical decisions at the most senior levels of an organization

• Demonstrated success leading issues and crisis communications for a public or high-profile brand, including coordination across Legal, People, and Operations

• Strong editorial instincts and a point of view on where culture is moving, paired with the rigor and influence skills to translate that into a measurable enterprise plan

• Exceptional ability to synthesize large volumes of information, analyze data and cultural signals, and translate them into clear, concise, and resonant messaging for diverse audiences

• Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, managing multiple high-priority workstreams simultaneously while meeting deadlines and objectives, with exceptional attention to detail and proven problem-solving skills

What you'll get:

• Highly competitive pay + bonus plan

• Three different medical plans to suit your and your family's needs

• Dental and Vision insurance

• Flexible PTO plan

• 401k program

• Employee HSA and FSA

• Complimentary greens

• An opportunity to make a real impact on the people around you, both by growing them and by connecting them to real food

• To live the sweetlife and celebrate your passion + purpose

• A collaborative team of people who live our core values and have your back

• A clear career path with opportunities for development, both personally and professionally

• Free sweetgreen swag

Come join the sweetlife!About sweetgreen

Sweetgreen is a national restaurant brand dedicated to building healthier communities by connecting people to real food. Since 2007, Sweetgreen has reimagined fast food to be fresh, flavorful, and rooted in relationships with farmers and communities. As we grow, we are committed to developing our people in our restaurants and at our support center, so that everyone can be part of the movement. When you join Sweetgreen, you not only invest in your own future but help create spaces where food, people, and purpose come together

Salary range for this role:

Starting salary range based on experience

$160,799—$229,713 USD

Sweetgreen provides equal opportunities for all employees and applicants, without regard to sex or gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and protective hairstyles), religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, any service in the uniformed services of the United States, or any other consideration protected by federal, state, or local law.

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