Manager, Strategic Communications & AI Reputation Intelligence

The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company is an industry-leading snacks company known for making more moments of goodness through its iconic brands. With a strong portfolio across chocolate, confectionery, and salty snacks, Hershey delights consumers every day. Our beloved brands include Hershey’s, Reese’s, KitKat, Dots Pretzels, Lesser Evil, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, and more.

At Hershey, we are committed to making a meaningful difference in the communities where we live, work, and do business. This commitment originated with our founder, Milton Hershey, and continues to shape who we are today.

Guided by our employee value proposition, Lead Today. Create Tomorrow, we empower our people to drive impact now while shaping what comes next. Our One Hershey mindset brings teams together across functions, geographies, and businesses, enabling us to operate with speed, collaboration, and shared purpose.

The Hershey Company is proud to be recognized as a top employer in the United States, reflecting our commitment to our people, culture, and purpose.

How will you fit in the big picture?

The Manager, Strategic Communications & AI Reputation Intelligence leads Hershey's enterprise capability for understanding and shaping how artificial intelligence systems represent the company, its brands, and its people. This role establishes and scales the AI Reputation & Communications Center of Excellence, transforming fragmented monitoring and response efforts into a strategic, measurable, and proactive capability.

The role translates signals from large language models, search, social listening, stakeholder research, and competitive intelligence into actionable communications strategies that strengthen reputation, improve narrative accuracy, and increase visibility across AI-driven platforms. Working across Corporate Communications, Brand, Consumer Connections, Legal, Investor Relations, Insights, and Information Services, this leader aligns stakeholders around shared priorities, governance, and measurable business outcomes.

What will you do?

1. Lead AI Reputation Strategy

Develop and execute the vision, roadmap, governance model, and objectives for the AI Reputation & Communications Center of Excellence. Align priorities with enterprise strategy, brand growth goals, reputation priorities, and key business moments.

2. Monitor and Shape AI Narratives

Lead ongoing monitoring and analysis of how AI platforms represent Hershey, its brands, and its people. Identify reputation risks, misinformation, gaps, biases, and emerging opportunities, translating findings into actionable communication strategies.

3. Drive Cross-Functional Alignment

Partner with Corporate Communications, Brand, Legal, Consumer Connections, Investor Relations, Insights, agencies, and other stakeholders to establish shared objectives, messaging frameworks, decision-making processes, and governance standards.

4. Build AI-Ready Communications Infrastructure

Collaborate with digital and technology teams to strengthen structured content, metadata, source-of-truth assets, and discoverability practices that improve AI visibility, citation quality, and content accessibility.

5. Measure Impact and Advance Innovation

Define and track performance metrics including AI share of voice, narrative alignment, sentiment, citation quality, accuracy, and competitive positioning. Evaluate communications technologies and AI tools, guiding investment decisions while building AI literacy through training, coaching, and best practices.

Minimum Education & Requirements

5+ years of experience in communications, reputation management, corporate affairs, public relations, digital communications, or related fields, including experience leading cross-functional initiatives. Experience with AI, LLMs, search analytics, reputation monitoring, social listening, or digital intelligence strongly preferred. Experience managing agencies, vendors, or direct reports is preferred.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Marketing, Business, or a related field preferred.

Additional Qualifications:

• Strong understanding of generative AI, large language models, and emerging AI-driven search experiences.

• Knowledge of reputation management, narrative development, stakeholder communications, and brand strategy.

• Experience using analytics, insights, and measurement frameworks to drive decision-making.

• Ability to influence and align senior leaders and cross-functional partners without direct authority.

• Familiarity with structured data, SEO, content discoverability, and generative engine optimization practices.

• Strong written, verbal, presentation, and executive communication skills.

• Benefits and Perks

• At Hershey, we offer competitive pay and a comprehensive total rewards package designed to support your wellbeing, financial security, and life outside of work.

• Health & Wellbeing: Medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus wellness programs that support your physical and mental health

• Financial Security: Competitive pay, annual incentive opportunities, and a 401(k) with company match

• Time Off & Flexibility: Paid time off, company holidays, and flexible ways of working where applicable

• Growth & Development: Career development programs, learning opportunities, and internal mobility

• Benefits may vary based on role, location, and eligibility.

• The anticipated base salary range for this role is $107,920 to $134,900 per year. The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of job‑related factors, including, but not limited to, experience, skill set, education, and training. In addition to a market-competitive base salary, our Total Rewards package includes performance‑based incentives and a comprehensive, competitive benefits package designed to support overall physical, mental, and financial well‑being (as applicable). Learn more about Hershey’s benefits and all the resources Hershey provides to support our employees’ physical, emotional, and financial well‑being by visiting the Hershey Digital Employee Experience at www.askHRbenefits.hersheys.com

• The Hershey Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The policy of The Hershey Company is to extend opportunities to qualified applicants and employees on an equal basis regardless of an individual's race, color, gender, age, national origin, religion, citizenship status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other categories protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

• The Hershey Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Minority/Female/Disabled/Protected Veterans. You may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our online application process as a result of a disability.