Manager, Connections Strategy

Location: Hershey, PA

Department: Finance

Summary of Role:

The Manager, Connections Strategy supports the development of full-funnel communications strategies that align brand ambition with audience needs, media behaviors, and cultural context. This role helps bring brand campaigns to life by translating business objectives and creative platforms into channel strategies that drive relevance, engagement, and impact across the consumer journey.  Working as part of a cross-functional team, the Manager partners with Brand Marketing, Media, Creative, and Audience teams to craft insight-driven, audience-first plans that inform creative briefs and guide execution across Paid, Owned, Earned, and Shared channels. This individual brings a strong mix of curiosity, strategic discipline, and collaborative energy to build meaningful connections between consumers and brands.

Role Responsibilities:

1. Communications Strategy Development: Support the creation of integrated connections plans that define the right roles for channels, content, and creative across the marketing funnel. Translate campaign objectives, audience insights, and creative platforms into actionable media and content recommendations
2. Campaign Planning Support: Assist in building consumer journey maps, message sequencing, and flighting frameworks that guide execution teams. Partner with media and brand teams to ensure strategic alignment from briefing through activation
3. Audience & Insight Integration: Leverage research, audience data, and cultural trends to inform strategic thinking. Collaborate with the Audience Strategy team to ensure plans are anchored in audience needs, behaviors, and mindsets
4. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Serve as a connector between brand, media, creative, and commerce teams—ensuring the strategy translates clearly across executional workstreams. Help facilitate working sessions and briefing forums with internal teams and external agency partners
5. Strategic Tools & Frameworks: Use and maintain standardized planning tools (e.g., ecosystem maps, channel role frameworks, briefing templates) to drive consistency and clarity. Contribute to post-campaign retrospectives and learning agendas

Desired knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Strong foundation in communications planning and strategic thinking.
• Ability to synthesize consumer insights and business objectives into actionable media strategies.
• Skilled in cross-functional collaboration, especially between creative and media teams.
• Proficiency in writing clear, compelling briefs that inspire creative development.
• Comfortable navigating data sources and translating them into story-driven plans.
• Excellent stakeholder management and cross-functional leadership.
• Familiarity with cultural trend mapping and behavioral segmentation.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements: 

• Education –
  • Bachelor’s degree.
• Experience –
  • At least 4–6 years of experience in strategy, brand planning, or media.
  • Exposure to cross-functional campaign planning.
  • Experience supporting campaign development in a matrixed organization.

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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.  

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