PR & COMMUNICATION MANAGER

About Druids

Druids is a fast-growing international sportswear and ecommerce brand operating across golf, padel, fishing, snow sports and active lifestyle categories.

Our goal is to make sport more accessible by offering fun, affordable and great-quality products to customers around the world.

As Druids expands into new products, countries and sales channels, we are looking for an experienced PR & Communications Manager to build awareness, strengthen our reputation and tell the Druids story to customers, media, partners and the wider sporting industry.

The Role

The PR & Communications Manager will lead Druids’ external communications, media relations, corporate messaging and reputation-management activity.

You will develop stories that earn genuine media attention, build strong relationships with journalists and industry figures, and ensure the business communicates clearly and consistently.

The role covers consumer PR, corporate communications, product launches, sporting partnerships, executive profiling, events, awards and crisis communications.

This is not a role focused solely on producing press releases. You must be proactive, commercially aware and capable of finding stories within the business that customers and journalists will genuinely care about.

Key ResponsibilitiesPR and Communications Strategy

• Develop and deliver Druids’ international PR and communications strategy.
• Establish clear objectives for brand awareness, reputation and media coverage.
• Create annual, quarterly and monthly communication plans.
• Align PR activity with product launches, campaigns, sporting events and international expansion.
• Identify the audiences, publications and communication channels most important to the business.
• Develop different approaches for golf, padel, fishing, snow sports and corporate communications.
• Balance product-led coverage with broader brand, founder and company stories.
• Manage PR activity directly and through specialist agencies where appropriate.
• Ensure PR supports long-term brand development as well as immediate commercial priorities.

Media Relations

• Build and maintain strong relationships with relevant journalists, editors, broadcasters, podcasters and industry commentators.
• Develop targeted media lists across sport, fashion, lifestyle, retail, ecommerce and business publications.
• Proactively pitch relevant and newsworthy stories.
• Respond accurately and promptly to media enquiries.
• Arrange interviews, briefings, product reviews and editorial opportunities.
• Prepare spokespeople before interviews and public appearances.
• Track journalist interests, deadlines and previous conversations.
• Avoid generic mass distribution where a targeted approach would be more effective.
• Maintain professional relationships with media representatives between campaigns.

Story Development

• Identify compelling stories from across the Druids business.
• Develop narratives around products, customers, athletes, partnerships, company growth and international expansion.
• Turn business information and commercial milestones into clear, engaging communication.
• Find human-interest stories that demonstrate the impact of making sport more accessible.
• Develop thought-leadership opportunities for company executives and specialists.
• Create different angles for consumer, sporting, retail and business media.
• Ensure every story has a clear reason for journalists and audiences to care.
• Maintain a forward-looking editorial calendar of potential announcements and opportunities.

Product and Campaign PR

• Create PR plans for major product launches and seasonal campaigns.
• Prepare press releases, media alerts, product information and press packs.
• Coordinate review samples and media gifting with the Product and Operations teams.
• Identify appropriate journalists, athletes and creators for product trials.
• Organise launch events, demonstrations, previews and media appointments where relevant.
• Ensure product claims, pricing and technical information are accurate.
• Track resulting coverage and product-review activity.
• Repurpose positive coverage across social media, CRM, ecommerce and wholesale channels.
• Coordinate announcements carefully so that products and landing pages are ready before coverage is published.

Corporate Communications

• Develop clear corporate messaging for Druids.
• Support communication relating to company growth, leadership appointments, international expansion and commercial partnerships.
• Prepare company descriptions, executive biographies, fact sheets and corporate presentations.
• Support senior leaders with speeches, interviews, talking points and written statements.
• Ensure external communication accurately reflects the company’s strategy and performance.
• Work with Finance and senior leadership before communicating sensitive business information.
• Maintain consistency across company announcements, presentations and public profiles.
• Identify awards, speaking opportunities and industry events that could strengthen the company’s credibility.

Reputation Management

• Monitor media coverage, public commentary and emerging reputational risks.
• Work closely with the Head of Customer Experience & Reputation and Social Media & Community Manager.
• Create escalation procedures for complaints, misinformation and sensitive issues.
• Develop approved holding statements and crisis-communication templates.
• Coordinate internal responses before issuing external statements.
• Ensure public communication is accurate, responsible and appropriately timed.
• Advise senior management on the reputational implications of major decisions.
• Correct inaccurate information professionally and proportionately.
• Conduct post-incident reviews and improve future response procedures.

Crisis Communications

• Develop and maintain the company’s crisis-communications plan.
• Identify potential scenarios involving products, customers, employees, supply chains, technology and partnerships.
• Establish a clear approval process for urgent public statements.
• Prepare senior spokespeople to respond calmly and consistently.
• Coordinate communication across media, social media, customer service, employees and commercial partners.
• Maintain accurate records of decisions and published responses during an incident.
• Protect customer trust while avoiding speculation or unsupported claims.
• Arrange crisis-communication training and simulations when appropriate.

Partnerships, Athletes and Ambassadors

• Work with the Influencer & Partnerships Manager on announcements involving athletes, creators and commercial partners.
• Develop media stories around sponsorships, ambassador appointments and collaborations.
• Prepare joint announcements and secure approval from all parties.
• Identify interview and appearance opportunities for suitable ambassadors.
• Ensure partnership communications support both the Druids brand and the partner’s objectives.
• Manage reputational considerations when selecting or announcing public-facing partners.
• Monitor media and public response to important partnerships.

Events and Experiential PR

• Identify events where Druids should have a media presence.
• Support product launches, tournaments, trade events, press days and community activities.
• Coordinate journalist and creator invitations.
• Prepare event briefing documents, press materials and spokesperson schedules.
• Manage interviews and media activity on site.
• Capture useful stories, quotes and follow-up opportunities.
• Evaluate whether each event delivered meaningful PR and commercial value.
• Build relationships with organisers across Druids’ sporting categories.

Internal Communications

• Support important internal announcements when required.
• Help leadership communicate organisational changes, strategic priorities and company achievements.
• Ensure employees receive accurate information before or alongside major external announcements where appropriate.
• Prepare FAQs and manager briefing materials for significant changes.
• Work with People and senior leadership to maintain a clear and consistent company voice.
• Help employees understand how they should respond to external questions.
• Identify positive company stories that could strengthen engagement and culture.

Content and Editorial Production

• Write and edit press releases, statements, articles, speeches, award submissions and executive commentary.
• Ensure all communications are clear, accurate and appropriate for the audience.
• Maintain a consistent tone of voice across corporate and PR materials.
• Create media kits containing approved imagery, brand information and executive biographies.
• Brief Content Producers and Designers on supporting PR assets.
• Review important public-facing copy before publication.
• Maintain a library of approved company facts, descriptions and key messages.
• Ensure published information is updated when company details change.

Agency and Supplier Management

• Appoint and manage PR agencies or freelance specialists where required.
• Create clear objectives, briefs, budgets and expected deliverables.
• Assess whether agencies provide meaningful relationships, ideas and results.
• Coordinate regional agencies to prevent duplicated or inconsistent communication.
• Hold external partners accountable for agreed activity and reporting.
• Review agency requirements as Druids develops internal capability.
• Ensure the company maintains ownership of media lists, coverage records and communication assets.

Measurement and Reporting

• Establish meaningful PR and communications KPIs.
• Track the quality, relevance and sentiment of media coverage.
• Measure estimated audience reach while avoiding reliance on inflated headline figures.
• Monitor referral traffic, backlinks, branded search and campaign response.
• Assess the prominence of Druids within relevant sporting and industry conversations.
• Report on the business value of PR activity, not simply the number of press mentions.
• Identify which stories, spokespeople and media relationships deliver the greatest impact.
• Provide clear monthly and campaign-level reports to senior leadership.
• Use results to improve future communication strategies.

AI and Communications Technology

• Use approved AI tools to support research, monitoring, drafting and media analysis.
• Automate appropriate reporting and media-tracking tasks.
• Maintain human review and approval over all external communications.
• Check AI-assisted content carefully for accuracy, tone and unsupported claims.
• Never upload confidential, legally sensitive or unpublished company information to unapproved platforms.
• Use technology to improve efficiency without creating generic or impersonal communication.
• Maintain accurate journalist and stakeholder information in the relevant systems.

Required Experience and Skills

• At least five years of experience in public relations, corporate communications or brand communications.
• Experience working with a consumer, sports, fashion, retail, lifestyle or ecommerce brand.
• A strong record of securing meaningful earned-media coverage.
• Established media-relations and journalist-management skills.
• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Strong press-release, statement and editorial-writing ability.
• Experience supporting product launches, campaigns and company announcements.
• Good understanding of reputation and crisis management.
• Confidence advising and preparing senior executives.
• Ability to identify strong stories rather than relying on routine announcements.
• Strong organisational and project-management skills.
• Commercial awareness and an understanding of ecommerce.
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines and sensitive situations.
• Sound judgment and careful attention to factual accuracy.

Desirable Experience

• Experience within golf, padel, fishing, snow sports or the wider sporting industry.
• Existing media relationships in sport, lifestyle, retail or business journalism.
• Experience managing international or multi-market PR campaigns.
• Experience working with athletes, creators and ambassadors.
• Experience managing specialist PR agencies.
• Knowledge of SEO, digital PR and backlink development.
• Experience arranging press events, interviews and product reviews.
• Additional language skills relevant to Druids’ international markets.
• Experience using media-monitoring, journalist-database and AI-assisted communication tools.

What Success Looks Like

Within this role, you will be expected to:

• Establish a clear and proactive PR strategy for Druids.
• Increase the quality and relevance of earned-media coverage.
• Build trusted relationships with important journalists and industry figures.
• Create a regular pipeline of credible, newsworthy stories.
• Strengthen Druids’ reputation as an international sportswear brand.
• Improve communication around product launches, partnerships and company developments.
• Ensure senior leaders are well prepared for interviews and public appearances.
• Establish an effective crisis-communications process.
• Turn positive PR coverage into useful marketing and commercial assets.
• Demonstrate how communications activity contributes to brand awareness, authority and growth.

Key Performance Indicators

Performance may be measured through:

• Quality and relevance of earned-media coverage.
• Share of voice within priority sports and markets.
• Positive, neutral and negative media sentiment.
• Number of meaningful journalist and media relationships developed.
• Success rate of targeted story pitches.
• Coverage secured for priority product launches and campaigns.
• Referral traffic and authoritative backlinks generated through PR.
• Growth in branded search and brand awareness.
• Speed and quality of responses to media enquiries.
• Readiness and effectiveness of crisis-communication procedures.
• Performance of agencies and external PR suppliers.
• Accuracy, consistency and timeliness of external communications.

Personal Qualities

We are looking for someone who is:

• An excellent storyteller with strong news judgment.
• Confident, credible and comfortable dealing with senior stakeholders.
• Proactive and able to create opportunities rather than wait for them.
• Calm and thoughtful under pressure.
• Commercially aware but protective of the company’s long-term reputation.
• Highly organised and dependable.
• Diplomatic when handling difficult or sensitive situations.
• Curious about sport, customers and the wider business.
• Comfortable challenging weak or risky communication decisions.
• Able to work independently within a fast-moving entrepreneurial company.
• Careful with confidential information and factual accuracy.

Why Join Druids?

This is an opportunity to build the communications function of an ambitious international sportswear business.

You will help shape how Druids is understood by customers, journalists, partners and the wider sporting industry. You will have access to stories across products, athletes, international expansion, ecommerce and multiple sporting communities.

The role offers substantial ownership and the opportunity to directly influence the visibility, credibility and reputation of the Druids brand.

Work Location: In person