Brand PR Lead - Middle East & North Africa

OverviewLead on the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) Franchise Brand Comms agenda and support the delivery of the MENA agenda in partnership with the MEA Beverages CEO and his Leadership Team. This is a newly created role that will help elevate our beverage communications agenda across key Franchise markets with focus on Saudi Arabia as an anchor market.ResponsibilitiesShape and deliver the Brand PR strategy for the Beverage portfolio, translating brand and business priorities into an integrated earned media agenda that builds reputation, equity, and engagement. Accountable for making decisions and executing actions.Establish and embed ways of working, defining processes for planning, approvals, agency collaboration, and cross‑functional alignment with different functions. Accountable for making decisions and executing actions.Lead the development of annual PR and influencer plans for priority beverage brands and markets, ensuring alignment with brand positioning, campaign objectives, and corporate guidelines. Accountable for providing consultation and executing actions.Partner with brand and marketing teams to identify storytelling opportunities that strengthen brand relevance and purpose, shaping narratives that resonate with local consumers and align with PepsiCo’s global brand voice. Accountable for providing consultation and executing actions.Manage day-to-day agency relationships, from briefing and creative development to execution and evaluation, ensuring high-quality, on‑time, and on‑budget delivery of all PR initiatives. Accountable for making decisions and executing actions.Oversee creation, localization, and quality control of PR content (press releases, media statements, Q&A, key messages, influencer briefs) in both English and Arabic, maintaining consistency and accuracy across channels. Accountable for executing actions.Develop and maintain strong media and influencer networks across key markets, proactively identifying earned opportunities and managing brand presence in priority media and cultural moments. Accountable for executing actions and making decisions.Monitor, analyze, and report PR performance, providing actionable insights and recommendations to enhance effectiveness, optimize budgets, and strengthen the impact of PR on brand KPIs. Accountable for executing actions and providing consultation.QualificationsDeep understanding of consumer brand storytelling, specifically for Saudi, with a regional market awareness.Strong strategic and creative thinking with hands‑on execution capability.Proven ability to translate brand strategy into impactful PR and influencer campaigns.Ability to engage, align, and influence cross‑functional and regional teams.Experience establishing ways of working and processes within complex organisations.This role will work across geographies and teams, requiring someone who can navigate different cultures and bring people together around a solid communication agenda. As a newly created role, the candidate will need tobuild and embed new ways of working while influencing and aligning stakeholders across the business. They should be adaptable, collaborative, and proactive, with the ability to turn opportunities into impactful PR outcomes.#J-18808-Ljbffr