Director, PR & Brand Communications

Job Description: Director, Brand Communications & Public Relations Location: Global Home Office, Columbus, Ohio or New York City Role Overview The Director of Brand Communications & Public Relations will own how the Abercrombie & Fitch brand is understood, discussed, and discovered across culture, media, and emerging platforms. This senior brand leadership role is responsible for shaping and protecting long‑term brand meaning by building and executing a modern, narrative‑led communications strategy that drives brand heat, credibility, and relevance. This position will ensure the brand’s external narrative is consistent and powerful across earned, owned, human, affiliate, editorial, and AI‑driven discovery environments, and establish Abercrombie & Fitch as an authoritative, discoverable brand in an increasingly AI‑ and GeO‑driven landscape. The ideal candidate has a proven track record and understands that generative AI has fundamentally changed how customers discover, research, and form opinions about brands. What Will You Be Doing? Develop a multi‑year brand narrative and communications strategy that evolves over time and informs marketing campaigns Establish owned editorial and community platforms as strong brand voices with a clear, consistent point of view Enable regions to execute with clear narrative guardrails while preserving global brand coherence while allowing local relevance Develop the annual PR plan by identifying key press and cultural moments, while feeding insights into GTM strategies and experiences to maximize impact Build a strategic approach to affiliate and editorial as long‑term brand‑building levers Oversee relationships with global PR agencies— driving performance accountability and strategic alignment. Guide the brand's approach to AI-influenced discovery, in partnership with Digital and Paid Media teams, to ensure the brand's narrative and product discovery is well-represented in large language model outputs, AI-driven search, and generative shopping tools. Proactively identify risks, opportunities, and narrative gaps across external touchpoints Act as the key cross-functional partner between brand strategy, PR, social, affiliate/editorial, digital, and corporate communications, to ensure brand speaks with a cohesive voice, both globally and locally. Act as the key cross-functional partner between brand teams and Corporate Communications Define and track meaningful KPIs for earned media, share of voice, brand sentiment, and narrative effectiveness — including AI-era metrics like LLM brand citation frequency. Key Partners: Marketing Brand Strategy, Brand Experience, Social Media, Marketing Creative, Corporate Communications, Digital and Technology, Product Channel Merchandising, Paid Media. What Do You Need To Bring?  Bachelor’s Degree or related experience in Public Relations or Communications 10 years experience with a specific emphasis in fashion or culture Public Relations, Communications, brand strategy and/or complementary agency roles. Proven ability to think long‑term and systemically, balancing cultural relevance with brand consistency Strong editorial judgment and cultural fluency across media, creators, and platforms Comfort operating in emerging and ambiguous spaces - including AI‑driven discovery and evolving media ecosystems Executive‑level storytelling skills with the ability to influence and align senior leadership A strong point of view, paired with the ability to scale narrative frameworks globally Our Company   Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is a global, digitally led omnichannel specialty retailer of apparel and accessories catering to kids through millennials with assortments curated for their specific lifestyle needs.  The company operates a family of brands, including Abercrombie & Fitch, YPB, abercrombie kids, and Hollister, each sharing a commitment to offer products of enduring quality and exceptional comfort that support global customers on their journey to being and becoming who they are. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. operates over 750 stores under these brands across North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, as well as the e-commerce sites abercrombie.com, abercrombiekids.com, and hollisterco.com.  At Abercrombie & Fitch Co., we lead with purpose and always put our people first. We’re proud to offer equitable compensation and benefits, including flexibility and competitive Paid Time Off, as well as education and engagement events, including various Associate Resource Groups, volunteer opportunities and additional time off to give back to our global communities.   Benefits & Perks   As an Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F Co.) associate, you’ll be eligible to participate in a variety of benefit programs designed to fit you and your lifestyle. A&F Co. is committed to providing competitive and comprehensive benefits that align with our company’s culture and values, but most importantly – with you. We also provide competitive incentives to reward the commitment our associates have for moving our global business forward:   Incentive bonus program 401(K) savings plan with company match Annual companywide review process  Flexible spending accounts  Medical, dental and vision insurance  Life and disability insurance  Associate assistance program  Paid parental and adoption leave  Access to fertility and adoption benefits through Carrot  Access to mental health and wellness app, Headspace Paid Caregiver Leave Mobile Stipend Paid time off and one paid volunteer day per year, allowing you to give back to your community  Work from anywhere (Mondays and Fridays are “work from anywhere” days for most roles and six work from anywhere weeks per year)  Seven associate wellness half days per year  Merchandise discount on all of our brands  Opportunities for career advancement, we believe in promoting from within  Access to multiple Associate Resource Groups  Global team of people who will celebrate you for being YOU!  Company Description Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F Co.) is a global, digitally led omnichannel specialty retailer of apparel and accessories catering to kids through millennials with assortments curated for their specific lifestyle needs. The company operates a family of brands, including Abercrombie brands and Hollister brands, each sharing a commitment to offer products of enduring quality and exceptional comfort that support global customers on their journey to being and becoming who they are. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. operates stores under these brands across North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, as well as the e-commerce sites abercrombie.com, abercrombiekids.com and hollisterco.com. Learn more about A&F Co. by visiting our corporate website here. ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO. IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. Join us as we team up around the globe and grow to a $5 billion family of brands—powered by purpose and the belief that we are all leaders. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is a global, digitally led omnichannel specialty retailer of apparel and accessories catering to kids through millennials with assortments curated for their specific lifestyle needs. Not seeing the perfect job? Drop off your resume with us instead!