Sr. Manager, Communications - Crisis & Rapid Response

Sr. Manager, Communications - Crisis & Rapid Response life insurance, vision insurance, flexible benefit account, paid time off, paid holidays, tuition assistance, 401(k) At T-Mobile, we invest in YOU! Our Total Rewards Package ensures that employees get the same big love we give our customers. All team members receive a competitive base salary and compensation package - this is Total Rewards. Employees enjoy multiple wealth-building opportunities through our annual stock grant, employee stock purchase plan, 401(k), and access to free, year-round money coaches. That's how we're UNSTOPPABLE for our employees! We're looking for a Senior Manager, Communications to lead our Rapid Response function, the team responsible for identifying, assessing, preparing for, and responding to the issues that have the greatest potential to impact our business, customers, employees, and brand. This isn't a traditional public relations role. It's part newsroom, part war room, part strategic planning function. One day you may be leading communications strategy for a severe weather event, litigation matter, investigative media inquiry, privacy concern, labor issue, or viral social conversation. The next, you'll be building enterprise playbooks, leading tabletop exercises, analyzing emerging risks, or developing strategies to address issues before they become headlines. The person in this role thrives in ambiguity, remains calm under pressure, and can quickly move from strategy to execution. They understand that great crisis communications isn't just about responding quickly - it's about seeing around corners, building trust, and helping an organization navigate moments of uncertainty with confidence. As the Rapid Response leader, you'll oversee issue detection and monitoring, triage and escalation processes, crisis response, media engagement, preparedness planning, and continuous improvement efforts across the enterprise. You'll partner closely with executives and teams across Legal, Network, Customer Care, Government Affairs, HR, Security, Product, and Marketing to protect and strengthen T-Mobile's reputation. This is a hybrid role, requiring a minimum of three days per week in the office, consistent with company policy. This position is located in Bellevue, WA. The nature of crisis communications requires flexibility, responsiveness, and leadership beyond traditional working hours. While the team operates an on-call rotation, this role carries responsibility for guiding high-impact issues and crises whenever they arise, including mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays, because reputational moments don't always keep business hours. If you're energized by solving complex problems, managing high-stakes situations, influencing senior leaders, and operating at the center of a fast-moving business, we'd love to hear from you. Responsibilities Lead T-Mobile's Rapid Response function, driving communications strategy and execution for high-profile issues, crises, and reputational challenges. Direct issue triage, assessment, escalation, and response efforts across a broad range of topics including network events, natural disasters, litigation, labor activity, employee matters, customer concerns, privacy, fraud, regulatory developments, product changes, and emerging social issues. Provide clear recommendations and communications counsel to senior leaders during fast-moving and high-pressure situations. Ensure leadership teams maintain timely situational awareness through issue briefings, reporting, and escalation processes. Manage, lead, and participate in the on-call rotation for the Rapid Response function. Manage and staff T-Mobile's media email inbox including routing, triage, and responding. Drive Proactive Risk Management Monitor and evaluate emerging risks, trends, and conversations across media, social platforms, industry developments, and intelligence tools. Identify early warning signals and develop strategies to address issues before they escalate. Lead long-range issue planning and maintain a forward-looking risk calendar that anticipates key events, narratives, and potential vulnerabilities. Translate complex issues into actionable communications strategies that align with T-Mobile's values and business objectives. Lead Media Strategy & Engagement Build and maintain strong relationships with top-tier, trade, investigative, and issue-focused reporters. Manage media engagement during sensitive and high-profile situations. Develop statements, media guidance, talking points, FAQs, executive messaging, and other rapid-response materials. Serve as a trusted advisor on media strategy and reputation management. Build Organizational Preparedness Lead development and maintenance of enterprise crisis communications playbooks and response frameworks. Design and facilitate tabletop exercises, scenario planning sessions, and crisis simulations. Establish best practices, processes, and tools that improve speed, coordination, and effectiveness during issue response. Lead People, Partnerships & Operations Lead and develop a high-performing team of communications professionals and agency partners. Oversee monitoring and intelligence platforms, reporting programs, and operational processes that support rapid response capabilities. Partner with the Internal Communications team to ensure employees receive timely, accurate information during active issues and crises, coordinating messaging and timing across internal and external channels. Foster strong partnerships across Communications, Legal, Network, Technology, Care, Retail, HR, Security, Government Affairs, Marketing, and other key functions. Measure & Improve Program Effectiveness Establish KPIs and reporting frameworks to track crisis response performance, including response times, coverage outcomes, and stakeholder sentiment. Conduct post-incident reviews and translate findings into program improvements and leadership reporting. Evaluate and evolve monitoring tools, processes, and preparedness exercises to continuously raise the bar. Qualifications Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required. 7-10 years of experience in communications, public relations, crisis communications, issues management, journalism, public affairs, or a related field. Significant experience leading crisis communications and managing complex reputational issues for a major corporation, agency, government organization, or newsroom. Demonstrated success advising senior leaders and navigating high-pressure situations requiring sound judgment and rapid decision-making. Strong media relations experience, including established relationships with national, business, trade, and investigative media. Exceptional writing, editing, and messaging skills with the ability to simplify complex topics and develop compelling narratives. Experience leading cross-functional teams and influencing stakeholders across large organizations. Strong understanding of today's media, social, and digital landscape and its impact on reputation management. Experience with risk monitoring, issues management, and crisis preparedness programs. Telecommunications, technology, cybersecurity, public affairs, or regulated-industry experience is a plus. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Stays calm when others don't; makes confident decisions with incomplete information. Sees patterns before others see problems; knows when to elevate, when to wait, and when to act. Zooms from executive-level strategy to tactical execution in minutes. Builds trust quickly and communicates clearly under pressure. Endlessly curious, highly collaborative, and relentlessly proactive. Understands that protecting a brand isn't just about managing headlines - it's about earning trust every day. Demonstrated executive presence and a track record of advising and influencing senior leaders, including during high-pressure situations requiring rapid judgment and clear, confident counsel. Familiarity with AI-assisted monitoring, sentiment analysis, and crisis simulation tools; comfort evaluating and adopting new technologies that improve speed and effectiveness of issue response. Comfortable carrying the phone during the moments that matter, including participation in an on-call rotation and some work outside traditional business hours. Values in-person collaboration and recognizes that the speed and complexity of crisis communications often require teams to work side-by-side to assess, decide, and act quickly. At least 18 years of age Legally authorized to work in the United States Travel Travel Required (Yes/No): Yes DOT Regulated DOT Regulated Position (Yes/No): No Safety Sensitive Position (Yes/No): No Total Target Cash Earnings Opportunity: $138,120 - $249,120 National Base Pay Range: $115,100 - $207,600 The Total Target Cash Earnings Opportunity represents the expected total cash compensation for this role at target performance, combining base salary and annual incentive opportunity. Actual earnings may be higher or lower depending on individual performance and overall company results. The base pay range reflects the compensation component of this opportunity. The candidate's actual pay will be based on various factors, such as work location, qualifications, and experience, so the actual starting pay will vary within this range. To find the pay range for this role based on hiring location, click here. At T-Mobile, employees in regular, non-temporary roles are eligible for an annual bonus or periodic sales incentive or bonus, based on their role. Corporate employees are eligible for a year-end bonus based on individual and/or company performance and which is set at a percentage of the employee's eligible earnings in the prior year. Certain positions in Customer Care are eligible for monthly bonuses based on individual and/or team performance. The incentive component included in the Total Target Cash Earnings Opportunity reflects target performance. Actual earnings included in the Total Target Cash Earnings Opportunity reflect target performance; actual payouts may vary. At T-Mobile, our benefits exemplify the spirit of One Team, Together! A big part of how we care for one another is working to ensure our benefits evolve to meet the needs of our team members. Full and part-time employees have access to the same benefits when eligible. We cover all of the bases, offering medical, dental and vision insurance, a flexible spending account, 401(k), employee stock grants, employee stock purchase plan, paid time off and up to 12 paid holidays - which total about 4 weeks for new full-time employees and about 2.5 weeks for new part-time employees annually - paid parental and family leave, family building benefits, back-up care, enhanced family support, childcare subsidy, tuition assistance, college coaching, short- and long-term disability, voluntary AD&DD coverage, voluntary accident coverage, voluntary life insurance, voluntary disability insurance, and voluntary long-term care insurance. We don't stop there - eligible employees can also receive mobile service & home internet discounts, pet insurance, and access to commuter and transit programs! To learn about T-Mobile's amazing benefits, check out Never stop growing!As part of the T-Mobile team, you know the Un-carrier doesn't have a corporate ladder-it's more like a jungle gym of possibilities! We love helping our employees grow in their careers, because it's that shared drive to aim high that drives our business and our culture forward. By applying for this career opportunity, you're living our values while investing in your career growth-and we applaud it. You're unstoppable!T-Mobile USA, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All decisions concerning the employment relationship will be made without regard to age, race, ethnicity, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, religious affiliation, marital status, citizenship status, veteran status, the presence of any physical or mental disability, or any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Discrimination, retaliation or harassment based upon any of these factors is wholly inconsistent with how we do business and will not be tolerated.Talent comes in all forms at the Un-carrier. If you are an individual with a disability and need reasonable accommodation at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know by emailing View email address on click.appcast.io or calling View phone number on click.appcast.io. Please note, this contact channel is not a means to apply for or inquire about a position and we are unable to respond to non-accommodation related requests. #J-18808-Ljbffr