About Rent the Runway:

Rent the Runway is disrupting the $1.7 trillion global fashion industry by introducing clothing rental as a utility in women’s everyday lives and empowering women to feel like their best selves everyday. We have pioneered the Closet in the Cloud and believe that every person globally will soon have a subscription to fashion. Since our launch in late 2009, we have raised $190M from top-tier investors and built one of the most beloved brands on earth. We are proud to be both a profitable and high-growth business, with a loyal 6MM-strong customer base who share the experience of renting as being empowering and smart.

Our 1000+ employees have a revolutionary spirit that permeates our culture. We’ve built - proprietary technology, a one-of-a-kind reverse logistics operation, stores of the future, a viral brand, relationships with hundreds of fashion brands - and we are obsessed with continuing to game change our customer experience. We are also trying to revolutionize entrepreneurship itself - proving that diverse teams produce outsized impact. The Rent the Runway Foundation, which our two co-founders launched together in 2015, helps tens of thousands of female entrepreneurs build and scale their own businesses with the mission of founders more clearly representing the demographics of this country.

Position Overview:

Rent the Runway is looking for a Vice President of Communications to shape its strategy for consumer/fashion public relations as well as corporate communications and investor relations in the years ahead. The role will lead an extremely critical area of the business, driving communications that shape consumer, media and industry perceptions of Rent the Runway. As part of the leadership team, this role will play a pivotal role in shaping the company’s growth trajectory over the coming years. The right candidate will have strong and proven media relationships, as well as the smarts to lead the communications strategy for a complex and disruptive business model.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the communications strategies across both corporate communications and consumer/fashion public relations to grow Rent the Runway brand awareness and traffic. Cement perception of Rent the Runway as one of the top fashion and technology brands worldwide, continuing to disrupt the way women think about their closet and getting dressed every day.
• Be the key stakeholder for all top media relationships, networking weekly to keep editors abreast of RTR news.
• Partner with all cross-functional teams (Retail, Subscription, Merchandising, etc.) to develop PR strategies in support of key company priorities. This could include: launching subscription businesses, launching new retail stores, launching new designer collaborations, etc.
• Lead all corporate communications strategies (including crisis communications) and partner with internal teams to ensure strategies are synced with internal communications.
• Drive strategy for building and developing PR team, whether internal or with agency support.
• Lead all media events, creating strategy that drives press and social impressions, and ensures strong attendance by key media, influencers, etc.
• Lead development of all RTR spokespeople, to position as experts in the technology & fashion industries – evaluating all media opportunities, press appearances, speaking engagements, etc.
• Develop and oversee a Regional PR strategy, as executed by PR Managers.
• Develop and implement key influencer seeding programs.
• Manage communications team and grow it to support company and team priorities.

Qualifications:

• BA or BS with a minimum of 10+ years’ experience in a communications role (either in-house or at an agency). Technology, fashion, lifestyle, or e-commerce experience is preferred.
• Entrepreneurial and founder mindset, ready to take on tasks outside of role with strong agility to change and to be flexible/resilient. 
• Must have strong media relationships with proven track record of securing feature stories across all forms of media.
• Strong time and project management skills with the ability to handle multiple and changing priorities.
• Aggressive, proactive and results-oriented pitcher and networker.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Close attention to detail.
• Thrives in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong team management skills.
• Self-starter with ability to work independently on projects from start to finish, while also being an excellent collaborator.