Senior Associate, Data Storytelling & Thought Leadership

Toast is driven by building the restaurant platform that helps restaurants adapt, take control, and get back to what they do best: building the businesses they love. We are working on behalf of the restaurant and food and beverage retail communities, empowering in-person businesses to succeed in a digital world. Our purposeful innovation is rooted in the belief that the future of hospitality is human-first, and our technology is built to create a world where hospitality is always good business. We're looking for a communications leader who shares our passion for the humanity of hospitality and the tech that makes it possible.

The Communications team is responsible for protecting and elevating Toast’s reputation, shaping market perception, and articulating our mission and vision through external and internal channels. This role sits within the Communications function in Marketing, supporting our Brand Journalism and Thought Leadership initiatives, which are key drivers of our brand narrative and market leadership.

The Communications Associate, Brand Journalism is a critical new role focused on leveraging Toast's proprietary data to generate compelling, evidence-based narratives for the media and our content channels. You will be instrumental in transforming complex data into accessible, impactful stories that position Toast as the authoritative voice on the future of the restaurant and food and beverage industries.

About this roll* (Responsibilities) 

• Data story mining architecture: Work closely with the Brand Journalism Lead to ideate, architect, and execute data-driven narratives for major reports, press releases, blogs, and multimedia content.
• Content support: Support the creation and editing of various thought leadership assets (blog posts, executive bylines, reports, articles) to ensure data accuracy and strategic alignment.
• Media relations: Assist in preparing data-focused media pitches, compiling executive briefing materials, and supporting reactive media inquiries related to industry trends and data releases.
• Analytics and reporting: Own the communication team’s reporting cadence for data storytelling, thought leadership, and quarterly reporting, proactively analyzing performance metrics to derive insights and inform future content strategy.
• General communications: Support general team operations, agenda setting and note taking/meeting reporting, special projects, and other communications responsibilities as needed, maintaining efficiency and capacity across the function.

Do you have the right ingredients*? (Requirements)

• 4+ years of experience in public relations, communications, journalism, market research, or a related field.
• A strong, foundational understanding of data, analytics, and basic statistical concepts, with a passion for uncovering stories hidden within numbers.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with a proven ability to distill complex information into clear, compelling narratives for a broad audience and adapt tone for different channels (press releases, pitches, social media).
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and proven ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.
• Experience or strong interest in media relations, including basic pitching and familiarity with media monitoring tools.
• Proficiency in presentation tools (e.g., Google Slides, PowerPoint) and a willingness to learn new analytical and reporting platforms.
• Demonstrated ability to create and curate high-impact media, with a strong editorial eye for compelling images and infographics that enhance storytelling.
• Intellectual curiosity, a proactive, "bias for action" mindset, and a deep interest in the restaurant industry.
• Excellent interpersonal and collaboration skills, essential for working across internal teams (e.g., Content, Finance, Product Marketing, Insights, Legal, Investor Relations) and external partners.
• Foundational understanding of AI principles and demonstrates proficiency and comfort in leveraging LLM platforms for content creation and analysis.
• Bonus points: If you have restaurant or hospitality experience. Whether you were a bartender in college or on a mission to try every pizzeria in your city, you follow food media and have a vested interest in the hospitality industry as well as a general understanding of how it works from front to back of house.

AI at Toast

At Toast, one of our company values is that we're hungry to build and learn. We believe learning new AI tools empowers us to build for our customers faster, more independently, and with higher quality. We provide these tools across all disciplines, from Engineering and Product to Sales and Support, and are inspired by how our Toasters are already driving real value with them. The people who thrive here are those who embrace changes that let us build more for our customers; it’s a core part of our culture.

Our Total Rewards Philosophy

We strive to provide competitive compensation and benefits programs that help to attract, retain, and motivate the best and brightest people in our industry. Our total rewards package goes beyond great earnings potential and provides the means to a healthy lifestyle with the flexibility to meet Toasters’ changing needs. Learn more about our benefits at https://careers.toasttab.com/toast-benefits.