Senior Associate, Media Relations

Job Summary

Weber Shandwick is looking for a Senior Manager, Earned Media, Technology to join our passionate, fun, and driven team focused on supporting enterprise tech clients.

We are seeking a Senior Manager who has a strong background and interest in earned media-related work with a foundation of skills pitching and securing top-tier, tech and vertical press, including broadcast and podcasts. The ideal candidate is someone who has previous project and team management experience, loves the thrill of the pitch, and can take a leadership role managing clients and teams—bringing existing technology and business media relationships.

This candidate also ideally has specific experience with B2B tech storytelling—experience in cloud and AI-driven narratives a plus—with an understanding of the media landscape, how tech reporters work, and what it takes to get mindshare in this busy space. 

Responsibilities

What You Will Be Doing

• Provide day-to-day leadership and client engagement
• Oversee other team member’s media work, to foster excellence and success
• Source and place earned media results on behalf of the client – this includes identifying appropriate contacts, writing pitches, drafting media lists, making follow up calls, etc.
• Develop a strong understanding of the client’s business and target audience
• Stay current on new and existing media coverage, as well as reporter moves and how to leverage for relationship building
• Assist with ongoing reporting, research and monitoring projects for the client
• Monitor media outlets to understand industry issues that directly and indirectly affect the client
• Support creative ideation on a consistent basis and provide thoughtful, proactive recommendations for storytelling initiatives
• Owning, drafting and managing media projects
• Participate in new business pitches

Competencies:

• Excellent oral and written communication
• Familiar with writing owned content and earned byline content
• Strong research skills stemming from a media focused curiosity
• Ability to build trust and rapport with the client and team across all levels
• Demonstrate a proactive and forward thinking mindset
• Integrated skill set that combines media relations, content creation and digital expertise
• Excellent collaboration and team building skills
• Strong organizational skills with ability to manage multiple jobs in a day
• Intuitive thinker who asks probing questions and anticipates and addresses needs
• Sound business and professional ethics

Qualifications

• Years Experience: 5-7 years of experience in similar industry
• Job Type: Permanent, Full-Time

About Us

Weber Shandwick is a leading global communications and engagement firm in 78 cities with a network extending to 129 cities around the world. The firm’s diverse team of strategists, analysts, producers, designers, developers and campaign activators has won the most prestigious awards in the world for innovative, creative approaches and impactful work. Weber Shandwick was the only public relations agency included on the Advertising Age Agency A-list in 2014 and 2015 and the only PR firm designated an A-List Agency Standout in 2017 and 2018. Weber Shandwick was honored as PRWeek’s Global Agency of the Year in 2015, 2016 and 2017, The Holmes Report’s Global Agency of the Year in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2017, and The Holmes Report’s Global Digital Agency of the Year in 2016. The firm deploys deep expertise across sectors and specialty areas, including consumer marketing, corporate reputation, healthcare, technology, public affairs, financial services, employee engagement, social impact, financial communications and crisis management, using proprietary social, digital and analytics methodologies. Weber Shandwick is part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG). For more information, visit http://www.webershandwick.com.

The Weber Shandwick Collective recognizes that your health and wellbeing are a priority. This is why we offer a full suite of benefits including:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• 401k (with employer match)
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Juice Money – $60 monthly reimbursement to be used towards purchases that nourish your health, mind, body, and soul
• MyDays – Flexible holiday schedules
• Short-Term Disability
• Paid Employee Family Leave
• Family Building Benefit

NYC Salary range: $85,000 – $100,000

Where an employee or prospective employee is paid within this range will depend on, among other factors, actual ranges for current/former employees in the subject position; market considerations; budgetary considerations; tenure and standing with the company (applicable to current employees); as well as the employee’s/applicant’s background, pertinent experience, and qualifications.

Weber Shandwick is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Weber Shandwick recruits qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, ethnic or national origin, protected veteran status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or citizenship status.

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Senior Associate, Media Relations, Consumer

Weber Shandwick New York has an exciting opportunity for a Senior Associate, Media Relations to join our Consumer team. We are looking for a collaborative person with expertise in successfully engaging media professionals to support a variety of accounts.

Responsibilities: 

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key media contacts, pitching story ideas, and securing media coverage for the company or clients
• Work with the team to develop successful earned media strategies, including goals and objectives, media targets, pitch angles and engagement approaches
• Write and edit press releases, media kits, and other communication materials, ensuring they align with brand messaging
• Track media coverage, analyze press mentions, and report on the effectiveness of media campaigns, providing insights and recommendations for improvement
• Develop and manage timelines and weekly action plans to ensure all deadlines on client programs are met
• Anticipate and proactively offer solutions to senior team leadership for executional issues specific to assigned programs
• Interact with senior management and input feedback into tactics and strategies

Qualifications:

• 2-4 years of communications experience, preferably in an agency environment
• Strong consumer media relations skills and relationships at the national, regional and trade/vertical level
• Previous consumer packaged goods and related industries experience is a bonus, but not required
• Excellent communication/presentation skills; verbal and written
• Strong attention to detail and project management skills
• Open to giving and receiving constructive and respectful feedback in a timely manner
• Desire to continuously learn new skills and knowledge, and willingness to always share skills and knowledge with team members as well as clients
• Commitment to personal accountability
• BA or BS in Public Relations, Communications, Journalism or related field
• Capable of working independently and in a dynamic, high energy, fast paced team-oriented atmosphere
• High comfortability level working with athletes and celebrities, without being star struck
• Has a passion for consumer technology and gadgets

The Weber Shandwick Collective recognizes that your health and wellbeing are a priority. This is why we offer a full suite of benefits including:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• 401k (with employer match)
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Juice Money – $60 monthly reimbursement to be used towards purchases that nourish your health, mind, body, and soul
• MyDays – Flexible holiday schedules
• Short-Term Disability
• Paid Employee Family Leave
• Family Building Benefit

NYC Salary range: $64,400 – $70,000

Where an employee or prospective employee is paid within this range will depend on, among other factors, actual ranges for current/former employees in the subject position; market considerations; budgetary considerations; tenure and standing with the company (applicable to current employees); as well as the employee’s/applicant’s background, pertinent experience, and qualifications.

Weber Shandwick is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Weber Shandwick recruits qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, ethnic or national origin, protected veteran status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or citizenship status.

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We are seeking an Account Director to join our Media Relations team within our Health Practice in Chicago. As a Director, you will be responsible for managing client, media and inter-agency relationships, playing a critical role in determining the future and long-term success of our Health practice.

You will be responsible for all aspects of a client relationship and account team as it relates to earned media. You will supervise major pieces of business and team members. Other responsibilities include recommending programs and activities, coordinating with clients’ goals, effectively delegating projects, offering counsel to team members, and allocating agency resources to match client budgets.

You are also engaged with business development, strategic program planning, and the development of creative concepts. Ideally, you will have consumer health experience and a proven track record of managing branded and unbranded consumer campaigns with media and third party partnerships. The following is a general outline of primary responsibilities.

Additional responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Day-to-day client support and counsel
• Leading media relations efforts for team including managing junior staff
• Driving communications support around campaigns
• Working across internal and external specialists including media, digital, creative and agency partners
• Working with senior counselors on strategy

What We Are Looking For

• Capacity to convey ownership of assigned projects to junior team members
• Can solve conflicts
• Can mobilize and motivate teams
• Can work independently and as part of a team
• Excellent oral and written business communication skills
• Aptitude for financial analysis
• Can complete challenging projects within set parameters
• Exceptional judgment when working with team members, client contacts and vendors
• Commitment and dedication to the agency’s success as well as individual career
• Can anticipate client and team needs
• Attention to detail and quality
• Instills confidence with clients and colleagues

Qualifications

• At least 7 years’ healthcare public relations/communications experience, including an interest in working with the media
• Corporate healthcare media experience/relationships a plus
• BA or BS in Communications or in a related field

The Weber Shandwick Collective recognizes that your health and wellbeing are a priority. This is why we offer a full suite of benefits including:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• 401k (with employer match)
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Juice Money – $60 monthly reimbursement to be used towards purchases that nourish your health, mind, body, and soul
• MyDays – Flexible holiday schedules
• Short-Term Disability
• Paid Employee Family Leave
• Family Building Benefit

Chicago Salary Range: $109,000.00 – $130,000.00

Where an employee or prospective employee is paid within this range will depend on, among other factors, actual ranges for current/former employees in the subject position; market considerations; budgetary considerations; tenure and standing with the company (applicable to current employees); as well as the employee’s/applicant’s background, pertinent experience, and qualifications.

Weber Shandwick is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Weber Shandwick recruits qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, ethnic or national origin, protected veteran status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or citizenship status.

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