Account Director, Media Relations - Healthcare

Are you a savvy media strategist with a genuine passion for beauty PR? A skilled marketer with integrated campaign expertise? You’re constantly in the know on the latest pop-culture and beauty trends? Have relationships with beauty & lifestyle media? Then we want to hear from you!

Weber Shandwick is more than a leading global PR agency – we’re an engagement agency and we’re working in and around the cutting edge of the new media landscape. We’re storytellers, content creators, and we engage people IN the story. We employ the best in the industry and beyond, working across sectors including consumer, healthcare, technology, public affairs, crisis management, social impact, and digital/social media. Our success is built on a deep commitment to client service and to our people. We embrace creativity and collaboration, and we engage stakeholders in new and creative ways to build brands and reputations.

Weber Shandwick’s New York office is seeking an enthusiastic and skilled Account Director with deep beauty PR experience on the Integrated Media Team. The right candidate will have excellent press contacts, can develop and implement media strategies, and can demonstrate a high degree of initiative and creativity when proactively identifying and proposing new opportunities for their brands. This candidate is an articulate presenter, possesses exceptional writing and communication skills, is competent at media analysis’ and must have an established understanding of PR, social and influencer marketing. 

Responsibilities

• Drive day-to-day client relations and serve as a client counsel for all earned media inquiries & opportunities 
• Develop and lead storytelling and media outreach strategies
• Successfully execute long and short-term communications plans by generating coverage in key publications, ensuring KPIs are met and/or exceeded
• Develop press materials including but not limited to: creative, eye-catching media pitches; key messaging and FAQ documents; informative press releases
• Proactive about developing ideas for media outreach and pitch efforts; Brainstorm creative and effective ways to generate additional press coverage to enhance PR campaigns in addition to those lighter moments between campaigns
• Provide insight and counsel on emerging trends and online media developments as they affect the beauty industry, public relations and marketing
• Maintain regular day-to-day contact and close relationships with key press, particularly NY based beauty press and influencers 
• Manage/mentor the work of junior team members and is able to coordinate with integrated agency teams 
• Efficient and organized with excellent time management skills

Basic Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree (preferably in communications, marketing, journalism, international relations, or a related field)
• A minimum of 7+ years of communications experience (previous PR/marketing agency experience preferred)
• Must have PR experience working on beauty brands
• Excellent communication/presentation skills; verbal and written
• Strong writing, project management and organizational skills; and ability to multi-task to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment without sacrificing quality
• Experience working on fully integrated campaigns that incorporate social and digital media, content, and influencer partnerships
• Ability to collaborate and coordinate work across strategy, creative and production teams

Weber Shandwick is a leading global marketing and communications network that delivers next-generation solutions to brands, businesses and organizations in major markets around the world.

Led by world-class strategic and creative thinkers and activators, we have won some of the most prestigious awards in the industry. Weber Shandwick was named to Ad Age’s A-List in 2020 and Best Places to Work in 2019. The firm earned 25 Lions at the 2019 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

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: $100,000 – $130,000

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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Weber Shandwick is seeking an Account Director to join our Integrated Media team within our New York Consumer Practice.

We Are Seeking

We are seeking a strong Account Director to join our Media Relations team within our Consumer Practice. You love the thrill of the pitch, building relationships with media, and constantly immersing yourself in pop culture/trends. As an Account Director, you will have the opportunity to work on various top tier brands in various consumer categories.

What You Will Be Doing

• Develop a strong understanding of the client’s business and target audience, and work with strategists and creative team members to deliver solutions that meet program objectives
• Monitor media outlets, understand industry issues that directly and indirectly affect the client, and analyze and distill meaningful insights from media coverage
• Generate story ideas and topic angles, draft media materials, and pitch media to land earned coverage
• Support executive visibility efforts for clients including identifying, pitching and securing interviews and speaking engagements for C-suite
• Develop strategic messaging for clients and support creation of media plans and proposals that take an integrated approach to driving awareness with target audiences
• Provide thoughtful recommendations for content creation and distribution across multiple channels to support paid, owned and earned channels
• Support creative ideation on a consistent basis
• Serve as a role model to team members
• Participation in office-wide initiatives, seminars and meetings to further professional learning and development
• Actively participate in agency development and assist with new business

Competencies

• Business Acumen– align talent strategies to drive business goals
• Client Service– client focus and ability to build trust and rapport across all levels
• Proactivity – exhibit relentless pursuit for new and innovative talent strategies
• Collaboration– build strong relationships at all levels across the organization
• Critical Thinking– ask probing questions; anticipate and address critical talent gaps and needs
• Conflict Resolution– possess sound judgment and savvy in navigating and resolving complex talent and organizational issues

Basic Qualifications 

• 7-8 years of communications experience, preferably in an agency environment, travel and hospitality experience a plus
• Strong media relations skills and relationships
• Excellent communication/presentation skills; verbal and written
• Strong attention to detail and project management skills
• A Bachelor’s degree preferably in communications, journalism, international relations, or a related field 
• Social media literacy with the ability to identify and recommend social program elements
• Ability to multi-task effectively and work within tight deadlines
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team to meet deadlines and client expectations
• Confident and comfortable presenting in front of groups

 

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: $100,000 – $130,000

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.

#LI-SK1

We Are Seeking

We are seeking an Account Director to join our Media Relations team within our Health Practice. 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
• 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

NYC Salary range: $115,000 – $135,000

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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