Public Relation Strategist

About the role

This position is responsible for shaping public perception and enhancing the visibility of our organization. It involves developing and implementing a comprehensive public relations strategy, analyzing media coverage to gauge public sentiment, and leading impactful PR campaigns.

Responsibilities

• Develops and manages a comprehensive PR plan that includes strategic planning, budget management, timeline coordination, media relations, content creation, event management, crisis communication, performance measurement, collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, continuous improvement, and compliance with relevant laws and ethical standards.
• Collaborates in planning and maintaining the monthly social editorial calendar to drive brand awareness and consideration, developing and implementing strategies to increase community participation, and in close coordination with the social media and paid media teams, creates and manages a robust content calendar that supports PR objectives, ensuring consistency and impact across all communication channels.
• Partners with the events team to develop a strategic public relations plan for both internal events and Compeer participation in external events.
• Identifies, evaluates, and selects agencies and contractors that align with organizational needs and objectives, negotiating favorable contracts and terms.
• Builds and maintains strong relationships with agencies and contractors, ensuring clear communication and collaboration to achieve shared goals.
• Oversees and assesses the performance of agencies and contractors, providing feedback and ensuring deliverables meet quality standards and timelines.
• Safeguards agency and contractor strategies and campaigns to align with the organization’s PR objectives and brand messaging.
• Manages budgets related to agency and contractor services, tracking expenditures and ensuring cost-effective resource use.
• Collects and analyzes performance data, providing regular reports on campaign effectiveness and ROI to senior management.
• Ensures compliance with legal, regulatory, and ethical standards in all agency and contractor work.
• Stays informed on industry trends and best practices to continuously optimize relationships and enhance PR outcomes.
• Works closely with social media, paid media and product marketing to create and optimize a content calendar bringing to life Compeer’s key messages.
• Partners with key journalists to create stories, develops unique content and secure placement positioning Compeer as a trusted voice in the ag and rural community categories as well as in our core markets as an employer of choice.
• Builds and maintains positive relationships with journalists, influencers, bloggers, and other media outlets.
• Cultivates and maintains strong relationships with a network of journalists, influencers, and media outlets to secure favorable coverage and position the organization as a leader in its field.
• Analyzes media coverage to gauge public sentiment and brand perception.
• Provides insightful updates to the leadership team, ensuring strategies remain agile and responsive to market dynamics.
• Leads the creation and distribution of diverse content, including press releases, editorial pieces, and internal communications, ensuring all materials reflect the organizational voice and brand values in a clear and compelling manner.
• Writes, edits, and distributes various communications materials, including press releases, thought leadership articles, and internal newsletters, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and brand alignment.
• Tailors content for different audiences and distributes through appropriate channels.
• Composes well-written, compelling narratives and strategic business content for various channels and use cases including: press releases, briefing materials, statements, talking points, FAQs, speeches, long-form stories for owned channels, social media content, blogs, videos, slides, fact sheets and other materials.
• Collaborates with internal teams to gather information and align messaging, develops thought leadership to position the organization as an industry leader, and monitors content performance using key metrics.
• Continuously improves communications based on feedback and industry trends, while ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, marketing, communications, or related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to perform the essential functions of the job.
• Minimum of 10 years of public relations experience.
• Experience in financial services and agriculture-related businesses is highly preferred.
• Experience working in or with public relations agencies is preferred.
• In-depth understanding of public relations and media communications strategies.
• Familiarity with storytelling techniques and media pitching processes.
• Awareness of industry trends and best practices in PR and media relations.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and oral communication skills, with a flair for creative writing.
• Proven ability to create compelling stories and secure media coverage.
• Strong project management skills, capable of handling multiple projects simultaneously, with expertise in file sharing and collaboration tools.
• Good analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong network of journalists in the agriculture, rural, and business media categories.
• Experienced in managing agencies and contractors.
• Ability to think strategically and align PR efforts with organizational objectives.
• Capacity to ensure the organization's voice reaches and resonates with target audiences.
• Capability to drive the organization's mission and objectives through effective communication.
• Competence in collaborating with various stakeholders to enhance PR and media efforts.

Skills

• Writing, editing, and oral communication skills.
• Storytelling techniques and media pitching processes.
• Understanding of public relations and media communications strategies.
• Project management skills.
• Network of journalists in the agriculture, rural, and business media categories.
• Management of agencies and contractors.
• Strategic thinking and alignment with organizational objectives.
• Collaboration with various stakeholders.

Benefits

Our benefits package includes:

• Up to 9% towards 401k (3% fixed Compeer contribution plus up to 6% match)
• Medical, dental, vision, HSA/FSA, life & AD&D insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability
• Wellness program & EAP
• Vacation, sick leave, holidays/floating holidays, parental leave, and volunteer paid time off
• Learning and development programs
• Mentorship programs
• Cross-functional committee opportunities (i.e. Inclusion Council, emerging professional groups, etc.)
• Professional membership/certification reimbursement and more!

Pay

The base pay range for this role is $105,700 - $142,900 USD.

Schedule

This position offers a hybrid work option up to 50% remote and is based out of the Bloomington, IL; Sun Prairie, WI; or Lakeville, MN office locations.