Senior Public Relations Manager

About the role

The Senior Public Relations Manager at Signal Theory is responsible for leading and implementing earned media/public relations strategies and tactics that advance the firm’s and clients’ business goals and build name recognition in key practice areas, industries and markets. As a member of the public relations team, the person in this role is constantly on the lookout to enhance, build and protect the reputation of Signal Theory and their clients.

Responsibilities

• Lead, ideate and execute day-to-day earned media/PR activities for the firm and clients
• Understand and utilize brand journalism/editorial writing to tell journalism-style stories that make readers want to know more
• Write for various formats including:
  • Website case studies (summarizing great work done for clients)
  • Web-based news articles
  • Content for blogs, podcasts, social media, etc.
• Editorial planning:
  • Conduct regular editorial meetings with key leaders
  • Actively pursue opportunities identified
  • Build and maintain editorial calendars for relevant media outlets to correlate with Signal Theory expertise and client industries
• Media relations:
  • Conduct regular and proactive outreach to identify, pitch and secure stories that advance the firm’s brand and client business goals
  • Prioritize media outreach to outlets focused on advertising/industry trades, food and marketing verticals, animal health/agri-marketing verticals, etc.
• Co-create, write, edit, pitch, place and promote executive thought leadership articles for clients, the C-suite and other agency subject matter experts and leadership
• Collaborate with internal resources to scale thought leadership efforts
• Story mining: internally curate great work and thought leadership for Signal Theory and clients and turn that information into marketable stories (earned media pitches or brand-published content)
• Work hand-in-hand with creative and account leaders as well as strategists and data analysts to transform insights and activity into content that will pique interest with prospective leads or entice journalists to ask for more
• Actively seek out and work with account team leads on promotion of current newsworthy work
• Ensure a plan is in place to monitor/track/report on earned/owned media coverage, including online brand sentiment, and other valuable metrics set as priorities per the firm
• Partner with agency analysts to develop and refine measurement strategies for PR campaigns
• Create and post content for earned media/owned content as required by the editorial calendar
• Utilize social listening insights to improve/adapt earned and owned content, while working closely with the firm’s content strategy resources
• Provide support for firm and clients crisis communications, as needed
• Keep abreast of industry and competitive trends; conduct media and topic research; build media lists/databases; perform media outreach
• Identify, vet and land speaking engagements (digital events such as webinars, podcasts, online conferences and other digital formats, as well as in-person when appropriate)
• Collaborate with speakers to support creation of accompanying presentation decks and talking points, and work with speakers to be fully prepared
• Community relations: ensure the firm is active in and leveraging its community outreach efforts in the form of spotlighting individual and firm involvement
• Willingness to travel as dictated by firm and client needs
• Build, maintain and grow positive relationships with client and internal stakeholders (discipline leads, creative and account directors, SMEs, etc.) by serving as a primary contact to identify and ascertain editorial opportunities
• Utilize strong communications with internal teams in an efficient, effective and collaborative manner
• Seek out knowledge and understanding of the advertising, marketing and communications industry, the firm’s business and communication objectives, competitive landscape, and distill relevant knowledge to others on the team
• Bring the firm and clients proactive ideas, initiatives and solutions to meet overall business needs
• Understand, utilize and engage all established processes and disciplines to deliver great work
• Develop project briefs in collaboration with agency and client stakeholders

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; ideal majors include communications, advertising or marketing or equivalent experience
• 5–8 years of professional public relations experience
• Agency experience strongly preferred
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Ability to write for various mediums (from 140 characters to long-form articles) with superb attention to detail
• Exhibit creativity and resourcefulness

Benefits

• Access to online learning platforms to continue honing your craft
• Up to $500 a year to put toward qualified wellness expenses, like gym membership
• After one year, reimbursement up to 50% of tuition costs for approved continuing education
• After eight years, a 4-week paid sabbatical plus a $750 reimbursement for international travel
• Health, dental and vision insurance
• Traditional and Roth 401k plans with employer matching