Senior Account Executive - Corporate Reputation

Description

Senior Account Executive, Corporate Reputation

Are you an ambitious PR professional who can’t wait to get your clients in the media? Do you enjoy building big, creative ideas and seeing them come to fruition? Do you prefer a team where everyone has an opportunity to speak up, take ownership, and work directly with high-profile clients?

MikeWorldWide (MWW) has an exciting opportunity for a Senior Account Executive on the Corporate Reputation team to sit in our NYC to work on several key pieces of business within the corporate and B2B space. For independent, entrepreneurial candidates, fully remote work is also an option. The ideal candidate is passionate about PR – and someone who relishes building strong relationships with influential reporters and clients alike. We’re looking for someone who is proactive and incredibly organized, with a proven track record of executing flawless communications programs. Someone who is a real self-starter – not only keeps the motor running on a day-to-day basis but has strong media relations expertise and continually lands coverage for challenging assignments. Someone who has the ability to teach and impart their skills, creativity, energy, and expertise to junior staff. 

Primary Responsibilities:

• Serve as the primary, day-to-day client contact and lynchpin for your account teams – liaising between clients, vendors, and agency departments to keep teams and deliverables organized
• Proactively respond to and facilitate client requests – interacting with senior level colleagues and delegating work to junior team members 
• Own media relations for your teams – from drafting press materials that will secure coverage for your clients to cultivating relationships with journalists and influencers
• Generate new ideas and opportunities to ensure client program success; actively participate in account team strategy sessions and brainstorms
• Demonstrate excellent writing skills – press releases, creative pitches, media audits and reporting, strategic recommendations, briefing documents, etc.
• Regularly monitor the news and flag trending topics in the media as well as competitive market and industry information; keep a strong pulse on reporter moves for rapid response pitching
• Maintain a thorough understanding of clients’ businesses and industries; actively follow and understand emerging issues, trends and news impacting your clients’ business, and proactively advise the team and client regarding how best to leverage or address these developments
• Manage and mentor teams; facilitate teamwork and learning opportunities by delegating and involving junior staff whenever possible; review materials drafted by junior staffers and supervise media outreach
• Provide hands-on social and digital support for clients, as needed, assisting with content development; when possible, utilize the agency’s paid media offerings to enhance earned media programs
• Actively support the new business pitch process (research and capabilities presentations and/or contribute media ideas for broader presentations) and attend new business pitches as appropriate

What You Have to Have (Education and Experience Requirements):

• At least 3 years of experience serving in a full-time role either in a public relations agency or the communications department of a company in a relevant industry
• Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, a related field or liberal arts
• Excellent process and organizational skills; attention to detail is a must as the role’s primary focus is staying ahead of the client and keeping the team focused on meeting deliverables
• Experience managing staff across multi-dimensional accounts (both up and down)
• Demonstrated proficiency in media writing and media relations (writing releases and bylines, ability to find creative angles, developing targeted media pitches and pitching to traditional and emerging media)
• Proven track record of fostering strong relationships with journalists and generating earned media coverage
• Demonstrated understanding of digital and social media and how they work together with traditional media relations
• Ability to think on your feet and “get smart quickly” – understanding and learning different business sectors swiftly
• Excellent time management skills and project management capability (can execute against multiple tasks; keeps account team abreast of timelines, managing up to superiors to ensure deadlines are met)
• Maintain a professional, client-ready demeanor and presence; keep a high standard of etiquette in all communications and interactions
• Superior oral and written communication