Senior Public Relations Specialist, U.S., Expedia Brands

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Senior Public Relations Specialist, U.S., Expedia Brands

Looking to join a dynamic team of communications professionals? If you are hungry to drive best-in-class storytelling for one of the most loved consumer travel brands in the world, this is the job for you.

As the Senior Public Relations Specialist for Hotels.com on the Expedia Brands PR team, you will be tasked with helping develop and carry out creative, highly engaging PR strategies that resonate strongly with travelers and top tier consumer media. You will also work closely with stakeholders within the company to promote brand narratives in the U.S. and build brand love among target audiences.

In this role, you will possess a strong understanding of the consumer and travel media landscape. You will have a keen eye for developing stories and initiatives which will break through the noise and position Hotels.com as an expert on all things hotels.

You’ll be based in Los Angeles or Austin, reporting to the Director of PR for Hotels.com and Vrbo in the U.S. and U.K. (based in Chicago) and work closely with the global Communications and Marketing teams.

What You'll Do:

• Working with global PR colleagues, develop strategic story angles and PR initiatives that will result in standout coverage for Hotels.com in the U.S., including campaign ideation, project management and development of press materials

• Implement integrated communications plans, working across marketing, social media, creative and B2B teams to align PR efforts with broader business objectives

• Responsible for working closely with U.S. Media Relations team on activities across earned, owned and paid channels within PR’s remit, including helping to manage press trips and media events and maintaining PR editorial/activity calendars for Hotels.com U.S.

• Proactively identify opportunities to drive brand love for Hotels.com through earned media and storytelling, using and analyzing data and insights to inform storytelling and support business initiatives

• Responsible for monitoring industry and competitor media coverage, and staying up to date with trends and developments in the lodging and hotel industry

• Support operational needs, including vendor and agency management, development of coverage and status reports and budget tracking

• With the global crisis team, help manage reactive PR issues that influence perceptions of the brand and impact the greater Expedia Group business

Who You Are:

• 5+ years of experience in PR, media relations or communications roles in a consumer agency and/or in-house environments

• Proven record of working across different stakeholders and cross-functional teams such as marketing, social media and creative teams

• Have a bias towards action: you like to get things done, can analyze and use insights to inform decisions, provide clarity back to the business and take ownership of outcomes

• Ability to manage changing requirements as well as having outstanding project management and organizational skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Strong experience in media relations, possessing excellent understanding of media landscape with key consumer media contacts across print, online and broadcast media outlets

• Ability to synthesize data into logical conclusions and recommendations to uncover unique storytelling opportunities for Hotels.com

• Ability to think creatively and adapt quickly to match the travel landscape

• Able to handle fast-paced environments, with quick-turn timelines

• Demonstrated experience in highly matrixed organizations is a plus

• Experience working with well-known brands is a plus

• Issues/crisis management experience is a plus

The total cash range for this position in Austin is $82,500 to $115,500. Employees in this role have the potential to increase their pay up to $132,000, which is the top of the range, ba