Public Relations Specialist

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Overview

The Specialist, Public Relations will promote Fifth Third Bank’s Consumer Bank strategies and leadership and protect and defend the Bank’s reputation. This individual will focus on proactive and reactive media relations and storytelling efforts across key areas including consumer product PR, lending, retail banking; crisis and issues preparedness and management; thought leadership; and special projects.

We are looking for a communications professional who thrives in a fast-paced, complex corporate environment and brings a collaborative mindset, strong writing skills, and a passion for integrated campaigns that span traditional and new media channels and engage multiple stakeholders including customers, employees and the media.

Responsible and accountable for risk by openly exchanging ideas and opinions, elevating concerns, and personally following policies and procedures as defined. Accountable for always doing the right thing for customers and colleagues and ensures that actions and behaviors drive a positive customer experience. While operating within the Bank's risk appetite, achieves results by consistently identifying, assessing, managing, monitoring, and reporting risks of all types.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and implement strategic external communications plans for Fifth Third’s Consumer Bank including consumer products, retail and lending lines of business. Identify the course of action that efficiently balances strategy and execution; collaborate to implement solutions; and deliver PR solutions that elevate the Consumer Bank.  
• Serve as a company spokesperson and engage directly with the media on proactive, reactive and crisis response.
• Proactive media relations: identify opportunities to positively highlight the Consumer Bank’s products, strategy, and leadership with earned media coverage, across the Bank’s 12-state footprint. Strategize, build and maintain a bank of customer stories to increase local coverage in the regions we serve; develop and execute creative ‘evergreen’ pitches to secure continued consumer coverage and reviews of existing products.
• Reactive media relations: protect and defend the Consumer Bank’s reputation. Handle reactive media inquiries to mitigate reputation damage across the Bank’s footprint. 
• Crisis communications: prepare materials and implement strategies to manage a crisis. Seek to understand and navigate every situation to realize the best outcome for the company. Always bring a recommendation and a proposed solution.
• Build and maintain relationships with key reporters across top tier, trade and local publications, including both online/print and broadcast media.  
• Plan, edit, and create content for external communications channels, including press releases, media pitches, talking points, leadership presentations, video scripts and other PR materials.
• Develop creative campaigns that integrate social media, video, and marketing, and collaborate cross-functionally to elevate stories that support broader business goals.
• Develop and execute thought leadership strategies, including executive visibility and expert positioning across media and industry platforms.
• In collaboration with the full PR team, create a holistic award strategy for key Consumer Bank leaders to highlight key accomplishments. Prepare and execute award submissions. 
• Manage PR support for key Consumer Bank events, including planning, messaging, media outreach, and on-site coordination.
• Review and analyze available metrics/data to discover trends and make informed recommendations. 
• Build and maintain a network of cross-functional colleagues across the Bank.  
• Continually integrate new technology and best practices to increase impact and efficiency. 

Minimum Knowledge & Skills Required

• Bachelors’ degree required. Experience in banking and/or financial services strongly preferred.
• 2+ years of professional experience in public relations (agency or in-house).
• Proven media relations experience, ideally with a consumer-facing brand. Strong storytelling skills. Excellent attention to detail, along with superb writing and editing skills for original content as well as rewriting and optimizing content.
• Experience managing social media as part of integrated PR campaigns.
• Ability to work independently and lead projects from inception to execution.
• Strong intellectual ability and executive presence that earns the respect and attention of key internal partners.
• Creat