Director of Public Relations

Description —

Are you a PR MVP? Do you build relationships, cultivate leads and develop brand awareness... all over your morning coffee? Then you're probably just the Director of Public Relations we're looking for. Two by Four needs someone who understands the earned media landscape, can lead new business, counsel our clients and execute integrated media relations strategies. Our winning candidate will be the principal agency rep across our accounts, and will be responsible for contributing to the quality of the agency’s offerings in unison with senior leaders across various departments. This position offers a unique opportunity to develop and lead internal and external client PR teams with strong potential for growth within the company. If you relish the chance to help develop and grow business, thrive on working in a fast-paced, creative environment, and possess a strong, entrepreneurial spirit, apply now!

Responsibilities

• Leads and owns all aspects of our client’s public relations and influencer marketing programs which includes – building strong client relationships, proactively delivering counsel to clients, developing and executing against strategic plans, overseeing day-to-day campaign execution across team members, and partnering with senior colleagues.
• Generates strategic story ideas and topic angles, overseeing the team in developing media materials and pitch media to land earned coverage.
• Responsible for overall client relationships and for building relationships with key day-to-day client contacts to ensure that agency relationships exist across multiple levels and points of contact and grow over time.
• Leads the public relations new business efforts at the agency by ushering-in new clients and verticals by leveraging strong industry relationships.
• Secures, maintains, and grows the business by identifying new growth opportunities based on insights into the company, client, industry, and economy – responsible for proactively prospecting and supporting new business opportunities, including finding and leading RFP submissions for earned media and influencer marketing campaigns.
• Leads organic growth and maintenance by creating and selling-in new, innovative earned media ideas that complement current paid and owned media programs.
• Cultivates an area of specialty or subject matter expertise that adds value to agency prospects and existing clients.
• Leads talent development for the department by mentoring, motivating and consistently providing actionable feedback.
• Actively engages in efforts to identify, grow and retain top talent – determines staffing needs and recommendations for appropriate allocation of personnel.
• Financial management includes negotiating contracts/fees, annual forecasting, managing to budget/account profitability, staffing plans, client reporting, etc.
• Scopes accurate budgets for clients on public relations and influencer marketing projects and retainers.
• Ensures that clients are making progress towards achieving their marketing objectives by making major contributions to client strategic and business-building ideas.
• Leads public relations and influencer marketing analytics and reporting outputs in partnership with the Analytics Director on a monthly/quarterly basis.
• Sets a standard of work level that demonstrates a commitment to involvement in growing the client’s and agency’s business – this includes the onboarding of new media monitoring technology, reporting/scoring software, wire services, social listening platforms, etc.
• Attends appropriate business/social functions that enhance the image of the agency, reveal growth and analytics opportunities, solidify client relationships, etc.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 15+ years of public relations experience with strong industry relationships.
• Energetic, authentic and personable leader and team player.
• Proven national and local media relationships with top-tier media.
• Strong influencer marketing experience (across both micro-influencers and celebrity talent).
• Proven leadership experience, mentoring and developing junior talent.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and media monitoring/analytics tools (Muck Rack, Cision, Tagger, Meltwater, etc.)
• Possess the appropriate business acumen to drive client’s business objectives and demonstrate the ability to balance agency and client interests.
• Be engaging and persuasive in verbal, written and presentation style.
• Entrepreneurial, self-starter with a knack for building trusted relationships.

Accountability

• Reports to President, Chicago
• Ultimately this person is accountable for leading the Public Relations team in any reasonable way possible.
• THIS IS A PREDOMINATELY A “WORK FROM THE OFFICE” JOB. While we currently offer “Work from Home Wednesdays”, this job requires that you work in our Chicago office Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.