Director/Senior Director, Media Relations

Who are we?

J/PR is a global agency specializing in Travel and Lifestyle, telling the unique and inspiring stories of some of the most coveted brands in the world. We specialize in public relations, social media, content creation, and brand collaborations, ultimately connecting our clients to top media and the consumers they want to reach.

Our brands are some of the best of the best in the world including Relais & Chateaux, Dorchester Collection, Vail Resorts Hospitality, and Virgin Limited Edition to name a few. You can see our current client list here. Being a part of this international powerhouse agency will connect you to a roster of distinguished hotels, resorts, restaurants, real estate projects, and destinations across the globe, elevating your career (and your frequent flier status). We're passionate, professional, and purpose-driven. We're dedicated to our work, the agency, our clients, and each other.

Forbes said "These are the Women Dictating Where You're Traveling," and Inc. Magazine featured J/PR in an article titled, "How Two Millennial-ish Women Built a PR Powerhouse." This is in addition to numerous awards like PR News Best Places to Work, New York Observer PR Power List, The PR Net 100, Forbes, and Crain's Best Places to Work (to name a few).

At J/PR, we're incredibly intentional about our company culture, and we wholeheartedly believe in a work-life blend, where you'll be empowered to continue learning and growing through travel, mentorship, training, and retreats, along with a connected company culture.

Who are you?

You are a strategic storyteller, creative campaign ideator, and media relations expert, always the direct line of communication between top journalists and the agency. You have the in's and out's of account management mastered, expertly provide counsel to clients and agency team members across a broad range of issues. But most importantly, your in-depth media (and influencer!) experience allows you to offer creative strategies that will garner media attention and deliver on KPIs. You're not "above it all" and you eagerly step in to roll up your sleeves whenever needed to contribute to team success, which includes mentorship across all levels and sharing the "secret sauce" to wow-worthy placements. You are actively participating in new business development bringing your media industry intel to the process and help develop and manage the agency's media relations efforts because you believe teamwork makes the dream work.

The Role

As an Account Director, Media Relations you are a story-telling expert with a rolodex of trusted media relationships to strategize with on industry trends and editorial needs. You are running smaller accounts autonomously, driving the overarching account strategy while making sure the team is set up for success and understands their roles and responsibilities. You're the main client contact for more nuanced conversations related to the team and the work, and you drive the strategy and deliverables making sure there are results and movement each quarter, and guide your team to get hits by helping to identify the right media and outlets for a story to live and offering feedback and coaching along the way.

On larger accounts and brand accounts, you play a crucial role in delivering big hits, features, and profile stories all while leading your teams' media relations strategy and guiding teams to achieve KPIs. You have your finger on the pulse of the changing media landscape and are a go-to resource for the Agency on industry news and updates and joining new business pitches to showcase your media expertise and how the Agency works with media.

Duties and Responsibilities

Account + Client Management

• Lead banner hospitality moments and campaigns, e.g. a crisis, renovation, and/or hotel opening

• Create, execute, delegate, & course correct overarching account strategies

• Implement strategies and oversee KPIs

• Review Harvest reports and course correct as needed

• Oversee scopes of work and direct your teams to conduct meaningful work based on the clients' revenue and business goals

• Actively monitor your team's activity to ensure they stay within budgets and client satisfaction

• Lead your team by providing clear, focused guidance and resources for day-to-day account success

• Design "game-changing" PR campaigns, activations, partnerships, and programming that garner media success and client goals

• Demonstrate leadership with your clients and your teams by providing knowledge and advice

• Understand your client's business goals and lead account strategy to produce measurable ROI

• Nurture client accounts with proven tactics that result in continued renewal year-over-year

• Identify add-on projects for clients and seek opportunities to expand retainer fees and provide value

• Maintain agency docs and materials specific to media relations efforts, including oversight and updates in the JPR Resources folder:

• Monthly relevant media leads shared doc

• Annual calendar of pitches, including seasonal/ongoing holidays and notable media coverage moments as well as updating accordingly for the specific year

• Agency Awards Lists

• Agency Master Media Lists

Media Relations

• Have a solid, trusted network of A+ media relationships while always sourcing new and deeper relationships to deliver headline and feature news across Broadcast, Podcasts, major news titles, and emerging media

• Have a vast understanding of key storylines across agency clients and concepting, pitching, and securing placements on thematic storylines across accounts

• Create big-thinking pitches that land bigger features, multi-page spreads in magazines and in meaningful unexpected sections

• Guide your account teams to proper media who will execute KPI story ideas

• Provide media leads to the Agency and lead media outreach opportunities on behalf of your accounts and others

• Remain relevant, and always navigate the changing turns of the media industry and being a leader at the Agency sharing media industry news and updates

New Business

• Provide thought leadership and ideation for new business proposals

• Attend new business meetings and presentations as the voice and face of media relations

• Foster A+ list media relationships making recommendations to the New Business Committee for proposal media references

• Develop media slides alongside the New Business Committee when needed for specialty areas (i.e. regional specialty, meetings/groups, wellness, uber luxury, culinary, family) ensuring proposals are strategic and up to date with media recommendations

• Attend conferences and events on behalf of JPR and build your personal network

Team Leadership

• Lead team and give expert counsel for team and client, making sure everyone's set up for success

• Support and offer insight as an Agency leader during manager meetings and to account leads and senior publicists/publicist

• Act as trusted leader in office with visibility across agency

• Motivate your team and keep them happy, engaged and positive

• Manage your team retention by creating opportunities for them to expand and grow

• Review and edit press materials with an eye for what will resonate for media

• Offer media expertise and insight to all agency teams through regular proactive communication as well as when needed for particular client challenges

JPR / Industry

• Serve on the Client Services Committee and own leadership on client communications for media updates and news, award opportunities and more, crafting communication for Account Leads and the Agency to share as needed

• Spearhead agency activities, workshops, trainings and bring in media to JPR offices (when relevant)

• Champion and promote the JPR culture

• Expand your knowledge of hotels, the industry and your client's business

• Understand and be able to discuss social media, our capabilities and how social weaves into all of your accounts/campaign

Experience

• College Degree or comparable experience required

• At least 10 years of public relations experience in the hospitality, culinary, travel, tourism, restaurant and/or consumer lifestyle arenas

• Agency experience a must, in-house experience is a plus

• Must have stellar client and media references

• Must have strong and proven relationships with local, regional and national media contacts

• Must have strong, effective and proven management skills

Requirements

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint & Adobe Suite

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

• Excellent interpersonal skills

• Excellent organizational skills

• Must be able to identify and resolve problems in a timely manner

• High-energy, positive self-starter who is willing to go above and beyond to make a difference in a dynamic organization

• Creative problem solver and decision-maker with a proven track record of delivering results

• Proven ability to handle time-sensitive projects and prioritize multiple objectives simultaneously, to work independently, and to drive projects to completion with minimum guidance and acute attention to detail

• Ability to think strategically but act tactically

• Solid leadership and coaching skills

Benefits

J/PR offers a competitive benefits package, including:

• Competitive base salary: $90,000 - $117,000, commensurate with experience

• Commission opportunities

• Year-end discretionary bonus

• Monthly Cell Phone Stipend

• Company contributions to medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums

• 401K with employer match

• Accrued PTO

• Birthday PTO

• Flexible Release Fridays

• Hotel trade with our world-class clients (complimentary stays across our entire portfolio)

• Hybrid office schedule (2-3 days in office)

• Corporate ClassPass discounts

• Pet insurance discounts

• Milestone gifts at 1, 5, and 10 years

• Annual holiday and summer parties, plus regular socials

• Ongoing training and development opportunities

Applicants for employment in the U.S. must possess work authorization which does not require sponsorship by the employer for a visa.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

J Public Relations (J/PR) and 20Two Studio (Studio) strongly support equal employment opportunity for all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.

HIRING PRACTICES

The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

J/PR and Studio recruitment policies are designed to place the most highly qualified persons available in a timely and efficient manner. J/PR and Studio may pursue all avenues available, including promotion from within, employee referrals, outside advertising, employment agencies, Internet recruiting, job fairs, college recruiting, and search firms.