Public Relations Account Director

Job Overview:

The Public Relations Account Director plays a key management role on the PR team, overseeing the development and implementation of comprehensive PR strategies for our clients in the life sciences, biopharma, and healthcare industries. In addition, they work closely with other agency department leads to structure and execute successful omnichannel communications campaigns.

This person plays a key role in developing and maintaining strong relationships with clients, leveraging deep industry expertise to provide strategic counsel and drive impactful media outreach. They are responsible for managing and mentoring a team of PR professionals, ensuring the successful execution of PR campaigns. They also play a prominent role, working with the VP of PR, in ensuring department growth and implementing processes and procedures with resulting efficiencies. They heavily support the agency’s new business development efforts, including contributing to and presenting new business proposals that meet agency growth goals. They contribute to various agency management initiatives.

The Public Relations Account Director is a meticulous, results-oriented individual who is passionate about the intersection of science, technology, and communications and has a demonstrated track record of successfully helping growing client businesses.

Key Responsibilities, including but not limited to: 

Business Impact

• Core development and execution of PR strategy, ensuring alignment with client objectives and messaging
• Identification of organic growth initiatives/opportunities - financial and otherwise on a defined client or client portfolio while delivering real results for our clients and meeting/exceeding agency revenue goals
• Fostering continued client satisfaction that leads to renewed program structures and long-term relationships
• Applies business acumen beyond the current client-base or vertical, if needed, by having an immediate impact if moving to a different client or vertical
• Lead new business development efforts, including pitching and presenting to prospective clients
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, serving as their trusted advisor and strategic partner
• Effectively oversee and manage all client account budgets, ensuring financial integrity and profitability and working with teams to ensure budget understanding and compliance

Leadership

• Exercises independent judgment in methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria for obtaining results
• Manages multiple pieces of business within one client or multiple accounts
• Is sufficiently informed and personally involved, ensuring sound planning, good service, and a solid client/agency relationship
• Oversees and participates in the execution of media outreach efforts, including pitching, securing media placements, and managing media relationships
• Participates in various agency management initiatives, ensuring continued agency growth and efficiencies
• Recommends and implements department-level processes and procedures that contribute to department growth and employee satisfaction
• Work closely with PR VP to identify areas for overall agency growth and efficiencies

Industry Expertise

• Expert knowledge of business and marketing impact on client activities.
• Responsible for all aspects of a strong client partnership, including high quality of work, service excellence, and proactive ideation
• Responsible for overall account performance, ensuring client business strategy and agency are aligned
• Master media relations skills and demonstrated results and ability to provide guidance to teams for successful earned media strategies

Communication

• Ability to use past experience(s) to deliver difficult message(s) with transparency and insight
• Ability to negotiate and manage conflict and client concerns that cause significant dissatisfaction and frustration

People Management

• Manage and mentor junior staff members, responsible for their professional development; effectively manage and delegate work of staff assigned to accounts
• Oversee annual performance evaluations of team members
• Provide strategic counsel to clients, utilizing deep industry knowledge and insights to drive impactful PR strategies

Reports To: Vice President of Public Relations

Requirements

Qualifications and Skills:

• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing strategic communications programs in the healthcare and life sciences sectors to raise the visibility of brands, products, technologies, and client thought leaders
• Demonstrated success in developing ongoing relationships that result in strong media placements. Must demonstrate the ability to drive earned media coverage with media from trade (i.e. Fierce Pharma) to mainstream (i.e. New York Times)
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with clients and media contacts
• Experience managing and mentoring a team of PR professionals
• Strong leadership abilities, with the ability to inspire and motivate a team
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• Demonstrated success with biopharma clients with commercialized product offerings strongly desired

What We will be Looking for:

• 12+ years of Pharma, med tech, life sciences, or healthcare agency experience or the same within a healthcare/biopharma organization
• Bachelor’s degree (minimum) in journalism, public relations, marketing, sciences, or transferrable area
• Experienced in promoting product innovations (launches, regulatory milestones, etc.), medical congresses, and data publications
• Experience managing product-related issues, especially in highly regulated environments, and the ability to provide clients with counsel, key messages, statements, and Q&A to support response strategies

Benefits

We are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package to all of our employees:

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance. We cover a generous portion of employee contributions.
• 401K plan. We invest in present and future you, which is why we offer a generous match and immediate vesting on our plan.
• Parental Leave. Generous paid time off for parents to bond with their newest addition.
• Professional Development. Each employee has an annual budget to allocate to professional development opportunities. Employees are encouraged to take a workshop, attend a webinar, join associations, and do anything else that will help them grow in their careers.
• Sabbatical Program. Enjoy 4 weeks of paid leave following 6 years of service to pursue travel, time with family, and drive in a new hobby; the options are endless!
• And more! We offer life insurance, LTD, a robust employee assistance program, and more!

This job posting is intended for direct applicants only; please, no outside recruiters.