Media Relations Director

We strongly encourage people of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities to apply. As an equal opportunity employer Walker Sands is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and welcomes everyone to our team.

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The Media Relations Director (MD) oversees a selective group of talented media relations professionals within the agency who’ve shown a unique aptitude for working with media & influencers. 

The new group, led by the MD, helps PR teams generate high quality media results for Walker Sands’ B2B technology and services clients. 

The role’s first objective, however, is to foster stronger media relationships through careful and considered media outreach. To that end, the MD has significant long standing media relationships and a fluent understanding of the new media landscape. 

Generally speaking, the group provides direct media relations support on a wider variety of agency accounts than other PR department members. Based on current staffing and account load, the number of client interactions will vary. 

The director will provide counsel to clients in determining news value of various campaigns and news items, targeting media segments, and planning for complex announcements.  The director should also display a willingness and ability to mentor and train more junior staff in these roles.

Responsibilities:

• Be a leader that can advise clients on strategy that includes media outreach, influencer engagement and strategic communications.
• Enable clients to exceed their media relations goals
• Motivate and coach a team of media relations professionals 
• Foster a media-centric and reporter-first culture that delivers results
• Allocate media relations resources and balance workloads between your staff.
• Write, refine, and create press releases, talking points, statements, responses, and other press materials
• Own national media relationships to bring clients' stories to life. 
• Counsel account teams on media relations, strategies, programs and pitches.

About You:

• 8-10 years of journalism or media relations experience, preferably with business-to-business and/or technology clients
• Experience managing and coaching direct reports
• Ability to deliver sound strategy that aligns directly with client business goals
• Strong client communications abilities
• Can be the face of the agency and an escalation point for journalists & clients
• Well-versed in various paid and owned media channels, including social
• Ability to improvise/think on your feet
• Excellent presentation skills and ability to interface with client executives
• Resourceful, with proven problem-solving skills
• Proven ability to think strategically and teach others to think strategically
• Ability to rally team members around a new campaign
• Believer in the importance of the role of data & analytics in decision-making
• Influential participant within media industry events.