This role requires 6-8 years of experience with luxury travel accounts.
Murphy O’Brien is an award-winning integrated public relations and digital agency founded on longstanding, enduring relationships and the delivery of consistent, powerful results that make a difference. With over 35 years of experience, Murphy O’Brien is committed to growing our employees’ careers and providing innovative, strategic results for our clients.
Our agency is dedicated to fostering a collaborative team environment for all team members. We foster a dynamic, supportive environment with shared knowledge and databases, creative team brainstorming, unique perks, and more. We love to win together and never let our teammates down!
Murphy O’Brien offers a competitive salary, full medical and dental, vision,401K Plan with matching, a generous vacation policy, and lots of fun lifestyle perks. Visit us at www.murphyobrien.com for more information on our clients and culture.
Murphy O’Brien is seeking a full-time Public Relations Account Director with 6-8 years of professional PR experience. Candidate must demonstrate experience in the luxury travel industry and general knowledge about best-pitching practices, top outlets, trends, angles, and more. A proven track record of securing media placements is required.
Account Directors are key agency managers who play a high-profile and important role. They are accountable for successfully protecting their assigned accounts and are also charged with operating as industry experts within their specific practice areas, developing and often owning the client decision maker relationship, creating the strategic direction for accounts, and developing newsworthy and creative campaign ideas implemented on a quarterly basis. Account Directors will be expected to lead 8-10 accounts and must develop enduring relationships with the top media that matter the most to clients.
Account Directors are tasked with very high-level and targeted pitching across all accounts and are frequently called upon to assist with various aspects of new business development. Account Directors must have excellent writing, communication, and presentation skills, and must consistently teach and demonstrate these skills to elevate the skill sets of more junior team members, in addition to mentoring their direct reports.
Key Areas of Responsibility
Media Relations
- Drive and secure high-impact media results. Balance pitching regional and national print publications as well as broadcast outlets.
- Read and watch media outlets important to our clients to uncover contacts and media opportunities
- Know social media outlets and trends
- Establish and maintain strong relationships with top-tier media and editorial decision makers
Social Media
- Drive influencer strategy, goals, tactics, and KPIs
- Collaborate with the social lead to create an integrated campaign plan and strategy
- Manage influencer partnerships and contracts
- Identify key influencers and social trends to insert into overall campaign planning
- Provide social media extension ideas as part of larger campaigns and brainstorms
- Stay informed of key social media and platform updates
- Basic understanding of how to effectively share PR coverage across social channels
Client Relationships
- Develop a lasting relationship with key client decision makers in addition to daily client contacts. In-person meetings to take place quarterly, unless otherwise noted.
- Attend and lead high-level client meetings and presentations
- In some instances, attend and lead high-profile press trips and media tours
- Operate as industry experts, maintain strong industry and competitive knowledge
- Provide long-term client retention and satisfaction by ensuring that client needs and expectations are met
Merchandising
- Ensure monthly client activity updates are completed and distributed on time
- Merchandise client media placements in a professional and effective manner
- Keep the President/Exec Team apprised of the account health, major wins, and positive client feedback
Account Management
- Draft and edit PR plans, timelines, and strategic documents that go to clients for each assigned account. Assist in drafting other PR documents, such as releases and press kit materials, in some cases
- Develop creative initiatives and a focus for all accounts, and successfully sell these ideas to clients
- Organize and lead regular account team meetings, provide junior team members with strategic guidance on their media relations outreach, including media list feedback and pitching tactics
- Meet with account team members regularly to review account priorities and challenges
- Track account hours weekly and adjust team member priorities accordingly, avoiding over servicing
- Delegate resources effectively and track team performance
- Upsell fees when appropriate
Leadership/Coaching
- Successfully guide, coach, and motivate direct reports and retain top talent
- Identify employees not reaching goals and implement accountability and consequences
- Develop a career path for direct reports
- Conduct annual performance evaluations for direct reports
- Monthly mentor meetings
- Assist senior staff with training and development
- Hold team members accountable for results and performance
- Identify opportunities for junior team members who express interest in working beyond their job description and learn new skills required for the next level
Agency-Wide Responsibilities
- Proactively seek new business through industry contacts and prospect lists
- Participate and assist in new business presentations as needed
- Identify and initiate organizational improvement
- Participate, and on occasion lead, training and development workshops, monthly companywide meetings, account team meetings, monthly practice team meetings, and ongoing agency brainstorming sessions
