Named America’s best boutique agency of 2022, Clyde Group is seeking a Media Relations Senior Specialist to join our growing, high energy, people-centric, public relations and communications agency. We’re a principles-driven firm disrupting “business as usual” in communications through creative strategy focused entirely on results-driven campaigns. Our work deals with exciting national-level issues, including healthcare, equity and inclusion, education, agriculture, financial services, technology, civil rights, and more. Clyde Group team members have an interest in, and enthusiasm for, the development of a rapidly evolving agency. We are unafraid of pushing each other and the norm. Our team is creative, ambitious, collaborative and we do it all with intentional dedication to every individual “being able to bring [their] whole self to work, safely”.
This position will be based out of the Washington DC office or can be remote/hybrid.
Our Media Relations Sr. Specialist helps shape and execute media strategies for our diverse portfolio of clients. They may oversee junior staff members on the media relations team, implementing creative media relations strategies to reach key audiences. Our Sr. Specialist will bring forward ideas to advance client accounts, confidently reporting metrics to demonstrate outcomes over outputs and has developed an industry or communications-area expertise. They play a meaningful role in business development, including developing media strategy for proposals, RFPs, and delivery to potential clients.
What you will be doing:
- Working closely with internal client teams across multiple accounts to develop media strategies to achieve clients’ media relations goals
- Overseeing media relations and client service team members to execute media relations strategies, including building media lists, developing media materials, reaching out to journalists, coordinating interviews, and monitoring for results
- Successfully pitch journalists and secure stories on behalf of Clyde Group clients
- Assign media relations responsibilities to junior team members with clear assignees and deadlines
- Ensure all deadlines are met, and the quality of work is high
- Report media successes and metrics to clients and account teammates; can communicate media relations strategy and results clearly to internal and external teams and audiences
- Advise colleagues on industry trends, current events, and uses knowledge to shift strategies as needed
- Have insight into media relations aspects of client SOWs and ensure that timely objectives and deliverables are being completed
- Propose new media relations strategy as needed to achieve client outcomes
- Proactively suggests media angles and story topics to help advance client goals
- Identify external tools and technology to improve media relations activities and results
- Helping to lead media relations trainings for clients and internal audiences
- Present to senior team members on client teams about media strategy, media results, and media angles, as needed
- Quickly develop media relations content/copy and press materials as needed to meet client deliverable deadlines
- Able to communicate around sensitive/challenging client issues
- Active participant in business development process for potential clients, and can lead media relations sections of the process
- Adjust media projects and team member assignments on media relations campaigns as needed to ensure client profitability
- Comfortable using monitoring tools including NewsWhip Spike, TV Eyes, MuckRack, TrendKite; able to gather insights from monitoring and present to clients and use insights to make strategic recommendations for current and future strategies
- Active participant in Fellow progress, as needed
- Depending on size of Clyde Group media relations team, may manage direct reports within the media relations team and support their professional development
Position Expectations:
- Adhere to firm’s policies and procedures
- Fierce commitment to, and respect for, a diverse and inclusive workplace
- Apply logic to solve problems and get the job done
- Show initiative in suggesting improvements and solving problems
- Ideate and execute proactive communications programs
- Confident and articulate when meeting with and speaking with clients
- Seeks opportunities to interact with and learn from firm leaders
- Developing strong EQ with both internal team members and external clients and vendors
- Can successfully lead media relations efforts by inspiring and motivating team members
- Presents articulately, intelligently, and professionally
- Able to anticipate client questions in meetings and answer with confidence
- Speak with clarity, precision, purpose in small and large groups
- Communicate clearly up to the leadership team on shared accounts
- Can quickly develop excellent content as needed to meet client deliverable deadlines
- Understands financial aspects of supporting a client account
- Make recommendations to advance Clyde Group’s mission and vision
Qualifications/Required Skills:
- 4–6 years of communications experience; agency experience preferred – previous work in tech, finance, or health public relations is a plus
- Established track record of placing media stories in national, local, and trade outlets
- Established track record of placing media stories across a variety of mediums, including print, broadcast, podcasts, and digital outlets
- Established rolodex of journalist friendlies and can reach out to friendlies on behalf of Clyde Group and Clyde Group clients
- Experience with executing paid media relations campaigns such as sponsored content, Satellite and Radio Media Tours, etc.
- Highly analytical and can create, evaluate, and share data in monthly reports/spreadsheets on client ROI, story placements/media coverage data, and syndication/UVM information
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, multitask, and prioritize competing deadlines
- Adept at thinking creatively and outside the box to develop, draft, and implement innovative story ideas, pitch angles, and media strategies for clients
- Seeks and is receptive to constructive feedback
- Possesses excellent writing and grammar skills, including the ability to write concisely, clearly, and logically
- Can edit the work of junior team members and explain edits in a way that improves their skills
- Strong organizational skills and high attention to detail
- Comfortable with basic social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter
- Comfortable with Microsoft and Google office products
- Comfortable learning and adopting new tech platforms
- Professional and mature demeanor in working with peers and more junior team members directly to solve problems, address issues, and diffuse internal challenges
To apply, please submit your current resume and cover letter here.
About Clyde Group
Named America’s best boutique agency in 2022 by PRovoke, Clyde Group is a principles-driven strategic communications agency guided by a vision to be the best agency to work with and the best agency to work for. Based in Washington, DC with a presence in multiple other locations, Clyde Group offers communications and public affairs services to major corporations, nonprofits, advocacy organizations, and trade associations, among others. With a mission to create and connect to move the world forward, Clyde Group is driven by strategy, creativity, and experience, bringing ambitious ideas, creative solutions, and an authentic personality to every task.