Account Director, Earned Media Strategy

WSA IPG DXTRA, Inc.; United States; On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Weber Shandwick seeks an Account Director, Earned Media Strategy to lead and shape earned media programs for top consumer clients. You will craft strategic, newsworthy stories and manage relationships with top-tier media across lifestyle and business outlets, including evolving formats like podcasts and Substack.

You will mentor junior staff, drive cross-functional collaboration, and help generate new business through bold, culturally relevant campaigns.

Qualifications

• 6–8 years of experience in earned media strategy and media relations
• Experience leading projects from start to finish with integrated teams across disciplines
• Bachelor's degree in a related field

Responsibilities

• Lead development and execution of earned and integrated media programs from start to finish.
• Craft compelling stories for earned coverage and tap into cultural zeitgeist.
• Build and maintain relationships with top-tier media across business, broadcast, lifestyle verticals.
• Mentor junior team members and contribute to new business opportunities and pitches.

Skills

Earned strategy

Media relations

Project leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Job Description

Agency: Weber Shandwick Job Function: Media Job Subfunction: Earned Media

Weber Shandwick is more than a leading global PR agency – we’re an engagement agency and we’re working in and around the cutting edge of the new media landscape. We’re storytellers, content creators, and we engage people IN the story. Our success is built on a deep commitment to client service and to our people. We embrace creativity and collaboration, and we engage stakeholders in new and creative ways to build brands and reputations.

Account Director, Earned Media Strategy (Consumer Practice)

We are seeking an Account Director, Earned Media Strategy with exceptional strategic prowess and media relations expertise to support our top-tier CPG, Retail, and Food & Beverage clients. You live for a great pitch and have the media relationships to back it up. With deep knowledge of top-tier lifestyle, entertainment, sports, food & beverage, and business outlets, you know how to get stories placed— and noticed. You move seamlessly between traditional media and emerging platforms like Substack, podcasts, and content creators. Fluent in internet culture and always ahead of the trends, you know what’s buzzy, what’s next, and how to help brands break through. A creative storyteller and collaborative partner, you bring curiosity, originality, and hustle to everything you do. If you’re ready to make waves with a team of leading earned strategists, we want to talk.

What You Will Be Doing

• Strategic Leadership & Storytelling:
  • Lead the development and execution of comprehensive earned and integrated media programs from start to finish.
  • Proactively and reactively craft compelling, newsworthy stories that drive earned coverage and tap into the cultural zeitgeist.
  • Spot and execute on quick-turn, culturally relevant storytelling opportunities for clients.
  • Draft high-quality internal and external-facing media materials, including briefing documents, Q&As, pitches, press releases, and messaging documents.
• Media & Cultural Mastery:
  • Build and maintain excellent relationships with top-tier media across business, broadcast, and lifestyle verticals—including men's/women’s interest, fitness, food & beverage, wellness, sports, and entertainment.
  • Maintain a strong, real-time understanding of the media and cultural landscape, as well as emerging issues that may impact clients.
  • Approach all client work with deep curiosity, consistently seeking to understand the brand, its competitors, and the broader industry context.
• Client & Campaign Excellence:
  • Serve as a senior counselor, interacting effectively with clients and leaders within their organizations.
  • Deliver consistently high-caliber work with a client-first mindset and sharp attention to detail.
  • Collaborate effectively with agency and inter-agency partners, serving as a key contributor to drive alignment and deliver cohesive, large-scale campaign work.
• Team & Agency Growth:
  • Mentor and develop junior team members through hands‑on guidance, continuous feedback, and professional development support.
  • Actively cultivate and participate in new business opportunities and pitches, contributing to the growth of the practice.

Competencies:

• Business Acumen – align talent strategies to drive business goals
• Client Service – client focus and ability to build trust and rapport across all levels
• Proactivity – exhibit relentless pursuit for new and innovative talent strategies
• Collaboration – build strong relationships at all levels across the organization
• Critical Thinking – ask probing questions; anticipate and address critical talent gaps and needs
• Conflict Resolution – possess sound judgment and savvy in navigating and resolving complex talent and organizational issues

Basic Qualifications:

• 6-8 years of experience.
• Experience leading projects from start to finish, working with integrated teams across various disciplines.
• Earned strategy and media relations experience
• Bachelor's degree

Salary range: $100,000 USD – $130,000 USD. Where an employee or prospective employee is paid within this range will depend on, among other factors, actual ranges for current/former employees in the subject position; market considerations; budgetary considerations; tenure and standing with the company (applicable to current employees); as well as the employee’s/applicant’s background, pertinent experience, and qualifications. Weber Shandwick is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Weber Shandwick recruits qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, ethnic or national origin, protected veteran status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or citizenship status.

#LI-JP1 $130,000.00 - $130,000.00

Omnicom’s policy requires employees to work in the office for a minimum of three days a week, unless additional in-office days are directed by their agency or manager. Our objective is to increase this requirement over time, and many of our agencies as well as Omnicom’s corporate group already require five days of in-office attendance. Omnicom is committed to hiring and developing exceptional talent. We agree that talent is uniquely distributed, and we’re focused on developing inclusive teams that can bring the best solutions to everything we do. We strongly believe that celebrating what makes us different makes us better together.

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