Account Director, Luxury Communications

J/PR; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary

Commission opportunities

Monthly cell phone stipend

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401K with employer match

Flexible release Fridays

Corporate ClassPass discounts

Annual holiday and summer parties

Job summary

J/PR, a global communications firm based in New York, is seeking an experienced Account Director to lead luxury travel and hospitality accounts. You will guide strategy, manage client relationships, and mentor team members to success.

The ideal candidate should have over 8 years in public relations and significant industry connections. This position includes a competitive salary, a hybrid work model, and fantastic benefits including paid time off, health insurance, and professional development opportunities.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in public relations or related fields.
• Strong relationships with luxury media and influencers.
• Ability to manage teams and lead strategic initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead account strategies aligned with clients’ goals.
• Oversee client accounts and guide teams to ensure client satisfaction.
• Identify opportunities for additional projects and client growth.

Skills

Creative thinking

Leadership

Media relations

Strategic planning

Job description

Who are we?

J/PR is a global communications firm specializing in public relations, content creation, and social media, working with hotels, resorts, and destinations worldwide.

Who are you?

Creative, collaborative, and connected. You manage and oversee accounts and teams with dedication, strategy, and drive, mentoring the next generation while delivering successful campaigns for travel, hospitality, and lifestyle brands.

The Role

As an Account Director, you run accounts autonomously, lead overarching account strategy, and serve as the main client contact. You drive strategy and deliverables, guide your team to secure media placements, and leverage your media contacts for high‑impact results.

Duties and Responsibilities

Account and Client Management

• Develop and lead overarching account strategies aligned with clients’ business goals, ensuring measurable ROI and target KPIs while acting as a trusted partner.
• Design and lead standout luxury travel and tourism PR campaigns, activations, partnerships, and programming with strategic oversight and clear client communication.
• Demonstrate positive leadership with clients and internal teams through strategic insight, industry knowledge, and clear direction.
• Oversee scopes of work and guide teams to deliver impactful work aligned with clients’ revenue and business objectives.
• Monitor team activity, budgets, and account performance to ensure work remains within scope and maintains high client satisfaction.
• Identify opportunities for additional projects or expanded scopes that deliver value to the client while growing the account.
• Review performance metrics and time‑tracking reports, adjusting strategy, resourcing, or priorities as needed.
• Lead conversations around contract renewals and proactively address evolving client needs or scope changes.
• Step in across initiatives—large or small—to support client success and reinforce a strong partnership and servant leadership.
• Nurture client accounts using proven strategies to drive year‑over‑year renewals while maintaining client attrition below 12% annually.
• Attend client networking and industry events, including outside daytime hours as required.
• Travel for clients as necessary.

Media Relations

• Nurture your network of editors, writers, and freelancers for agency clients, creating new relationships through introductions, targeted pitches, and a minimum of two meetings each month, while landing top‑tier placements.
• Ensure team members secure media hits and campaign marks, playing a role as needed.
• Create and contribute big‑thinking pitches that land in features, multi‑page spreads, and unexpected sections within destination PR.
• Guide teams to media capable of executing KPI story ideas.
• Remain relevant and navigate the changing turns of the media industry.

New Business

• Lead or support the creation of new business decks and case study development.
• Travel to participate in new business pitches as needed, including overnight and weekend travel.
• Build and maintain an industry network that generates new business leads, sourcing 1‑3 commissionable opportunities annually.
• Provide thought leadership and ideation for new business proposals.
• Attend new business meetings and presentations as the voice and face of account leadership.
• Develop a specialty area at the agency—become the go‑to tastemaker in a chosen space and position our brand within it.
• Attend conferences and events on behalf of J/PR, building and growing your and the agency’s network.

Team Leadership

• Lead the team, providing expert counsel for both team and client, ensuring everyone is set up for success and contributing to a positive, collaborative agency culture.
• Lead at least two trainings annually for team members, whether agency‑wide or office‑wide.
• Deliver 2‑3 internal presentations, training moments, or case studies per year to share insights, best practices, and client wins.
• Manage up to four direct reports, providing leadership, guidance, feedback, and coaching, and recommending staff promotions.
• Attend workshops, media events, webinars, and conferences on behalf of the Agency and its clients, including weekend travel.
• Mentor and guide team members as they grow in their careers, providing coaching, feedback, and development opportunities.
• Foster a motivated, engaged, and positive team environment that supports strong performance and collaboration.
• Support team retention by creating opportunities for professional growth, skill development, and advancement.

Industry Impact

• Contribute to agency growth through participation in account staffing and resourcing conversations.
• Develop and implement efficient processes, training, and systems that strengthen team performance, leading at least two educational workshops annually to support internal learning and development.
• Lead agency initiatives, workshops, and trainings, and help cultivate meaningful media and industry relationships.
• Champion and promote the J/PR culture across teams and within the broader industry.
• Stay informed on industry trends within luxury tourism and travel PR while continuously expanding expertise.
• Represent the agency at conferences, workshops, and industry events.

Other

Other tasks, projects, or duties as required.

Experience

• 8+ years of experience in public relations, communications, brand marketing, partnerships, or related fields, preferably within luxury travel, hospitality, fashion, beauty, wellness, design, or adjacent luxury lifestyle sectors.
• Demonstrated success leading communications programs for premium and luxury brands with global visibility and discerning audiences.
• Deep understanding of the luxury consumer and cultural trends shaping travel, hospitality, fashion, wellness, design, and lifestyle.
• Strong relationships across luxury media, influential creators, tastemakers, cultural leaders, and industry partners.
• Proven experience identifying and cultivating strategic brand partnerships, collaborations, and high‑impact opportunities that drive awareness, influence, and brand equity.
• Experience working with luxury influencers, creators, KOLs, celebrities, and brand ambassadors.
• International experience and a global perspective strongly preferred.
• Agency experience preferred, though exceptional in‑house luxury brand experience will be considered.

Requirements

• Creative and strategic thinker with a proven track record of identifying and resolving problems in a timely manner.
• Able to act tactically while keeping long‑term objectives in mind.
• Skilled at managing time‑sensitive projects, prioritizing multiple objectives, and driving initiatives to completion with minimal guidance.
• Attention to detail and ability to work independently in a fast‑paced environment.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and management skills.
• High‑energy, positive self‑starter willing to go above and beyond to make a difference.
• Stellar client references and proven ability to maintain and grow client relationships.
• Strong, established relationships with local, regional, and national media contacts.
• Ability to travel for client needs as required; must have a valid passport for international travel.
• Advanced proficiency in Google Suite and Microsoft Office in a Mac OS environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, interpersonal skills, and organizational skills.

Additional Qualifications

• Deep cultural fluency and a sophisticated understanding of the luxury ecosystem.
• Strong network across luxury media, creators, tastemakers, premium brands, and cultural influencers.
• Proven ability to identify, negotiate, and execute meaningful partnerships, collaborations, and brand moments.
• Excellent judgment and understanding of what defines true luxury brand positioning and a global mindset with awareness of international media, travel, luxury, and consumer trends.
• Passion for hospitality and a genuine appreciation for exceptional experiences, service, design, and storytelling.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to counsel senior‑level clients and represent the agency with confidence and credibility.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and team development skills with a commitment to mentoring the next generation of communications professionals.
• Entrepreneurial, strategic, and solutions‑oriented, with the ability to balance big‑picture thinking and flawless execution.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary: $100,000 – $120,000, commensurate with experience.
• Commission opportunities.
• Eligibility for year‑end discretionary bonus.
• Monthly cell phone stipend.
• Company‑sponsored medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401K with employer match.
• Accrued PTO.
• Birthday PTO.
• Flexible release Fridays.
• Hotel trade with our world‑class clients (complimentary stays across our entire portfolio).
• Hybrid office schedule (2‑3 days in office), Fridays remote.
• Corporate ClassPass discounts.
• Pet insurance discounts.
• Milestone gifts at 1, 5, and 10 years.
• Annual holiday and summer parties, plus regular socials.
• Ongoing training and development opportunities.

Applicants for employment must possess work authorization for the country in which they are applying, which does not require sponsorship by the employer for a visa.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

J Public Relations (J/PR) and 20Two Studio (Studio) strongly support equal employment opportunity for all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.

HIRING PRACTICES

The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

J/PR and Studio recruitment policies are designed to place the most highly qualified persons available in a timely and efficient manner. J/PR and Studio may pursue all avenues available, including promotion from within, employee referrals, outside advertising, employment agencies, Internet recruiting, job fairs, college recruiting, and search firms.