Account Manager, Design

Karla Otto; New York (NY); On-site; USD 80,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision plans

401K Employer Match program

Commuter Benefits

Paid Time Off including Vacation Days,

Paid Time Off including Personal Days,

Paid Time Off including Sick Days, and

additional Comp Days

Company-wide closure last week of the

10 Federal Holidays Observed

Salary: $80,000-$85,000

Job summary

Karla Otto, a leading PR and communications agency, seeks an Account Manager to translate brand ambition into strategic communications for clients in design, lifestyle and luxury. You will drive visibility, build media relationships, and lead teams across launches, campaigns and experiential moments.

The ideal candidate combines editorial instinct, cultural curiosity, and commercial awareness, proactively identifying opportunities to shape narratives and deliver integrated programs that deliver

Qualifications

• Experience leading client-facing communications strategies across launches and campaigns.
• Strong relationships with editors, writers, and cultural voices.
• Ability to lead teams and manage events and experiential activations.
• Proactive in identifying opportunities and delivering integrated programs.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute client communications strategies aligned with brand and commercial goals.
• Lead media outreach, secure coverage, and manage press materials and interviews.
• Oversee junior team members and coordinate resourcing and timelines.
• Plan launches, events, and experiential activations with integrated communications.
• Measure campaign impact using qualitative and quantitative insights and report results.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Media relations

Client communication

Story development

Job description

Karla Otto is a globally recognized public relations and communications agency, founded in 1982, with offices in 15 key cities across the UK, EMEA, US, and Asia. With a strong presence in fashion capitals such as Milan, London, Paris, and New York, the agency has built a reputation for representing some of the most prestigious names in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle.

In 2017, Karla Otto merged with K2 to form THE INDEPENDENTS, a global marketing, design, and communications group. This collective brings together industry leaders who share a commitment to innovation, excellence, and thoughtful collaboration across the luxury and lifestyle sectors.

At Karla Otto, our team of expert strategists, designers, planners and publicists are dedicated to delivering exceptional results and establishing long-term partnerships with our clients. We are passionate about the world of fashion, beauty, and luxury, with everyone bringing their unique expertise and insights to the table. We are driven by a shared commitment to excellence and a deep understanding of the ever-evolving industry landscape.

The Account Manager is a strategic, client-facing leader within Karla Otto’s Design and Lifestyle team, responsible for translating brand ambition into compelling communications strategies and culturally relevant opportunities that drive visibility, relevance, and impact. This role sits at the intersection of cultural strategy, media relations, and team leadership, serving as a trusted day-to-day partner to clients while providing strategic counsel across launches, campaigns, partnerships, events, and experiential moments.

The Account Manager is both a strategic thinker and hands-on communications lead — someone who can identify the story, shape the narrative, build the right media strategy, and lead its execution from idea through impact. They bring a strong understanding of the design, lifestyle, hospitality, art, and cultural landscape, with the editorial judgment to identify what is genuinely newsworthy and the relationships and creativity to turn those opportunities into meaningful coverage and cultural conversation.

This position is ideal for someone who combines strong editorial instincts, established media relationships, cultural curiosity, and commercial awareness with the ability to lead teams and clients with confidence. They should be proactive in identifying unexpected opportunities for clients, constantly looking beyond traditional PR to find new ways for brands to participate in culture, and capable of developing integrated communications programs that build both immediate visibility and long-term brand equity.

Key Responsibilities

Client Strategy & Leadership

• Collaborate on the development and execution of communications strategies that support clients’ commercial and cultural objectives
• Serve as a day-to-day client contact, providing strategic counsel across launches, campaigns, and special projects
• Ensure all activity aligns with broader brand positioning, cultural context, and long-term goals
• Identify opportunities and challenges proactively and communicate them clearly to clients
• Demonstrate understanding of clients' priorities and translate them into communications strategy

Media & Cultural Relations

• Maintain and grow strong relationships with key editors, writers, and cultural voices across design, lifestyle, art, culture, and business media
• Oversee the quality, consistency, and relevance of all external communications
• Identify emerging media platforms, cultural moments, and storytelling opportunities that elevate brand perception
• Develop and execute proactive media outreach and pitching
• Lead story development, angles, exclusives, profiles, features, and announcements
• Manage press materials, media lists, briefings, interviews, and follow-ups
• Secure meaningful coverage, not just maintain relationships

Team Management & Development

• Support the management and development of junior team members, including oversight of workflows and deliverables
• Collaborate with line manager and senior leadership on resourcing, timelines, and performance feedback

Events & Experiential

• Lead communications strategy around launches, events, cultural moments, and experiential activations
• Develop media strategy, guest lists, press attendance, on-site media management, and post-event amplification
• Reporting & Measurement
• Use qualitative and quantitative insights to assess campaign performance and inform future strategy
• Guide teams on reporting frameworks that demonstrate impact, reach, and return on investment

What We Offer

• Medical, Dental, and Vision plans
• 401K Employer Match program
• Commuter Benefits
• Paid Time Off including Vacation Days, Personal Days, Sick Days, and additional Comp Days
• Company-wide closure last week of the year
• 10 Federal Holidays Observed
• Salary: $80,000-$85,000

At Karla Otto, we are always looking for personalities with positive charisma who are enthusiastic, self-motivated, and have a keen sense of aesthetics.

Karla Otto embraces and celebrates diversity, inclusivity, and equal opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. Karla Otto provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.

We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join our team!