Assistant Account Executive, Corporate & Public Affairs - Burson

Burson; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 35,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Burson, part of WPP, is seeking an Assistant Account Executive to support a portfolio of corporate, consumer, and financial services clients. You will gain hands-on experience in integrated communications, including media relations and influencer engagement, within a fast-paced agency setting.

The role offers a hybrid work model in Chicago, demands strong writing and research skills, and invites candidates with 0–1 year of public relations experience to develop across cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Communications, Journalism, or a related field.
• 0–1 years of internship or entry-level experience in public relations, communications, corporate affairs, public policy, or an agency environment.
• Strong writing, editing, proofreading, and research skills.
• Understanding of the current media landscape, including national, regional, trade, and digital outlets.
• Familiarity with media monitoring tools such as MuckRack, Brandwatch, NewsWhip, or similar platforms.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting tight deadlines.
• Professional interpersonal and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively across teams and functions.
• Interest in corporate reputation, issues management, and complex communications challenges.

Responsibilities

• Monitor daily media across national, regional, trade and digital outlets.
• Flag emerging coverage and trends for insights and issue awareness.
• Research reporters and creators; help build media lists and pitches.
• Draft materials: pitches, press releases, briefs, summaries.
• Support cross‑functional communications across campaigns and events.
• Attend meetings; capture notes and next steps.
• Assist with client materials, proposals, pitches, and submissions.
• Collaborate with teams and partners for high‑quality delivery.

Skills

Strong writing

Editing

Research

Time management

Interpersonal communication

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Communications, Journalism, or related field

Tools

MuckRack

Brandwatch

NewsWhip

Job description

Who We Are

Burson, part of WPP, is the global communications leader built to create value for clients through reputation. With highly specialized teams, industry-leading technologies and breakthrough creative, we help brands and businesses redefine reputation as a competitive advantage so they can lead today and into the future. When you work at Burson, you are part of a global community of lifelong learners who thrive at the edge of innovation.

Who We Are

Burson, part of WPP, is the global communications leader built to create value for clients through reputation. With highly specialized teams, industry-leading technologies and breakthrough creative, we help brands and businesses redefine reputation as a competitive advantage so they can lead today and into the future. When you work at Burson, you are part of a global community of lifelong learners who thrive at the edge of innovation. WPP (LSE/NYSE: WPP) is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unitecutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counselin a single company –powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open,to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com For more information visit bursonglobal.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

More About The Role

Burson is seeking an Assistant Account Executive to support a portfolio of corporate, consumer, and financial services clients across multiple industries. This role provides hands‑on experience supporting integrated communications programs, including media relations, influencer engagement, stakeholder communications, and corporate reputation initiatives. The ideal candidate is highly organized, curious, and eager to learn, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams in a fast‑paced, collaborative agency environment. This position offers exposure to cross‑functional account teams, senior leadership, and high‑impact communications work.

What You’ll Do

• Conduct daily media monitoring across national, regional, trade, and digital outlets; prepare and distribute monitoring reports and status updates on consistent timelines.
• Track and flag emerging coverage, trends, and social conversations to support proactive insights development and issue awareness.
• Support media and influencer relations efforts by researching reporters and creators, building and maintaining media lists, and assisting with pitch development.
• Draft and edit communications materials including media pitches, press releases, briefing documents, campaign summaries, status reports, and trend reports under senior guidance.
• Support integrated communications programs across corporate, consumer, and financial services workstreams, including campaign activations and tentpole moments.
• Participate in internal and client meetings, capturing notes, action items, and next steps; contribute ideas and observations when appropriate.
• Assist with research, case studies, and materials for client presentations, new business proposals, pitches, and award submissions.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional colleagues and external partners to support high‑quality client delivery and day‑to‑day account coordination.

Experience That Contributes To Success

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Communications, Journalism, or a related field.
• 0‑1 years of internship or entry‑level experience in public relations, communications, corporate affairs, public policy, or an agency environment.
• Strong writing, editing, proofreading, and research skills.
• Understanding of the current media landscape, including national, regional, trade, and digital outlets.
• Familiarity with media monitoring tools such as MuckRack, Brandwatch, NewsWhip, or similar platforms.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting tight deadlines.
• Professional interpersonal and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively across teams and functions.
• Interest in corporate reputation, issues management, and complex communications challenges.

Burson is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

Individual compensation varies based on job‑related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package; click here for more details: https://mybenefits.wpp.com/public/welcome.

The base salary for this position at the time of this posting may range between:

$35,000—$75,000 USD

You Belong At Burson

Our vision is for Burson to be the leading ‘academy company’ for creative communications professionals and emerging leaders. We provide a dynamic environment where ambitious colleagues come to elevate their skills, expand their networks, and ultimately, produce the best solutions for today’s leading brands. Our commitment to your growth is reflected in our robust benefits and people programs, which include professional development opportunities, mentorship programs with industry leaders, a vibrant and inclusive company culture fostering collaboration and innovation and packages designed to reward and retain top talent. We invest in our people because we believe their success is our success.

At Burson, we’re an agency of learn-it-alls. We recognize that the things we do best, creativity and communications, require a level of nuanced understanding. That’s why it’s imperative for us to hire extraordinarily talented people of all backgrounds and identities. Without that we can’t do the essential work of inspiring bold ideas, fostering constructive dialogue, cultivating meaningful experiences, and driving innovation and creativity for our partners. Your unique point of view—your talent—is what makes you a #BursonPerson, and it’s how we deliver exceptional results for our clients, together.

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.