Senior Account Executive, Luxury Travel PR

Finnpartners; New York (NY); On-site; USD 67,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

Finn Partners’ Travel team seeks a Senior Account Executive to manage high-profile luxury travel clients and lead media relations across traditional and social platforms. You’ll mentor junior staff, handle day-to-day account activities, and contribute to strategy and new business efforts in a fast-paced, globally connected agency environment.

The role emphasizes press trips, campaigns, event support, and delivering measurable PR results for glamorous hotel, resort, and spa brands worldwide.

Qualifications

• 3+ years prior experience at a PR agency with travel & luxury hospitality clients
• Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Marketing, Communications, Journalism or related field
• Experience with traditional and new media, social media and digital campaigns
• Proven track record in pitching to top-tier consumer media including travel & lifestyle outlets
• Experience managing client programs and reports
• Knowledge of travel industry from B2B and B2C standpoints is desired
• Strong project management and client relationship skills
• Excellent oral and written communications, including editing and presentations
• Experience developing Awards & Rankings submissions and stakeholder engagement strategies
• Experience with media measurement platforms (e.g. Trendkite, Cision, Muck Rack)

Responsibilities

• Lead junior team members through mentoring and delegation
• Serve as primary client contact and oversee day-to-day account activities
• Develop PR plans, press trips, media events, and pitches; edit releases and build distribution lists
• Write news releases, case studies, status reports, articles and proposals
• Lead campaigns and pitching to secure high-profile coverage across media and social channels
• Manage weekly timelines and action plans to meet all deadlines
• Support new business proposals and strategy sessions
• Build senior-level relationships with media, clients, and influencers
• Develop media strategies and pitches aligned with client goals
• Monitor industry trends and propose value-added ideas

Skills

Public relations

Media relations

Travel & luxury hospitality

Client management

Event planning

Strategic communications

Mentoring

Pitching stories

Social media

Proposal development

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Our Travel team at Finn Partners continues to expand! We’re looking for an outstanding Senior Account Executive to join our global award-winning integrated marketing agency. The ideal SAE candidate thrives in tackling new challenges every day, has 3+ years of public relations experience working with clients in the luxury travel, tourism and hospitality industry, and is someone who is passionate about a growing career working with the most glamorous hotel, resort, and spa clients around the world.

The SAE has exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, is highly organized, has a proactive take-initiative attitude, and can manage public relations workloads effectively across a variety of client accounts. Utilizing their traditional media relations and social media marketing experience, some of the key duties of an SAE include: leading media relations activity for client accounts, managing earned media, conducting client PR planning and campaign execution, leading special events and partnership programs, reviewing monthly reports, maintaining client lists, and brainstorming creative programming and pitches. In this role, work travel may be required

You will be a key member of our highly skilled, collaborative, savvy, stylish, and highly motivated PR team engaged in a range of assignments spanning launches, thought leadership, social media and stakeholder engagement.

Responsibilities:

• Help to lead junior members of this PR team by mentoring, delegating responsibilities, encouraging professional development, and sharing industry knowledge and best practices
• Serve as a point of contact for clients and handle day-to-day activities of the account team, client projects and account management to ensure exceptional service to our clients; Provide strategic counsel to clients regarding PR matters, correspond as the day-to-day contact (for press visits, requests, queries, etc.), and lead regular PR conference calls
• Execute and manage PR initiatives including - PR plans and strategy documents, press trips, media events, appointments. Edit press releases/pitches, build distribution lists, review PR reports to create messaging, original content, media pitching, media reporting, awards & rankings
• Write structured, persuasive copy; highly skilled in writing in a range of styles including: news releases, case studies, status report, articles, and proposals
• Spearhead PR campaigns and pitching for each client and ensuring annual PR objectives are reached/surpassed. Pitch across a broad range of media including social media channels and platforms, and secure high-profile coverage for our clients. Develop client specific media strategies, goals targets and pitch angles that require minimal input from the senior leadership team.
• Lead daily client public relations account activities including developing and managing weekly timelines and action plans to effectively execute campaigns and client plans to ensure that all deadlines are met. Anticipate and proactively offer solutions to senior team leadership for executional issues specific to assigned programs
• Participate in new business proposals, team brainstorm sessions, and staff meetings
• Develop strong relationships with client contacts and advance communications strategies that embrace the client’s strategy and positioning; Cultivate relationships with senior level national, regional, and online media, and with freelancers and influencers; Identify industry trends and build creative and strategic pitches to support them
• Maintain current knowledge of news and events regarding our clients, their industries, and their competition: read news outlets; know what is happening in the business landscape of our clients; Continuously explore and assess value-added solutions and new ideas for implementation
• Work with junior and senior Travel PR department staff to support clients and grow the practice - supporting new business opportunities development, RFPs and proposals, research, program development and presentations
• Provide Thought Leadership strategy and ideas for clients

Requirements:

• 3+ years prior experience working at a PR agency with travel and luxury hospitality clients
• Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Marketing, Communications, Journalism or related field.
• Experience working with traditional and new media, social media and digital campaigns
• Proven experience in pitching stories to top-tier consumer media outlets – including travel, lifestyle, consumer business titles
• Experience in writing and managing client programs and reports
• Knowledge of travel industry from B2B and B2C standpoints is highly desired
• Solid project management and client relationship skills
• Excellent oral and written communications skills (includes presentation skills, editing skills, and strong attention to detail)
• Experience in developing Awards & Rankings submissions, including strategy, researching and writing submissions
• Experience supporting the development of stakeholder engagement strategies
• Experience working with Trendkite, Cision, Muckrack and other measurement platforms

The approved compensation range for this role is $67,000 – $76,000 depending on location and commensurate with experience.

About Finn Partners:

Finn Partners was launched in 2011 to realize Peter Finn's vision to create a leading communications agency dedicated to shaping a bold new future in which innovation and partnership are strong drivers of the brand. Finn Partners specializes in the full spectrum of communications services, including digital and social media. Practice areas include arts, consumer lifestyle & sports, corporate social responsibility, education, health, manufacturing, technology, travel, and public affairs.

We are entrepreneurial-minded, global, and focused on integrated programs that bring to life the world-changing technologies, products, and services of our client partners. Our company culture celebrates delighting our clients with innovative and creative campaigns and programs, and we provide opportunities for our employees to conduct career-meaningful work in a creative, fast-paced, collaborative, and fun environment. We work hard and play nice.

Headquartered in New York City, the agency has 1,000+ employees, with offices in 24 cities around the world: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Dublin, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Fort Lauderdale, Frankfurt, Jerusalem, London, Los Angeles, Munich, Nashville, Paris, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Shanghai, Singapore, Tamuning (Guam), Vancouver (Wash.) and Washington D.C.