Senior PR Manager [AQ-20950]

Aquent; New York (NY); On-site; USD 150,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Aquent partners with a pioneering client to redefine its industry through strategic public relations leadership. You will shape the brand narrative, drive a comprehensive PR program, and guide executive messaging in collaboration with cross-functional teams.

In this role, you will own the end-to-end PR and communications strategy, own Share of Voice against competitors, and build a robust press pipeline. You’ll shape a calendar for product launches and cultural moments while mentoring junior

Qualifications

• Experience securing tier-one media coverage you personally pitched.
• Exceptional writing and editing with a public-facing portfolio.
• Proven track record mentoring junior talent and managing agencies.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor at least one direct report, setting priorities and growth.
• Own end-to-end PR strategy including Share of Voice and earned media.
• Build rolling 90-day PR calendar aligned with launches and trends.
• Define quarterly themes to secure tier-one media ownership.
• Write and edit press materials with minimal edits.
• Pitch to journalists, editors, and influencers with an expanding network.
• Coordinate inbound media requests with fast, accurate messaging.

Skills

Media relations

Strategic storytelling

Leadership & mentoring

Executive communications

Pitching to media

Crisis management

AI tooling for PR

Project management

Education

PR/Communications degree

Job description

Aquent is thrilled to partner with a pioneering company at the forefront of redefining its industry. This is an exceptional opportunity for a visionary public relations leader to join our client partner and immediately make a profound impact, shaping the public narrative for a brand undergoing a significant transformation and directly influencing how millions perceive its innovative platform.

About Our Client Partner

Our client partner is a pioneering force, charting a new course in its industry to become the definitive platform for ambitious individuals building extraordinary lives. This innovative organization is undergoing a rapid transformation, moving beyond its past to redefine its space as a leading premium platform. They are committed to being a definitive voice in modern lifestyle, treating the news cycle as a dynamic marketplace, and ensuring a constant presence in relevant conversations.

About The Opportunity

Are you a strategic disruptor, an innovator, an out-of-the-box thinker who thrives on going against the grain in public relations? Do you excel in dynamic environments, adept at navigating complex narratives and shaping public perception for groundbreaking brands? This is your chance to lead a transformative journey where your expertise will directly shape the brand’s public narrative and strategic direction. You will be a vital contributor, instrumental in positioning this brand as a definitive voice in modern lifestyle, with your strategic acumen and hands-on execution directly impacting how millions perceive the brand. This is truly one of the most consequential roles in their transformation journey, offering an unparalleled opportunity to build a function, shape a brand, and grow a team, all while directly influencing executive leadership from day one.

What You’ll Do

• Lead and mentor at least one direct report, setting priorities, coaching their development, and fostering their growth into a stronger PR operator.
• Own the end-to-end PR and Communications strategy, with explicit responsibility for Share of Voice against competitors and earned media impressions.
• Build and maintain a rolling 90-day PR calendar, aligning with product launches, cultural moments, and emerging trends.
• Define quarterly themes and narratives to establish the brand’s ownership in tier-one media.
• Write and edit a wide range of communications, including press releases, media alerts, pitch letters, op-eds, talking points, and briefing books, ensuring minimal editing is required.
• Pitch directly to journalists, editors, podcast bookers, producers, bloggers, and influencers, leveraging and growing a personal network across relationships, lifestyle, business, consumer tech, and culture beats.
• Respond to inbound media requests with speed and precision, gathering information cross-functionally to prepare approved messaging.
• Proactively insert the brand into the news cycle by identifying and hijacking trends, delivering timely pitches.
• Build and manage a podcast, interview, and speaking pipeline for executive leadership, preparing them with comprehensive briefing materials.
• Identify and submit the company and its executives for relevant industry, business, and culture awards.
• Serve as a spokesperson for the brand when needed, participating in interviews and representing the company’s perspective.
• Build and maintain a curated 'book' of diverse members willing and prepared to speak to the press, managing all aspects from recruitment and vetting to prep and follow-up.
• Serve as the day-to-day lead for external US and UK agencies, driving deliverables, ensuring quality control, and coordinating trans-Atlantic narrative consistency.
• Continuously monitor the news cycle for relevant stories, track competitor PR activity, and bring actionable trend memos to marketing leadership.
• Anticipate and manage reputational issues, maintaining holding statements and crisis trees, and quarterbacking any incoming reputational stories.
• Plan, organize, and execute integrated marketing campaigns in collaboration with creative, social, product, and digital teams.
• Manage PR operations, including project management tasks, standard operating procedures, media lists, asset libraries, and budget, while monitoring and analyzing PR metrics for leadership reporting.

What You Bring

Must-Have Qualifications

• 5 to 8 years of combined experience across PR agency, in-house PR, and/or journalism, with the right mix being more critical than years alone.
• Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Communications, Marketing, Journalism, or a related field, or an equivalent professional track record.
• Demonstrated record securing tier-one media coverage that you personally pitched.
• Exceptional writing and editing skills, with a portfolio of published or placed work that showcases versatility and brand consistency.
• Experience managing PR agency or vendor relationships as the client, or experience inside a top agency running accounts as a senior individual contributor.
• AI fluency, with proven experience using modern AI tools for research, drafting, media list building, and coverage analysis.
• Strong personal media relationships with journalists, podcast bookers, or producers in at least one of the following areas: relationships, lifestyle, business, consumer tech, or culture.
• Strong project management and operational discipline, with a track record of shipping things on time and maintaining organized systems.
• Working knowledge of industry-standard PR and project management tools, plus relevant style guides.
• Comfort operating as a player-coach, capable of both setting priorities and personally executing work, while also hiring, managing, and developing at least one direct report.
• Demonstrated experience mentoring or managing junior talent, whether formally or informally.

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• Experience at a top consumer or lifestyle PR agency.
• Newsroom experience as a reporter or editor at a recognized outlet, with a deep understanding of newsroom operations and news judgment.
• Experience working at an entrepreneurial or founder-led company where PR was being built from the ground up.
• Existing relationships with relationships, sex-and-culture, or modern-love beat reporters.
• Track record of award wins (industry, business, or culture awards) that you personally drove the submission for.
• Experience helping executives become recognizable voices in the media.
• Comfort with reputation management for brands that carry public-perception challenges.
• Experience with influencer marketing, social media coordination, or modern earned-and-paid integration.
• Experience with member, customer, or talent casting for media stories, including managing consent and NDA workflows.
• Experience building or scaling a small in-house PR team from scratch.
• Familiarity with luxury, lifestyle, consumer technology, or relationship brands.
• APR or similar professional certification.

About Aquent Talent

Aquent Talent connects the best talent in marketing, creative, and design with the world’s biggest brands.

Our eligible talent get access to amazing benefits like subsidized health, vision, and dental plans, paid sick leave, and retirement plans with a match. We also offer free online training through Aquent Gymnasium. More information on our awesome benefits!

Aquent is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. We’re about creating an inclusive environment-one where different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued, and everyone can contribute, grow their careers, and thrive.