Public Relations Account Manager

TBWA\ South Africa; Wes-Kaap; On-site; ZAR 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading public relations consultancy in Cape Town is seeking a skilled PR Account Manager. The role focuses on managing high-profile corporate accounts, ensuring effective PR campaigns, and maintaining strong media relationships. Candidates should have a degree in communications or related fields, with 3-4 years of PR experience. This in-office position requires excellent writing skills, project management abilities, and a collaborative spirit.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Travel allowance

Data and cell phone allowance

Benefits package

Qualifications

• 3 – 4 years of account management experience in a PR agency.
• Experience with corporate PR clients.
• Strong media relations skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage PR campaigns and client relationships.
• Draft press releases and interview pitches.
• Coordinate project schedules and status reports.

Skills

Project management skills

Media relations

Content writing

Analytical skills

Client liaison

Organizational skills

Social media management

Education

Degree in communication, journalism, PR or marketing

National Senior Certificate

Tools

Excel

Chase software

Google Studio

Job description

PR Account Manager

Must be able and willing to write content and pitch to journos

Job description

Magna Carta Reputation Management Consultants Cape Town, one of South Africa's most award winning and established PR firms, is looking for a stellar PR Account Manager to join the PR team in Cape Town to work on leading South African brands in the corporate space.

This role is pivotal in ensuring seamless execution of PR campaigns and client servicing, directly impacting the success of high-profile accounts.

We’re looking for someone who has a demonstrable track record in traffic management, project management, management of traditional and social media, writing, media relations, reporting as well as client liaison skills. You will be working on-site alongside the Senior PR account director and the broader team, and reporting to the senior PR account director, and MD.

This is an in-office job with some flexibility. This is not a remote working vacancy. Magna Carta Cape Town is based in Woodstock.

Key attributes

• A self-starter and independent worker
• Thoughtful with excellent analytical and critical thinking skills
• Highly organised and attentive to small details
• A knack for working with data / reporting
• Must be able to write content – short form and long form (social media copy, press releases, interview pitches etc).
• Strong media relations skills in the corporate / business media space
• Curious (loves to learn, broad general knowledge and love for media)
• Open to feedback
• Would be described as a strong communicator, highly collaborative and considers themselves a team player
• Innovative and loves to improve things
• Must have intermediate to advanced knowledge of Excel, Word PPT etc.
• Demonstrate emotional intelligence in dealing with colleagues, clients and others / must be emotionally mature

Tasks and responsibilities

• Play the role of traffic management/project manager for the team: create detailed schedules, update status reports, set deadlines at each stage of the project, and ensure that work is distributed equally and fairly between writers and PR consultants.
• Develop monthly social media calendars within deadline
• Manage social media communities and upload approved social media posts and content, flag when there are complaints ahead of time.
• Write press releases and interview motivations, seek approval. Manage the approval process with client.
• Distribute content and secure regular media coverage. Develop and maintain media relationships.
• Report on PR efforts and ensure that reports (PowerPoint, Excel and Word) are concise, accurate and presentable
• Client service requirement.
• Team management of junior staff – together with SAD.
• Proofread emails for clarity, grammar and spelling to clients
• Ensure prompt and accurate communication with clients
• Manage the content management system
• Manage the supplier payment process

Skills

• Strong project management skills/ traffic management skills
• Highly organised, self-disciplined and process driven
• Critical thinking and analytical skills
• Ability to analyse data and the news agenda for insights (ability to identify social conversations/triggers/zeitgeist and hot topics – must naturally be curious and have a love for reading / staying informed)
• Entrepreneurial skills with the ability to identify the client's opportunities and threats
• Excellent verbal and writing ability, including copywriting and editing, and proficiency in English
• Outstanding people skills
• Basic financial management skills (Manage the CE and freelance invoicing system e.g. Chase)
• Database management skills
• Demonstrated social media skills including community management, and posting of content on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn

Requirements

• Proven experience in account management in a PR agency (3 – 4 years);
• Must have a degree either in communication, journalism, PR or marketing or related field.
• Proven experience working on corporate PR clients (NOT consumer)
• Media relations with business / corporate / financial media – pitching and securing coverage
• Preparing clients reports and presentations (2- 3 years)

Minimum qualifications

• Undergraduate qualification (such as BCom, BA, BSoc Science or BTech) in Marketing, Journalism, Communication, PR or a relevant field
• National Senior Certificate

An advantage

• Ability to navigate high-pressure or fast deadline situations with composure
• Ability to handle large volume of work and traffic it successfully
• Media relations skills, including good knowledge of the South African media landscape
• Experience in selling, advertising, brand journalism, content marketing, advertising, copywriting or brand communications
• Proficient with Chase software, Google Studio, Newsclip, or Meltwater

Compensation: Salary is competitive and depends on qualifications, including travel, a data and cell phone allowance plus a competitive benefits package—Magna Carta is an equal opportunity employer.

About Magna Carta

Magna Carta is a seasoned African consultancy that thinks globally and delivers full reputation management solutions to organisations and individuals that take their reputations seriously. Our integration of the old with the new, through constant development and innovation of our services and products, ensures that our clients maintain a competitive edge while managing their reputational risk in the 24/7 media landscape.

We don't just tell our clients' stories; we are story shapers who cultivate relationships with influencers through relevant and compelling content. We enable companies to establish ongoing ties with their audience – to communicate in a dynamic media landscape – to drive real-time, results-based creative strategies.

Magna Carta, an accredited Level 2 BBBEE contributor, was established in 1994. It is one of the largest employers of PR professionals in South Africa and is headquartered in Sandton with offices in Cape Town.

Our African network now spans 19 countries: We are strategically aligned to Ketchum, a leading global communications firm with operations in more than 70 countries across six continents, for which Magna Carta is the African affiliate. We also have a proud and longstanding relationship with TBWA\ South Africa and the greater TBWA\ global network. As part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE-OMC), TBWA\ has 275 offices in 100 countries.