Senior Director of Public Relations and Communications at Zen Media Texas

Senior Director of Public Relations and Communications job at Zen Media. Texas.

A RARE opportunity to work with CEO Shama Hyder and the 16+ year leading Zen Media Marketing Storytelling and Amplification Teams.

Zen seeks a Senior Director of Public Relations to lead our elite PR team and continue building on the Zen Media reputation established over the last 16+ years. Marketing and PR have evolved in many ways. We are looking for someone who wants to partner with executive leadership in setting the PR tone for Zen Media for the next 2-3 years while owning VIP portfolio accounts.

The Senior Director of Public Relations manages the flow of communications between our company, our VIP clients, and external media outlets. This person has extensive experience building and fostering relationships with key stakeholders across traditional and online media channels, establishing and implementing strategic communications plans, and developing, writing, and approving overall client messaging.

As a department head reporting to the executive leadership team, the Senior Director of Public Relations interacts with senior management and other members of the leadership team to develop and implement initiatives consistent with Zen Media?s overall strategic goals while owning the results and business needs of the PR team to the CEO Office.

Reporting to our Chief of Staff, you will join a fast-paced, results-driven team with a deep understanding of traditional and innovative PR strategies as we head into a new marketing era.

Our ideal candidate will have 8-10 years of PR experience in-house or at an agency and can easily balance working independently and collaboratively. A flexible PR approach is necessary ? the ability to pivot strategies to meet client expectations is required to succeed in this role. This person must have extensive, hands-on, successful experience in delivering full-scope PR in the B2B space.

Zen?s approach to PR is rooted in our belief that PR doesn?t stop at placement. It requires amplification to reach the right audiences through a comprehensive social strategy. To be successful in this role, Zen requires a high-touch approach to clients, media, and the internal team, and follow-through is a must.

At Zen Media, department heads lead by example by owning VIP accounts and closely supporting their PR team and resources. You must be bold in evolving what PR means and how it is executed in the next 2-3 years.

Location

We are a 100% remote organization with crucial staff and executive leadership in Texas and Florida. We are looking for someone within the Eastern time zones who must be willing to support East Coast hours with a preference for Texas and Florida.

Culture
? Warm & Supportive: We pride ourselves on a culture where everyone supports one another. The Zen Media Team works very well together, and collaboration is crucial to how we deliver quality efficiently.
? We Get the Job Done: Flexibility is critical; we all pitch in where needed.
? Positive Attitude: A positive attitude isn't just a preference; it's non-negotiable. We say, ?Tone is a choice.?

Core Values
? We Are Second-Level Thinkers: We think strategically about client outcomes beyond surface-level analysis. This is for every role at Zen Media at every level - even internships. Anyone could be presenting to a CEO at Zen Media.
? We Are Leaders : We take ownership and initiative, regardless of title.
? We Are Never Complacent: We constantly push boundaries and strive for excellence creatively and operationally to ensure a market-message match for our clients.

Qualifications
? Minimum 8-10 years of public relations and corporate communications experience
? 2+ years experience supervising multiple direct reports, with the desire to help advance the skill sets and careers of younger professionals
? Articulate marketing trends and evolutions in marketing from the last couple of years, including AI, to soundboard with executive leadership on leveraging AI as a company advantage.
? Bachelor?s degree or equivalent experience in communications, PR, journalism, marketing business, or related field
? Extensive experience in B2B PR strategies and execution required
? Ability to cultivate and maintain relationships with business, trade, and tech media
? Agency experience preferred
? Ability to execute deadlines at pace while remaining highly organized in Clickup (or a similar portfolio deliverable management tool)
? Ability to pivot between multiple clients and tasks daily/weekly
? Ability to communicate, coach, and develop a PR team delivering consistency while maintaining Zen Media company standards and cross-functional processes
? Ability to support executive leadership in PR team workload analysis, portfolio assignment, and resource management focused on time and people.
? Ability to lead VIP or high-impact portfolios independently of executive leadership and consistently establish leadership presence with client executives.
? Strong listening skills and an understanding of business in general (budgets, team development, marketing KPIs, sales cycles, etc)
? Be a solid writer and editor!

Responsibilities
? Lead VIP PR accounts as client-facing account lead and strategist through the entire lifecycle of PR with an account - strategy to execution.
? Delegate tasks to members of the PR team and monitor their progress while ensuring deliverables effectively address client goals and timelines. Stepping in as needed to execute.
? Lead the PR team by providing guidance, feedback, training, and development to further nurture their professional growth and success.
? Maintain and evolve the operational efficiency and effectiveness of the PR team by leveraging ClickUp and similar tools.
? Establish, in alignment with the Executive Leadership Team, the PR delivery strategy for the next 2-3 years to ensure client impact as marketing continues to evolve.
? Prioritize work, resources, and schedules with the affected Zen Media departments to deliver according to set timelines.
? Develop angles and stories to use when pitching media and secure placement in target publications
? Secure thought leadership pieces and drafting abstracts for publication consideration
? Stay on top of clients, technologies, vertical markets, and industry trends while informing Zen Media executive leaders of critical changes and opportunities
? Represent the PR department in partnership with the executive leadership team on business development meetings and support proposal/scope development.
? Collaborate efficiently and effectively with content, creative, SEO, and account management Department heads and teams to refine interdepartmental processes
? Track PR campaigns? key performance metrics to maximize results and present periodic reporting to the client along with ideas to improve messaging and branding
? Conduct advanced media training for executives and thought leaders
? Ensure all client materials deliver consistent messaging; conduct quality control on all communications.
? Respond to client crises or challenging situations quickly, strategically, and professionally
? Participate in strategy-focused client meetings for all PR clients
? Lead client calls and internal discussions related to client work and ensure agendas are always prepped according to Zen Media standards.
? Perform managerial duties, consisting of recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and training; conducting performance evaluations and deciding eligibility for advancement to other positions within the PR team.

PR Department Culture

Our team is hungry for results and forward-thinking, flexible, and very well-trusted by our portfolio of clients. We focus on high standards of execution and consistency every day. We pride ourselves on collaboration, resourcefulness, and empowering one another to exceed the status quo expectations. We strive to be more than traditional PR and tend to be more edgy, blending strategic communications, PR, and cross-functional marketing to maximize client impact. Our weekly team meetings support this, where we share strategy ideas and trending topics, track metrics, walk through wins, and talk through challenges.

Interested team members also have the opportunity to present on a trending topic to the entire company, including Shama and the Executive Leadership Team.

A Little History About Zen Media

Shama Hyder built Zen Media from a scrappy startup to an industry-leading team and agency. She?s also distinguished herself as an international marketing luminary, delivered keynotes to packed houses in more than 20 countries, and written some bestselling books. But it?s her nose for innovation that makes her the figure CMOs seek out to build brand reputation, increase market share, and deliver bottom-line results.

As the acclaimed author of The Zen of Social Media Marketing (now in its 4th edition) and Momentum: How to Propel Your Marketing and Transform Your Brand in the Digital Age, Shama is a crucial figure behind the growth of many recognized brands. We at Zen Media are her go-to team for all things demand gen and have built a reputation for bringing that same level of innovative impact to our amazing clients.

Perks of working at Zen
? 100% remote or hybrid if in the Austin Area (Preferred in Austin, TX)
? Unlimited PTO
? Charity matching
? 401k matching
? Medical & dental insurance
? Optional ancillary benefits
? Upward career growth opportunities
? Belief in the service ? Our offer solves a huge pain point in the marketplace, and we?re considered world-class at what we do
? Strict no-ego policy
? Culture is one of our top priorities ?you will find a community at Zen Media
? High standard for role development and high support from Zen Media leaders, managers, and experts.

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