Account Manager, Lifestyle

The Independents•New York, NY

5d•$80,000 - $85,000

About The Position

The Account Manager is a strategic, client-facing leader within Karla Otto’s Lifestyle team. The role translates brand ambition into communications strategies and culturally relevant opportunities that drive visibility, relevance, and impact. It sits at the intersection of cultural strategy, media relations, and team leadership, serving as a day-to-day client partner and providing strategic counsel across launches, campaigns, partnerships, events, and experiential moments. The Account Manager is both a strategic thinker and hands-on communications lead, identifying and shaping stories, developing media strategies, and leading execution from idea through impact. The role calls for a strong understanding of design, lifestyle, hospitality, art, and culture, along with editorial judgment, media relationships, creativity, and the ability to identify newsworthy opportunities and generate meaningful coverage and cultural conversation. The position combines editorial instincts, established media relationships, cultural curiosity, and commercial awareness with the ability to lead teams and clients. The Account Manager proactively identifies opportunities beyond traditional PR and develops integrated communications programs that build immediate visibility and long-term brand equity.

Responsibilities

Collaborate on developing and executing communications strategies that support clients’ commercial and cultural objectives.
Serve as a day-to-day client contact and provide strategic counsel across launches, campaigns, and special projects.
Ensure activity aligns with brand positioning, cultural context, and long-term goals.
Proactively identify opportunities and challenges and communicate them clearly to clients.
Understand client priorities and translate them into communications strategy.
Maintain and grow relationships with editors, writers, and cultural voices across design, lifestyle, art, culture, and business media.
Oversee the quality, consistency, and relevance of external communications.
Identify emerging media platforms, cultural moments, and storytelling opportunities that elevate brand perception.
Develop and execute proactive media outreach and pitching.
Lead story development, including angles, exclusives, profiles, features, and announcements.
Manage press materials, media lists, briefings, interviews, and follow-ups.
Secure meaningful media coverage.
Support the management and development of junior team members, including oversight of workflows and deliverables.
Collaborate with the line manager and senior leadership on resourcing, timelines, and performance feedback.
Lead communications strategy for launches, events, cultural moments, and experiential activations.
Develop media strategy, guest lists, press attendance, on-site media management, and post-event amplification.
Use qualitative and quantitative insights to assess campaign performance and inform future strategy.
Guide teams on reporting frameworks that demonstrate impact, reach, and return on investment.