Executive Relations Manager, Events & Live Journalism (Contract)

Semafor•New York, NY

6d•Remote

About The Position

Semafor is seeking experienced professionals in strategic communications, corporate relations, journalism, protocol, or executive engagement to support our flagship live journalism events in a contract role, ranging from 20 hours/week to full-time. This role involves white-glove coordinating with VIP event participants (CEOs, C-Suite executives, government leaders and dignitaries), managing logistics, and providing editorial and programming support. You will work as an independent contributor while collaborating closely with our content, programming, and events teams. The ideal candidate is highly organized, independently motivated, and exceptionally responsive — someone who anticipates needs before being asked, and remains calm and professional under pressure. While this is a remote role, there is an expectation of on-site staffing and participation at Semafor’s flagship events as needed. Preference to candidates based in Washington DC or New York.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in strategic communications, corporate relations, executive engagement, client management, or related fields
Demonstrated track record of building high-level relationships with C-suite executives, ideally within Fortune 500 or global-scale organizations
Exceptional interpersonal skills and the ability to earn immediate trust with executive offices — handling sensitive schedules, correspondence, and VIP escalations with discretion and professionalism
Outstanding verbal and written communication, including the ability to craft compelling invitations and executive briefs; calm and clear under pressure
Strong independent work ethic and organizational skills; adept at managing complex executive portfolios, multi-stream deadlines, and multi-platform workflows without close supervision
Editorial fluency and knowledge of major business trends, with the ability to communicate programming details to CEO teams accurately and diplomatically
A passion for journalism and live events, with a commitment to delivering high-quality, white-glove experiences

Responsibilities

Serve as the dedicated point of contact for assigned high-touch speakers and participants, delivering a seamless end-to-end communication experience from confirmation through event completion
Work directly with executives’ teams to recommend program engagement, speaker topics, and overall agenda alignment, proactively surfacing scheduling conflicts or editorial changes before they escalate
Demonstrate sophisticated news judgment to support programming decisions, including communicating panelist pairings and session changes to executive teams accurately and diplomatically
Coordinate and help to build each participant's onsite schedule and agenda
Maintain accurate, up-to-date tracking for each executive across platforms, and create thorough briefings and materials as needed
Work cross-functionally with editorial, content, events, and partner teams
Serve as the on-site POC for executives at certain Semafor flagship events
Maintain online Slack availability Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm; attend weekly team meetings and provide timely updates; respond to all inbound executive communications within one business day