Public Relations Specialist

HGA•San Francisco, CA

3d•$94,800 - $115,000•Hybrid

About The Position

HGA is seeking a Public Relations Specialist to help communicate stories about its projects, people, and ideas and strengthen the firm’s reputation as a national leader in architecture, engineering, and design. The role is part of the Brand & Communications team and collaborates with design leaders, subject matter experts, and marketing professionals to identify and develop stories that demonstrate HGA’s impact. The position reports to the Senior PR Manager. The specialist supports PR planning and campaign execution, develops story angles and content, conducts media outreach, builds relationships with journalists and industry influencers, and pursues earned media coverage. The role also coordinates media opportunities and internal partnerships, supports annual rankings and awards efforts, tracks and reports PR results, amplifies earned media through social and other communications, and represents HGA at selected events. The position is based in San Francisco or Santa Monica, California, or Boston, Massachusetts. HGA describes its work environment as flexible, with employees working in the office three days a week.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in English, Journalism, Communications, Marketing, or a related field.
5–7 years of experience in public relations or strategic communications in an agency or in-house setting, supported by formal PR education or training.
Demonstrated success securing local, regional, and national earned media coverage, with an understanding of media strategy, storytelling, and journalist and editor relationships.
Effective verbal communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to influence and build alignment across internal teams and senior leaders through clear context and well-supported recommendations.
Excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills across press materials, social media, and thought-leadership content.
Ability to think strategically, plan and manage multi-phase PR campaigns, and maintain close attention to detail.
Proactive, resourceful approach and ability to work independently, adapt to changing priorities, and meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams.
Familiarity with digital publishing and social media platforms, including LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with media research, monitoring, and measurement tools such as Meltwater, Cision, or Muck Rack.

Responsibilities

Partner with the Senior PR Manager on the annual PR strategy and editorial calendar, and coordinate assigned campaigns aligned with firmwide and sector priorities.
Identify story opportunities with internal teams and clients that connect HGA’s projects, people, and impact to industry and community conversations.
Draft, edit, and proofread pitches, press releases, media advisories, key messages, and related content.
Research media outlets, editorial calendars, and news trends to inform proactive outreach and national media submissions.
Build relationships with journalists, editors, and relevant influencers to pursue local, regional, and national coverage.
Manage media inquiries and coordinate interviews, background materials, and talking points for HGA leaders.
Help teams assess story readiness and messaging alignment, and inform PR leadership about emerging narratives, opportunities, and risks.
Coordinate the annual rankings program, including deadlines and stakeholder engagement; amplify rankings and people and project award results to build HGA’s brand and sector recognition.
Use media monitoring tools for research, list maintenance, coverage monitoring, and industry insights; analyze and share PR results through dashboards and regular internal updates.
Curate and share social posts highlighting media coverage and reinforcing HGA’s brand positioning, and support related internal and external communications.
Attend selected in-person events, project-related milestones, interviews, and networking opportunities to strengthen relationships and visibility.