Vice President, Consumer Technology

Stagwell Global•New York, NY

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Vice President, Consumer Technology to support a major retail brand at the forefront of innovation and industry transformation. This is a high-visibility, high-impact role for a communications professional who is as fluent in the traditional newsroom as they are in today’s evolving media landscape—across Substack newsletters, podcasts, and independent news creators. The ideal candidate is a media expert with a sharp editorial instinct, leading the charge on earned media strategy and storytelling across a range of topics, including employee benefit programs, customer experience innovation, artificial intelligence, and executive thought leadership. You’ll play a central role in crafting and amplifying narratives that resonate across platforms and audiences, driving earned media coverage and thought leadership that breaks through in both legacy outlets and next-gen channels.

Requirements

B.A. in Public Relations, Journalism, Communications or the like
Eight (8) to ten (10) years of experience in a public relations agency or similar position
Three (3) or more years of supervisory experience
Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Nice To Haves

Media-savvy
Fluent in the traditional newsroom as well as today’s evolving media landscape—across Substack newsletters, podcasts, and independent news creators
Media expert with a sharp editorial instinct
Experience leading the charge on earned media strategy and storytelling across a range of topics, including employee benefit programs, customer experience innovation, artificial intelligence, and executive thought leadership

Responsibilities

Lead client PR programs from concept/planning through completion/evaluation
Develop and propose strategic, creative ideas and tactical elements for client programs; demonstrate an ability to autonomously handle these responsibilities when needed
Ensure that Senior Account Supervisors/Account Supervisors manage account teams and programs to deliver high quality results on-time and on-budget
Anticipate issues; recognize potential fiscal challenges and take action early to remedy them
Make recommendations for ways to meet client needs; demonstrate an expertise and understanding of the clients’ marketplace and business
Serve as a representative of the client and agency on-site at client events
Manage account financials: develop and manage budgets, fee estimates, out-of-pocket expenses, team hour allocations, billing, invoicing, etc.
Regularly monitor to ensure execution is profitable for the agency while meeting client objectives; demonstrate an ability to balance these two requirements and find solutions that satisfy both
Provide analysis to clients of program results
Sustain accounts, minimize and limit account turnover (for reasons other than client financial/corporate or conflict resignations, etc.)
Serve as primary client contact and build/maintain strong relationships with key client personnel
Accommodate and anticipate client needs; make recommendations to clients
Respond to requests for information from clients in a timely manner
Lead client calls, meetings, and presentations to the client; participate in client brainstorms
Use metrics and analytics to provide insights and counsel to clients pertaining to programs and proposals
Recognize and seek opportunities to grow client accounts; utilize relationships with clients to sell in incremental opportunities
Develop a vision for each account’s direction and work with team members to achieve goals
Take strategic risks to push accounts to the next level, in an effort to secure incremental business opportunities
Recognize and pursue opportunities to introduce clients to the agency’s specialized services, in an effort to secure incremental business opportunities
Build, lead and develop engaged and successful account teams
Help team members understand the role of PR in a program’s marketing mix.
Manage overall team billability and drive staff utilization to ensure efficient use of all team members’ time; bring time allocation issues to the attention of agency management
Act as an internal and external talent ambassador
Manage the performance review process, identifying growth opportunities for all team members and constructively providing feedback on areas for improvement
Identify issues within teams and assist in finding resolutions
Maintain relationships with key contacts at traditional and social media outlets; leverage those relationships to obtain desired media coverage on behalf of the agency and/or clients
Compile presentations for new business and business renewal proposals; participate in new business and/or business renewal pitches
Participate in agency brainstorm sessions for client programs
Lead an agency committee, as designated/asked; participate in and drive agency initiatives, visibility efforts and staff development
Demonstrate an interest in the long-range health of the agency
Represent the agency in professional associations; develop new professional contacts through participation in outside organizations
Understand the clients’ business and relevant industry trends and use the information to develop strategic PR programs
Manage multiple accounts and projects
Train and mentor junior and mid-level staff
Effectively delegate work among account teams
Travel to client and event locations; meet with clients at their office locations/headquarters
Demonstrate strong writing, editing, presentation and interpersonal communications skills
Show integrity and good judgment when working with colleagues and clients
Deal constructively with client and personnel situations