Manager of Public Relations & Strategic Communication

Pra-USA Group - Norfolk, VA

Full-time - Mid Level

Norfolk, VA

Real Estate

About the position

The Manager of Public Relations & Strategic Communication at PRA Group is a pivotal role responsible for creating and executing comprehensive communication strategies that elevate and protect the PRA brand. This position requires a strong focus on storytelling across various channels to enhance public relations and influencer outreach efforts. The manager will oversee brand communications, media relations, and social media initiatives, ensuring that PRA's strategic initiatives are effectively communicated to a global audience. In this role, the manager will be tasked with raising awareness of PRA's initiatives through traditional and social media, as well as engaging with employees, customers, shareholders, and the public. Daily responsibilities include managing the public relations function, responding to press inquiries, crafting proactive media pitches, and coordinating press releases. Building and maintaining relationships with media members is crucial, as is accompanying executive leadership during media interviews. The manager will also be responsible for developing scripts and producing corporate videos featuring executive leadership, as well as writing long-form content such as press releases and blog posts. Additionally, the manager will prepare speeches and presentations for the executive team, oversee collateral projects like annual reports and brochures, and manage interns and other communication staff. Identifying opportunities for corporate distinctions and awards, as well as promoting PRA's corporate social responsibility and DEI efforts, will also be key components of this role. The manager will track media coverage and deliver recaps, handle social listening to identify trends, and develop social media strategies and campaigns. Ensuring brand consistency and implementing paid marketing initiatives will further support PRA's recruitment and government relations goals. The manager will also be responsible for managing PRA Group's online reputation and utilizing SEO strategies to position the brand as an industry leader.

Responsibilities

• Raise awareness of PRA's strategic initiatives globally through communications with traditional and social media, employees, customers, shareholders, and the public.
• Manage the day-to-day management of the public relations function for PRA including fielding and fulfilling press inbound inquiries, creating, and executing proactive pitches to media, drafting, and coordinating press releases and outreach.
• Develop and own relationships with media members to leverage in PRA's favor.
• Accompany executive leadership and other approved representatives of PRA Group to manage media interviews.
• Develop scripts, film, and edit corporate videos of executive leadership.
• Conceptualize, write, and deliver long-form content such as press releases, blog posts and contributed content.
• Prepare remarks, speeches and presentations for PRA Group and affiliate executive team.
• Serve as project manager and initial copywriter for PRA Group collateral projects including annual report, brochures, advertorials, speaking engagements, etc., as needed.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with PRA's business-lines and support functions.
• Manage interns and other assigned staff.
• Develop abstracts and submissions for thought leadership opportunities for executives.
• Identify corporate distinctions and awards opportunities and submit applications to advance PRA's corporate positioning, brand, and a great place to work.
• Build awareness of PRA's corporate social responsibility initiative and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) efforts.
• Maintain coverage tracker and deliver press coverage recaps for weekly, monthly, yearly, and ad hoc reporting.
• Handle social listening within our social channels and help identify common trends/feedback/insights.
• Develop and implement social media strategy and campaign building, to include engaging with philanthropic partners.
• Ensure consistency in brand look/feel/messaging and enforce brand standards internally and externally.
• Develop and implement paid marketing initiatives, to include billboards, print, digital, and social media advertising, as needed to advance brand, recruitment, and government relations goals.
• Manage PRA Group's online reputation, including Google My Business and other externally hosted accounts, utilizing SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to bring our brand to the forefront as an industry leader.
• Assist with copywriting and editing for internal communications and event planning as needed.

Requirements

• Bachelor's in communication, public relations, marketing, writing, English, journalism, or related field.
• 3-5 years' experience in public relations or brand marketing role.
• Experience in managing direct reports.
• Ability to write in different formats and for different audiences.
• Ability to extract, synthesize, and relay key information from multiple sources.
• Strong design skills and previous experience working with creative teams and agencies.
• Strong communication skills.
• Comfortable working with and driving consensus across multiple stakeholders, including executives.
• Adept at working in a team environment to define new processes and policies.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and move projects forward.
• Ability to prioritize, multi-task and meet deadlines.
• Fluent in English, both written and oral, required.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, Social Media content management platforms; Google Analytics.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with social media content management platforms.
• Familiarity with Google Analytics for tracking and reporting purposes.