Media Relations Specialist

Position Overview We’re looking for a dynamic, detail‑oriented Media Relations Specialist with strong agency experience to join our growing BG Strategies Team. This role is ideal for someone who knows how to identify and land stories, build relationships with journalists, and translate complex subject matter into compelling, newsworthy narratives. You’ll play a key role in driving high‑impact earned media results across a range of clients, including colleges and universities, senior living organizations, and other B2B brands. This is a client‑facing role that requires strong professional presence, sound judgment, and confidence in communicating with both clients and media. Key Responsibilities Media Strategy & Story Development: Own the full lifecycle of media opportunities across client accounts—from ideation through placement. This includes developing proactive and reactive pitch angles, building targeted media lists, drafting compelling pitches, executing thoughtful follow‑up, coordinating internal approvals and spokesperson availability, and scheduling interviews across time zones. Exercise strong news judgment to identify the most relevant and timely opportunities, and share secured coverage with clear context and key takeaways. Media Outreach & Relationship Building: Build and maintain strong relationships with key reporters across local, national, and trade outlets. Keep media lists up to date, track journalist interactions, and lead proactive outreach and thematic pitching initiatives that result in meaningful, high‑quality coverage. News Monitoring & Opportunity Identification: Monitor the news cycle daily to identify timely, relevant opportunities for clients. Proactively surface story angles, trends, and news hooks, and maintain a forward‑looking editorial calendar. Stay current on media landscape shifts, journalist beats, and industry developments, and respond quickly to emerging opportunities. Spokesperson & Interview Support: Prepare clients for media engagements by developing briefing materials, key messages, and talking points. Ensure spokespeople are positioned for successful interviews and aligned with overall messaging strategy. Client Communication & Account Support: Participate in client calls and communications with professionalism and confidence. Provide clear updates on media activity, manage expectations, and contribute to a positive, solutions‑oriented client experience. Performance Tracking & Insights: Own the preparation and distribution of regular media performance reports (monthly, quarterly, and annual), tracking KPIs such as share of voice, reach, sentiment, spokesperson engagement, and message pull‑through. Translate results into actionable insights and recommendations. Workflow Optimization & AI Integration: Identify opportunities to streamline workflows and reduce manual tasks. Partner with the team to explore and implement AI‑enabled solutions across briefing materials, media monitoring, and reporting, while documenting and refining processes to improve efficiency and scalability. Qualifications 2–4 years of agency experience supporting B2B clients (e.g., higher education, senior living, financial services, or related sectors) Demonstrated success securing media coverage and managing media relationships Experience owning the pitching process from ideation through placement, including follow‑up and relationship management Strong writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with the ability to craft clear, persuasive pitches Hands‑on experience with media tools such as Muck Rack (required) Solid understanding of media relations fundamentals, including list building, pitching, and coverage tracking Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a sharp editorial eye Strong interpersonal skills, with the confidence and professionalism to engage directly with clients and media Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously Ability to respond quickly to media opportunities and evolving news cycles Existing relationships with relevant media contacts are a plus Proactive, solutions‑oriented mindset with a collaborative approach #J-18808-Ljbffr