Account Director - Lifestyle, Celebrity, Wine & Spirits

Job Description

KLG Public Relations is seeking an Account Director to join its award-winning team. This leadership role is ideal for a strategic, entrepreneurial communications professional with deep experience in wine and spirits, strong media relationships, and a passion for building brands that shape culture and conversation.

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The Account Director will serve as a senior client counselor, team leader, and strategic partner responsible for driving impactful communications programs across a portfolio of clients. The role requires exceptional leadership, media relations expertise, presentation skills, business acumen, and the ability to consistently deliver results in a fast-paced agency environment.

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RESPONSIBILITIES:

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• Partner with agency leadership to develop and execute strategic communications programs for clients
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• Serve as a trusted advisor, providing senior-level strategic counsel and recommendations.
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• Lead day-to-day account management while ensuring exceptional client service and measurable results.
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• Manage multiple accounts simultaneously, balancing priorities, deadlines, budgets, and deliverables.
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• Oversee account budgets, scopes of work, retainers, and resource allocation, ensuring programs are delivered efficiently and within agreed parameters.
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• Identify opportunities to grow existing client relationships through expanded scopes, new initiatives, and strategic recommendations.
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• Lead and mentor junior team members, fostering professional growth and strong account performance.
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• Provide day-to-day direction and oversight to account teams, ensuring clear delegation, accountability, and driving results.
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• Drive proactive and reactive media relations efforts across consumer, trade, business, and lifestyle media.
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• Cultivate and maintain meaningful relationships with journalists, influencers, industry leaders, and key stakeholders.
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• Lead creative brainstorming sessions and develop compelling story angles, partnerships, and campaign concepts.
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• Collaborate with the digital team to provide strategic direction on social media posts and influencer partnerships, ensuring these initiatives align with broader client objectives and communications strategies.
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• Oversee the development and execution of events, activations, and strategic partnerships, from concept development through implementation.
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• Identify trends, cultural moments, and competitive insights that create opportunities for clients.
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• Develop presentations, strategic plans, media strategies, messaging documents, and client-facing materials.
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• Contribute to agency growth through new business development, thought leadership, team leadership initiatives, and the development of scopes of work and budgets.
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QUALIFICATIONS:

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• Bachelor's degree required.
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• 7+ years of public relations experience, including a minimum of three years in the wine and spirits industry. Hospitality experience a plus.
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• Celebrity and talent experience preferred.
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• Strong media relationships across wine, spirits, lifestyle, hospitality, and business media.
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• Proven success developing and executing strategic communications campaigns that deliver measurable results.
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• Exceptional written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
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• Strong writing and editing abilities, with experience developing and overseeing polished, client-facing communications materials.
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• Strong leadership, client service, project management, and organizational abilities.
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• Experience managing account budgets, scopes of work, retainers and client financial expectations.
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• Experience contributing to new business development, including pitch presentations, proposals and RFP responses.
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• Proven ability to manage, mentor and develop junior team members while overseeing multiple account teams.
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• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced agency environment while managing multiple priorities and stakeholders.
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• Entrepreneurial mindset with a proactive, solutions-oriented approach.
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ABOUT KLG PR:

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Founded in 2016, KLG Public Relations is an award-winning communications agency specializing in lifestyle brands across wine & spirits, hospitality, culinary, wellness, and beauty. The agency represents category leaders, emerging brands, celebrity-founded businesses, and iconic craft producers, helping clients drive awareness, relevance, and business growth through strategic communications.

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With more than a century of combined leadership experience, KLG PR has built a reputation as one of the industry's most respected agencies, delivering business-driving results through earned media, influencer marketing, affiliate marketing, social media, and integrated communications programs.

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The agency has been recognized as a Top 100 PR Agency by PR Net, PRNEWS, and PR Daily, while its campaigns have earned honors from the Bulldog Awards, SABRE Awards, John Barleycorn Awards, and The Drinks Business.

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LOCATION:

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New York City (HYBRID 2 days in office) Open to remote for right candidate.

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BENEFITS:

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• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance
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• 401(k)
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• Generous PTO and agency holidays
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• Professional development opportunities
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• Cold brew on tap
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• Opportunity to work with some of the most exciting brands, founders, and personalities in wine, spirits, hospitality, beauty and lifestyle
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