PR Senior Account Executive

Location: New York metro area (required)

Working pattern: Full time, hybrid. Candidates must be based locally and able to attend in-office days several times per month.

About the role

Grayling is seeking a Senior Account Executive to support corporate accounts spanning financial services, technology, hospitality, and healthcare, among other sectors.

As an SAE, you will serve as a key client contact, ensuring seamless communication and strategic execution across multiple accounts. You will be deeply immersed in every aspect of your accounts-tracking developments, anticipating needs, and driving results that align with client objectives. With a strong grasp of the evolving media landscape, you will build and maintain relationships with journalists, pitch compelling stories, and secure high-value coverage. Success in this role requires strong self-direction, sound judgment and the ability to manage priorities independently while collaborating closely with team members.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day management of assigned accounts, serving as the primary client contact and leading client communications, execution and delivery
• Build trust with clients through responsiveness, judgment and clear counsel
• Lead media relations strategy and execution, developing storylines, driving proactive outreach and securing high-impact coverage
• Build and maintain strong relationships with reporters and editors across top-tier, trade and digital outlets
• Stay current on client industries and the media landscape, applying insights to strengthen programs
• Plan and execute media engagements, including interviews, press events, announcements and thought leadership programs
• Produce clear, compelling and media-ready content across formats, including press releases, media pitches, social copy, media plans, op-eds, fact sheets, etc.
• Manage PR campaign timelines, deliverables, and milestones, ensuring projects stay on track and within scope
• Track and analyze campaign performance, leveraging coverage trackers, analytics tools, and key metrics to measure success
• Contribute to the new business process through research, campaign ideation, and proposal support

Desired qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience in public relations agency or similar position
• An undergraduate degree in Communication, PR or journalism
• Proven success managing accounts, especially those with global teams
• Strong media instincts and a track record of proactive pitching
• Ability to juggle multiple clients and deadlines independently
• A solid understanding of the evolving media landscape and
• Fluency with MuckRack, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, PowerPoint, Excel
• Curious about emerging industry trends and translating those findings into actionable insights for teams and clients

Pay range

$66,500 - $85,000 per year + discretionary bonus and incentives

Get to know us

Grayling is one of the UK's most connected communications agencies, working across Public Affairs, Planning & Infrastructure, Consumer and Corporate. With more than 20 offices worldwide, we help organisations navigate complexity, shape conversations and make a meaningful impact through smart thinking, cultural insight and creative ideas.

We're excited to keep raising the bar for impactful communications around the world and are proud to share that we have been named in PRovoke Media's 100 Best Public Relations Agencies in the World.

Our commitment at Grayling is to combine our employees' unique backgrounds, perspectives and experiences to build a more diverse and inclusive organisation that represents all of us and the businesses we work with. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and will consider all applicants regardless of age, gender identity, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, family or parental status, neurodiversity and disability status. If you need any adjustments during the application process, we're here to help - just let us know.