Senior PR Manager
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The Senior Public Relations Manager (PR Manager) is a key member of the business’s marketing team who is responsible for the building of strong relationships with key media outlets, bloggers, analysts, and industry & community associates for the purpose of supporting the business’s product integrity.
The Senior PR Manager possesses knowledge of the product’s audiences and key issues, as such, guides engagement strategies and prioritization of outlets. The PR Manager directly manages outbound engagements and relations, monitors PR activity, and makes reports on results, which he delivers to senior PR management.
In addition, the Senior PR Manager plays a pivotal role in the development of content that supports outbound engagements and communications such as pitches, press releases, infographics, presentations, blogs, briefing documents, social media, and videos.
Objectives and Responsibilities of the Senior PR Manager
Strategy: The Senior PR Manager is responsible for understanding the business and product’s objectives and establishing a public relations program that promotes them. The Senior PR Manager at this capacity develops and manages public relations plans and ensures that they stay aligned to the business’s overall objectives.
In addition, the Senior PR Manager will play a leading role in creating the business/product’s messaging on thought leadership platforms, which will, in time, position the business as a thought leader in the market. At this capacity, the Senior PR Manager also ensures that product timelines, budgets, milestones, and deliverables meet the stakeholders’ needs.
Media Relations: The Senior PR Manager, with the assistance of the PR Manger, is tasked with leading media outreach initiatives in the business inclusive of pitching, handling inbound media queries, and managing relationships between the business and local, national, and international media.
In addition, the Senior PR Manager promotes the business in media briefings, conferences, interviews, press releases, and articles.
Content Creation: The Senior PR Manager will also be responsible for developing content, storylines, and written materials and messages such as press releases, media advisories, pitches, presentations etc that are tied to the business’s brand and the PR plan framework. At this capacity, the Senior PR Manager is also responsible for the deployment of internal communications content that increases the employees’ understanding the public relations role, activities, and media coverage functions.
Apart from the creation of storylines that inspire greater awareness of the business and product to the audience, through press releases and media pitches, the Senior PR Manager develops media relation strategies that cover the business’s crucial publications, blogs, web sites, social influencers, industry associates and communities, which inspires even greater awareness of the business and its product.
Supporting/Collaborative: The role of the Senior PR Manager is also a supporting role for the Head of PR and Director of Communications. Further, the Senior PR Manager will play a supporting and collaborative role for the marketing team by playing an active role in content creation, SEO keyword development, and directory listings, which increases the business/product’s outreach to consumers.
Analytics: The Senior PR Manager is also charged with the development, maintenance, and analysis of the business’s public relations channels. He also develops, maintains, and enhances PR analytics tools, and reporting process methods. In addition to this, the Senior PR Manager is also responsible for the analysis and redefinition of media databases when necessary for the purpose of optimizing the business’s audience reach; in essence the Senior PR Manager conducts regular media auditing. Finally, at this capacity, the Senior PR Manager will plan PR activities against the business’s KPI’s.
Other Duties: The Senior PR Manager also performs other duties as he deems fit in the execution of his duties and duties as delegated by the Head of PR, Director of Communications, or the Employer.
Required Qualifications of the Senior PR Manager
Education: A candidate for the position has to have a Bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred) in Business Administration, Marketing, International Relations, Communications, Public Relations, Information Technology, English, Journalism, or any other related field. An equivalent of the same in working experience is also acceptable.
Experience: A suitable candidate for the position of Senior PR Manager will have a minimum experience of 7 years in a progressive public relations position of a fast moving and dynamic business environment. In addition to this, a suitable candidate will have had proven and successful experience in planning and managing multiple PR projects in a stressful environment or under tight deadlines.
The Senior PR Manager will also have had vast experience working with traditional PR channels as well as key social media channels such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
In addition, a suitable candidate will have had proven successful experience working in a collaborative and cross-functional setting. The candidate will also have a proven track record of successfully executed media strategies while working in a PR position.
Analytical Skills: The Senior PR Manager must have an ability to develop, implement, and evaluate complex PR plans and strategies and in successfully executing them. The Senior PR Manager will also demonstrate skill and genuine interest in research and analysis of current PR trends that will keep the business at par with competing businesses in the market.
Communication Skills: The position of the Senior PR Manager, like the PR Manager’s, is a highly interactive position and communications skills of the occupier must, therefore, be top notch, both in written and verbal form. The Senior PR Manager is a representative of the business and an embodiment of its messages and products, as such; the Senior PR Manager must have an outstanding ability to communicate those messages in the clearest and most concise manner, bringing about a positive outlook on the business especially to external partners, stakeholders, and consumers.
In addition to this, the candidate must demonstrate an ability to convey complex and technical concepts to non-technical audiences in a simple and clear manner that they can relate to; he must possess an ability to tailor messages in accordance to his audience.
Ms Office: The Senior PR Manager will be expected to make regular presentations to various audiences and must, therefore, be proficient in Ms Word, PowerPoint, and Ms Excel. This is to ensure the creation of creative content for presentations; content that is not only verbally engaging but also visually captivating.
Creativity and Innovation: Creativity is a necessity for excellent performance of the Senior PR Manager’s role. A candidate must be capable of developing relevant but creatively compelling messages that address the consumers’ interests. A Senior PR Manager must have the ability to work with researchers in the development of creative and innovative PR strategies and tactics that ensures the business and product a competitive edge.
Technology/Web Savvy: In a technologically inclined business world, the Senior PR Manager has to be technologically competent, displaying excellent computer skills and proficiency in the use of applications and softwares that are commonly used in business settings. The Senior PR Manager must also be extremely familiar with navigating key social media platforms and in social media trends that will enable the business to access a sizeable portion of its consumer, potential consumers, and media outlets found online.
Interpersonal/People Skills: A Senior PR Manager must possess interpersonal qualities that will make him even more suitable for the position. Interpersonal skills that a Senior PR Manager must possess are inclusive of; being self-motivated; have the ability to work well in a team setting; must be an enthusiastic problem solver; have excellent negotiation skills coupled with an ability to move and influence masses of people; and be an quick learner who easily catches on with market trends and relays them to the business.
People Skills: The Senior PR Manager, being an embodiment of the business’s image, must also possess great people skills that make him likeable and easy to relate to. He is a direct reflection of the business and its message.
