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 North America is part of Grayling, a global communications agency with UK roots and offices across major markets worldwide. In North America, we help clients navigate complexity, build reputation and create communications programs that connect business priorities with culture, media, policy and stakeholder expectations.

Our teams work across corporate communications, public affairs, consumer, creative strategy and integrated campaigns, combining a US-centric point of view with the reach of a global agency network.

We are proud to be part of a network recognized by PRovoke Media as one of the 100 Best Public Relations Agencies in the World.

Grayling is an equal opportunity employer.