Director Media & Public Relations

Solutions for Today’s Challenges. Vision for Tomorrow’s Opportunities.Join William Blair, the Premier Global Boutique.William Blair has delivered trusted advice for nine decades, and we continue to deepen our expertise and relationships across regions, asset classes, and markets throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.We are committed to our people and culture, values, clients, and local communities.What sets us apart is that we are an independent partnership, with employees who have unique experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. We provide advisory services, strategies, and solutions to meet clients’ evolving needs amid dynamic market conditions and varying industries.We strive to attract the most qualified, passionate candidates who specialize in investment banking, investment management, private wealth management, and a variety of other business functions.We work tirelessly to create an inclusive culture and take pride in fostering employees’ professional and personal growth. We empower our people to bring their best thinking each day so we can deliver the tailored, thoughtful work and problem-solving abilities that our clients expect.Equally, we are proud of our long-term partnerships with the communities in which we live and work, a legacy we inherited from our founder.We invite you to learn about how we are seeking excellence in everything we do and empowering our clients’ success with passion, creativity, and rigor. For more information, visit williamblair.com.The candidate must be known as an expert in the field and looked to for strategy and guidance as you develop and execute William Blair’s public relations and media strategy. You should bring experience managing a global PR firm, be able to craft external messaging, develop a media relations strategy, and able to partner with colleagues to ensure effective execution of programs and initiatives. This individual will be the firm’s spokesperson and communicate directly with the media on public and non-public information. Additional responsibilities:Collaborate with business unit staff to advise them on public relations best practices, keep abreast of ongoing business events and achievements, identify opportunities to profile William Blair people, business lines and products, and execute external communication approaches.Align public relations and media strategies and deliverables with the William Blair brand and BMC marketing initiatives. Develop and maintain strong media and agency relationships to portray William Blair favorably.Ensure proper staffing and resource allocation. Direct the creation and implementation processes and standards for external communications workflows and deliverables. Ensure quality and consistency in messaging and identify opportunities to improve communication effectiveness.Responsibilities include but may not be limited to:Responsible for the development and execution of William Blair’s public relations and media strategies. Oversee communications vendors who gather information, synthesize and deliver external communications through media partners, public relations agencies and social media.Have experience speaking to the media and being quoted “on” and “off” the recordIdentify and onboard a global PR firmDevelop public relations and media strategies to support the firm’s business goals and portray William Blair people, business lines and products favorably across various audiences. Align external communications processes and deliverables with William Blair business and marketing initiatives. Communicate objectives, communication plans and performance expectations to team and stakeholders.Serve as a public relations subject matter expert and advise business unit staff on external communications best practices. Cultivate relationships with business unit staff to keep abreast of ongoing business events, achievements and potential issues that may affect William Blair’s brand and reputation.Plan and approve media and public relations approaches. Create awareness campaigns, craft messages and coordinate relevant communications to the media. Oversee the development of press releases and editorial content and placement.Proactively identify and pitch compelling content and story angles and secure desired press coverage among key media outlets. Develop and maintain strong media and agency relationships to portray William Blair favorably.Work with executives to increase their visibility through media, interview and speaking opportunities across various communication channels. Prepare executives before public presentations and media interviews.Monitor industry and market-related news and events to assess opportunities for rapid response and proactive media outreach. Develop effective reporting on the impact of media coverage and relations.Direct the development standards, policies and procedures for external communications workflows and deliverables. Ensure adherence to required standards and regulations.Additional responsibilities as requested.Qualifications:Bachelor's Degree Journalism, English, Communications, Public Relations or related field required; Master’s Degree preferred15+ years of experience in corporate communications requiredFamiliarity with financial markets preferredSIE Exam, Series 7 and 24 preferred; can be obtained on the jobDemonstrated success in leading a team of corporate communications professionalsExcellent project management and prioritization skillsStrong ability to build relationships and collaborate cross-functionallyExpert ability to develop public relations and media strategies, and oversee their successful planning and executionExcellent writing skills, demonstrated experience pitching media by crafting newsworthy communications, press releases and contributed articlesExperience working with reporters, agencies, media pitching and getting key placementsUnderstanding of HTML, web graphics, print standards; and of video writing/editingA reasonable estimate of the current base salary range at time of posting is below. Base salary does not include other forms of compensation or benefits. Actual base salary within the specified range is based on several factors, including but not limited to applicant's skills, prior relevant experience, specific degrees and certifications, job responsibilities, market considerations and, if applicable, the location of the position.This role is eligible for either a discretionary annual bonus (based on company, business unit and individual performance) and/or commission-based incentives.Our featured benefit offerings include medical, dental and vision coverage, employer paid short & long-term disability and life insurance, 401(k), profit sharing, paid time off, Maven family & fertility benefit, parental leave (including adoption, surrogacy, and foster placement), as well as other voluntary benefits.  Salary Range$200,000—$260,000 USDWilliam Blair is an equal opportunity employer. It complies with all laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in employment practice because of race, color, religion, creed, ancestry, marital status, gender, age, national origin, sexual orientation, unfavorable discharge from the military service or on the basis of a physical or mental disability that is unrelated to the employee's ability to perform the duties of the job applied for. EOE m/f/d/vBe aware of hiring scams: William Blair has clear processes and guidelines with regards to recruiting. We do not request personal financial information in connection with an employment application nor does William Blair extend any employment offers without first conducting an interview through one of its registered offices. William Blair does not use instant messaging services such as WhatsApp, Telegram, or iMessage as part of the recruiting or interviewing process.Note to External Recruiters / Search Firms: William Blair does not accept unsolicited resumes and will not pay for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume. Any unsolicited resumes received will not be considered as a valid submission.Download William Blair's privacy policies for job applicants:California Consumer Privacy Act Privacy Notice (CCPA)General Data Protection Regulation Privacy Notice (GDPR)Contact us should you have any questions or concerns.