Public Relations Specialist (Publicist) Job at (NYRR) New York Road Runners, Inc

About NYRR

New York Road Runners (NYRR) was founded in 1958 when a small group of passionate runners vowed to bring running to the people and has grown from a local running club into the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s mission is to help and inspire through running, aiming to empower people of all ages and abilities to improve their health and well-being through the power of running and fitness.

NYRR’s year-round offerings of races, community events, programs, and training resources provide hundreds of thousands of people with the motivation, know-how, and opportunities to start running and keep running for life. NYRR’s premier event, the famed TCS New York City Marathon, attracts the world’s top professional runners and committed amateurs alike, while also raising millions of dollars annually for charity and driving economic impact for New York City. NYRR is equally committed to the runners of tomorrow, passionately providing youth fitness programs that educate and inspire children in underserved communities in New York City, nationwide, and around the world.

Headquartered in New York City, NYRR is a 501(c)(3) organization. To learn more, please visit www.nyrr.org.

At New York Road Runners, we are committed to building an inclusive, diverse workplace by finding the best candidate for the job. We understand that skills come from a variety of different backgrounds. Checking off every single requirement on our job description is not necessary to apply. If you think you are a good fit and have a passion for the work we do, please submit your application. We are eager to learn about your experience and skills! You may be the right candidate for this or other open positions.

New York Road Runners is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

About the Department

The Public Affairs Department consists of NYRR’s Media and Public Relations, Government Relations and Community Engagement teams. Media and Public Relations share the stories of NYRR participants, events, and programs to drive awareness to NYRR’s organization and mission, while also enhancing and protecting the company’s reputation. Government Relations & Community Engagement manages NYRR's relationships with local and state elected officials, and governmental agencies, as well as its relationships with community stakeholders, from our runners and clubs to like-minded organizations. Overall, representing NYRR's interests, Public Affairs serves as a centralized bridge and internal partner for the organization and governmental and community partners.

About the Position

Reporting to the Director of Public Relations (with indirect reporting into the Chief Communications and Community Officer and the Head of Public Relations), the Public Relations Specialist supports the department’s strategic public relations efforts to tell the whole NYRR story, increase New York Road Runners’ brand awareness, and execute event PR efforts at running events ranging from the TCS New York City Marathon to weekly races to youth and community programming. The Public Relations Specialist will take ownership of year-round initiatives and assume project lead for various adult/youth/community races/events. As lead/support, they will develop strategy and execute media outreach, draft media materials, and facilitate media (proactive and reactive) engagement. The perfect person for this role is a proactive communicator, self-starter, strategist, and creative problem-solver with strong writing, media relations, project management, and campaign execution skills.

Job Responsibilities:

1. At the direction of the Chief Communications and Community Officer, the Head of Public Relations and the Director of Public Relations, and in collaboration with departments across the organization, lead, support, develop, and execute PR strategy for New York Road Runners, its events, initiatives, partnerships, etc.
2. Oversee media outreach for runner stories and weekly races throughout the year as assigned; work events on weekends as needed.
3. Write press releases, media alerts, bios, fact sheets, talking points, reports and other media materials.
4. Serve as a media contact, monitor media inquiries and facilitate responses, as needed.
5. Oversee media contact lists, monitoring and organizing weekly press clippings and providing content updates to NYRR’s online media center.

Job Requirements:

Experience:

1. 3-5 years of experience in the Media and Public Relations industry preferred.
2. Experience developing PR plans for programs, events and/or initiatives.
3. Experience pitching and cultivating relationships with journalists a plus.
4. Experience on-site at events working with media and social teams to ensure coverage preferred.
5. Experience with non-profit, community or events-based organizations a plus.

Education & Certifications:

1. Bachelor's degree from an accredited college in English, Public Relations, communications, journalism or related field preferred.

Skills and Attributes:

1. Excellent creative and critical thinking skills.
2. Exceptional written and verbal communications skills.
3. A collaborator with strong project management skills.
4. Self-motivated with strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
5. Strong ability to multitask, meet and perform under tight deadlines, think clearly under pressure, and exercise good judgment.
6. Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook).

Other Requirements:

1. Ability to work races and respond to media during weekends and evening hours as required.
2. Passion for New York Road Runners’ mission is a plus.

Salary: $72,000/year

NYRR requires all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 unless approved for a medical or religious exemption.