Public Relations (PR) Account Director - Technology - Waggener Edstrom - Hong Kong

Job description
Overview

Headquartered in Hong Kong with offices in Singapore and China and alliance agencies across Australia, India, Japan and Korea, Waggener Edstrom Worldwide covers the entire Asia Pacific region. A steadfast commitment to excellence in communications and client service has led to explosive growth of our region. We focus our energies on the corporate communications, consumer, healthcare and technology sectors, placing a strong emphasis on digital media and social networking. Combining local knowledge with a global frame of mind, we have carved a niche for ourselves, serving some of the biggest global brands. With over 800 employees worldwide, we are proudly independent and answer only to clients and employees.

Responsibilities

Media Relations:
• Manage and maintain relationships with senior influentials and business press, providing strategic analysis and information relevant to their audiences. Provide broader context of client's business and long-term positioning, and place in the marketplace (vis-à-vis competitors).
• Proactively craft and place stories, shape broad industry themes and story lines, and negotiate client inclusion in coverage.
• Solicit feedback from influentials regarding their perception of your client/s, competition and industry position and share with team and client as appropriate.
• Solicit feedback from influentials regarding WE agency value-add and service, share with agency senior leaders, and develop plans if necessary to improve or further develop influential relationship.
• Coach team and broader account staff on agency “best practices” in engaging with influentials story placement and packaging.
• Identify broad trends among media and analyst communities and translate significance to team and staff and clients.
• Identify and cultivate relationships with new and emerging influentials.
• Read and monitor key media daily(e.g. print, TV, radio, and on-line). Share ideas and influential findings and implications for the business with your client, team or broader agency as appropriate.

Client Service:
• Drive strategic planning process.
• Provide strategic communications counsel to executive-level clients and serve as a strategic resource and champion to clients, based on knowledge of the client's industry, technology and major products/services; competitors' products and strategies; and emerging technology and industry trends/issues.
• Manage client relationship and client satisfaction. Hold regular meetings and/or maintain regular phone or written contact to keep senior-level clients apprised of WE work progress, address issues that appear and, solicit feedback from clients, and assess PR results against client expectations. Manage the development of client scorecards and resulting actions.
• Champion the marketing of PR results back to clients.
• Apply in-depth understanding of business, legal implications, and industry trends and communications practices to your clients' issues.
• When called for, manage crisis communications. Anticipate potential challenges and develop a plan to put forth appropriate positioning to minimize negative perception.
• Ensure team's fiscal responsibility, managing budgets and resources efficiently.
• Forecast, propose and track budgets. Manage a single or multiple accounts in client(s) annual budget.
• Ensure opportunities to leverage agency services (i.e., Electronic Media Services, Analyst Services, Communications Training) are identified and implemented as a means to increasing revenue and improving client satisfaction.

Agency Business:
• Understand and meet WE guidelines on best business practices including team financial and resource management, utilization, daily timesheets, accurate billing, timely expense reports, etc.. Keep senior leaders informed of what is transpiring with their business on a frequent basis, and ask for assistance when needed.
• Oversee team financial and resource management issues, in conjunction with the business VP. Track team utilization.
• Make presentations to groups of all sizes – both client and agency, small and large, formal and informal.
• Lead agency learning forums to share knowledge and increase leadership experience.
• Participate in professional development opportunities for personal continued growth.
• Participate in agency projects as requested.
• Contribute to the development of and support for agency strategic planning initiatives.
• Seek out and develop new business opportunities within your existing account/s as well as other areas of business. Leverage WE client services. Participate in “new business” presentations as appropriate.
• Share agency vision with team and advocate team's/clients' goals to agency leaders.
• Add information to WE database based on coverage, contact with and research of influentials.

People Management:
• Coach, mentor and motivate staff with the goal of retention.
• Lead and supervise a large team (may oversee up to 20 people) and manage direct reports (typically SAEs/AS').
• Train and identify learning opportunities for team members on media relations, client service, strategy, and agency business.
• Evaluate performance and develop written performance plans for direct reports and ensure all team reviews are done on time.
• Provide support to current team members who are ready for a transition.
• Play integral role in staff planning. Give clients advance notice of changes when possible.
• Responsible for team staffing efforts which include posting jobs, interviewing, providing timely evaluation, editorial reference checking and final selection of candidates. Continually look for talent for the agency.
• Define integration process and appropriate training/shadow opportunities for new hires.

Qualifications

Education
• Bachelors degree or above in communications, journalism or related field preferred

Preferred experience
• At least 7 years experience in PR – in an agency and/or within the high tech industry – providing public relations consulting service to high technology clients. 8-10 years years preferred.
• Established strong relationships with business, technology trade and consumer media, market analysts and proactively placed stories
• Minimum of 4 years individual and team management experience, including experience developing a team
• Minimum of 4 years PR management, crisis management, and execution experience, including developing plans, client management, launch strategies, product positioning, pitching stories to the media, negotiation, budget responsibility, media training a client, messaging and creative tactical ideas
• New business development
• Knowledge of high tech industry and players
• International experience

Enter your email address:

Refer This Job To Your Friends And Help Them To Find Jobs!