Public Relations Manager

The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta works to inspire and lead our region toward equity and shared prosperity for all who call our region home. We do this work by providing quality services to donors and innovative leadership to grapple with the region’s most pressing challenges, seizing opportunities to use both.  

The Community Foundation is undergoing a major evolution as we launch a new five-year strategic plan (2022-2026) that unequivocally embraces equity as the Foundation’s #1 priority. The role of the Public Relations Manager is paramount to our success - engaging journalists and other media-based stakeholders in this work. The Public Relations Manager will keep these important influencers aware of our programs, products and services for various constituents in the public sphere. The candidate must work nimbly across various departments and teams to create, edit, deliver and move PR projects forward that integrate with marketing, sales, community impact or capacity-based programs or stand alone on behalf of the Foundation, including efforts around special events, product launches, media relations, social media, employee communications or public affairs/community relations. The Public Relations Manager is capable of serving as the Foundation’s spokesperson, on any and every topic, deftly ensuring and enhancing the reputation of the organization.

The Public Relations Manager has major input in developing strategic marketing PR plans for various products and services. After plans are developed in conjunction with the marketing and communications team, the PR manager is responsible for carrying out the plan on a daily basis, and tracking return on investment, always with an eye towards increasing coverage and diversifying media outlets who cover our work.

A successful Public Relations Manager will demonstrate expertise on the Community Foundation’s business, products, customers, competition, problems and opportunities; and have the ability to use that information to meet or exceed needs. They will be capable of emulating the Foundation’s brand (the walk and the talk) in all aspects of the role in the region and in vertical markets at the national level. The candidate must work well in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment as part of a team; have strong organizational and problem solving skills; and must have strong attention to topline strategy and bottom-line detail. Excellent verbal and written communication skills are essential. The candidate must demonstrate exceptional knowledge of Associated Press style guidelines, as well as how to develop and maintain relationships with regional media, and have a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in communications. They must possess the ability to tailor PR plans, messaging and tactics to meet our different audiences where they are, using tailored approaches, be they neighborhood leaders, scholarship students, donors or large partner organizations.

Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Take proactive ownership of work and manages work autonomously
• Always position self as the owner of the Foundation’s reputation. Capable of thinking through reputation issues and opportunities from a 360-degree view and as decisions are being made on behalf of the organization. Serve as external face of Foundation for television, radio, online and print.
• Facilitate communication between multiple departments and/or work teams, keeping Marketing and Communications Manager and Vice President, Marketing and Communications engaged
• Manage expectations and timelines for special projects as needed
• Develop and manage relationships with media partners and journalists
• Organize and lead internal meetings and external opportunities with journalists
• Develop media alerts, pitches, press releases, internal communication initiatives, and more for a diverse array of audiences while simultaneously overseeing the development, execution and follow-up for the work
• Partner with marketing and communications manager to evaluate creative production as it visually communicates an issue and provide feedback as needed
• Lead the development of PR plans for the Foundation’s service offerings
• Prepare and stewards creative briefs and timelines for PR programs, whether internal or external
• Take responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of all work
• Ensure all media and projects proceed according to plan and deadlines, drawing attention to potential problems before they occur
• Maintain complete and accurate digital and hard copy files on all PR jobs (including documentation of approvals), PR plans and correspondence
• Proofread and copy edit copy, reports, artwork and proofs
• Develop/execute research projects
• Collaborate with marketing team to ensure online and offline messages are consistent and that social media and media relations channels align

Qualifications:

• Minimum four year college degree in public relations, English, marketing, advertising or related field; APR accreditation from the Public Relations Society of America preferred
• 6-8 years of public relations experience, preferably with at least one year in an agency environment
• Proficiency Microsoft Office suite
• Proficiency in Associated Press (AP) standards
• Nimble in times of crisis; deftly juggles multiple, competing priorities while staying true to core values in cadence, temperament and execution (which may include live TV interviews)
• Strong demonstrated relationship building, interpersonal communication and customer service skills, including ability to accommodate a high level of interaction with media, foundation staff, donors, grantees and members of the community
• Knowledge about the field (philanthropy, nonprofits, social services) is preferred but not required – however, a deep desire to make Atlanta a better place is critical in this role. The candidate must have a deep desire for service to humanity, a keen understanding for equity, and for the role effective PR plays in leading the region to shared prosperity
• Position requires some evenings and weekends to manage reputation of the organization, attend events, respond to journalists on deadline, etc. The candidate will develop a weekend/evenings/vacation schedule with the vice president of marketing and communications to ensure smooth management of messaging, and to ensure she/he/they loves their job

Compensation:         

To be determined based upon experience and qualifications within the anticipated salary range of $75,000-$90,000. This position is exempt and employee is eligible for the Foundation’s competitive health and benefits plan.

To Apply:

To submit an application for this position, send an email with your resume, writing sample, and three references, including name, organization, position, phone and email address, to: 

• Email to Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta - hr@cfgreateratlanta.org with subject line: Public Relations Manager
• No phone calls or walk-ins please
• Writing sample could include press release, blog post, an op-ed article or media interview, etc.

Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta values diversity and inclusion; we honor the diverse needs, strengths, voices, and backgrounds of all individuals in our regional community.