Job Summary

Work directly with the Associate Director, Media and Community Relations, Founder & Chair, CEO, and VP Marketing and Communications to implement earned media strategies and tactics that help promote PAWS Chicago’s mission, adoptions and program successes. In addition, manages related campaigns from concept through execution, provides content creation and writing support, as needed.

Position Objectives:

• Establish and maintain strong relationships with local, regional and national media contacts to maximize current and future exposure and grow brand awareness and mission.
• Build new relationships with local, regional and national media contacts to maximize and grow brand awareness and mission.
• Develop and pitch stories tied to mission and supporting events and programs

Duties and Responsibilities

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  Respond to media requests, including information gathering to determine response
• Develop talking points for media opportunities, events and speaking engagements
• Responsible for booking sheets and segment planning for media opportunities
• On-site assistance with media opportunities
• Develop and pitch press releases promoting PAWS Chicago’s community outreach programs, special events and other mission-based promotions, emergency responses, or initiatives while working with key staff partners to ensure cross-promotion and consistent key messaging.
• Develop thought leadership pitches to help PAWS become a national voice in animal welfare.
• Arrange interviews and compile information for the press that explains our programs
• Prepare staff and volunteers for media interviews
• Create post event media recaps for signature events, adoption events, and media stories
• Develop and maintain proactive media fact sheets that tie to ongoing issues, events, tips, like cold weather, safe holidays, etc.
• Broaden our relationships by actively seeking new media contacts
• Proactively pitch animal stories
• Generate timely content for ‘News and Features’ section on website
• Maintain and update master messaging document
• Maintain media contact spreadsheet
• Manage media website
• Create the yearly media report
• Compile traditional media updates for board meetings upon request
• Manage TVEyes media monitoring service
• Manage Yelp communication process

Requirements

• 
  Passion for animals and animal welfare
• Bachelor’s degree in communications-related field or minimum 7+ years of experience in public relations field emphasizing media relations, writing and project management
• Excellent writing, verbal and organizational skills required
• Must possess a high level of decision-making ability, good planning, problem-solving and negotiating skills, perform well under pressure, ability to be a confident, on-camera spokesperson for the organization with solid understanding of PAWS Chicago’s No Kill mission and messaging
• Ability to work well with others, cultivate new media prospects, and provide stewardship to media contacts