Job description
Account Director, Earned Media Strategy
Location: Washington, D.C.
About the Opportunity:
Weber Shandwick is seeking a curious, creative, and media-savvy Account Director to join our team in Washington, D.C. This role is based on our Social Impact & Sustainability team, part of Weber Advisory—a unit delivering trusted, agile C-suite counsel by blending communications expertise with cultural insights to accelerate stakeholder and organizational value. This role will focus on executing communications, reputation and earned media strategies for nonprofit, foundation, corporate and public sector clients at the intersection of business, policy, media and culture.
The ideal candidate is a seasoned media strategist with a passion for policy, advocacy, and communications that make a real-world impact. They bring a proven track record of delivering effective integrated media campaigns and experience thriving on high-performing teams in a fast-paced environment. In addition, candidates should have experience working with organizations operating in the social impact, philanthropic, and on inclusive finance and wealth gap issues.
This position will be based in our Washington, D.C. office on a hybrid schedule.
About you:
You live for a great story and have the strategic savvy to shape and deliver stories across media platforms. With deep knowledge of top-tier business and lifestyle outlets, you know how to get stories placed — and noticed. You move seamlessly between legacy media and emerging platforms like Substack, podcasts, and content creators. Fluent in internet culture and always ahead of the trends, you know what’s trending, what’s next, and how to help organizations break through.
You’re a strategic thinker who thrives in fast-paced environments and knows how to manage multi-faceted, integrated campaigns without missing a beat. You bring structure to ambiguity, all while juggling deadlines, media moments, and client needs with calm confidence. You’re immersed in public policy and culture and know how to turn insights into earned impact. A creative storyteller and collaborative partner, you bring curiosity, originality, and drive to everything you do. Ready to drive high-impact communications? Let’s talk.
Responsibilities:
- Shape and execute integrated communications strategies in partnership with agency and client teams
- Counsel and interact effectively with clients and leaders at client organizations
- Build and maintain excellent relationships with top-tier media across business, national/local broadcast, multicultural and lifestyle verticals
- Maintain a strong understanding of the media and cultural landscape, as well as emerging issues that may impact clients directly or indirectly
- Approach client work with curiosity — always seeking to understand the brand, its competitors, and the broader industry context
- Proactively and reactively craft compelling, newsworthy stories that drive earned coverage
- Develop strategic earned plans and write high-quality media materials, including pitches, press releases, and messaging documents
- Deliver consistently high-caliber work with a client-first mindset and sharp attention to detail
- Collaborate with agency and inter-agency partners, serving as a key contributor across teams to drive alignment and deliver cohesive, large-scale campaign work
- Mentor and develop junior team members through hands-on guidance, feedback, and professional development
- Cultivate and participate in new business opportunities and pitches
Competencies:
- Business Acumen – accelerate work to meet client and agency objectives
- Client Service – build trust and deliver results across engagements
- Proactivity – exhibit relentless pursuit for new and innovative ideas
- Collaboration– build strong, high-impact relationships that deliver results
- Critical Thinking– ask probing questions; anticipate and address gaps and needs
- Conflict Resolution– possess sound judgment and savvy in navigating and resolving issues
Basic Qualifications:
- 7-9 years of experience
- Experience leading integrated media projects from start to finish, working with teams across various disciplines
- Robust earned strategy and media relations experience
- Experience providing counsel to senior leaders
- Bachelor’s degree
The Weber Shandwick Collective recognizes that your health and wellbeing are a priority. This is why we offer a full suite of benefits including:
- Medical
- Dental
- Vision
- 401k (with employer match)
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Juice Money - $60 monthly reimbursement to be used towards purchases that nourish your health, mind, body, and soul
- MyDays – Flexible holiday schedules
- Short-Term Disability
- Paid Employee Family Leave
- Family Building Benefit
Washington DC Salary range: $95,000 - $125,000
Where an employee or prospective employee is paid within this range will depend on, among other factors, actual ranges for current/former employees in the subject position; market considerations; budgetary considerations; tenure and standing with the company (applicable to current employees); as well as the employee’s/applicant’s background, pertinent experience, and qualifications.
Weber Shandwick is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Weber Shandwick recruits qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, ethnic or national origin, protected veteran status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or citizenship status.
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