Harrison and Star

Account Director, Earned Media Strategy

Harrison and Star$95K — $130K *
Media
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 7+ years of public relations experience, preferably in an agency setting
  • University degree in Public Relations, Communications, Journalism, or related field
  • Proven expertise in corporate and consumer affairs, including reputation management and consumer media relations
  • Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills for complex client challenges
  • Exceptional written and executive communication abilities across various formats
  • Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional teams and mentoring junior staff
  • Deep understanding of modern media landscapes and cultural trends.

Responsibilities

  • Lead integrated media strategy for major client accounts, blending earned, owned, and paid media
  • Advise client leaders on brand reputation and crisis communications
  • Facilitate creative strategy sessions with clients to uncover compelling narratives
  • Identify growth opportunities within existing client relationships
  • Manage new business pitches from strategy formation to presentation delivery
  • Directly mentor and set performance goals for media professionals on the team
  • Oversee account budgets and establish campaign KPIs for measuring media impact.

Benefits

  • Inclusive and collaborative team culture
  • Opportunities for professional development and mentoring
  • Engagement in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives
  • Focus on work-life balance with structured in-office attendance
  • Supportive environment for creative and strategic thinking.
Full Job Description
Agency:
Weber Shandwick

Job Function:
Media

Job Subfunction:
Earned Media

Job Description:

Our Toronto office is looking for a Director - Integrated Media-a strategic, vision-driven communications leader responsible for driving integrated media strategy, providing high-level client counsel, and managing major client accounts. In this role, you will lead cross-functional teams to shape cultural conversations for iconic consumer, corporate, and healthcare brands in Canada and globally.

About You: You are a seasoned media strategist, client partner, and team leader who thrives at the intersection of culture, news, and brand purpose. You know how to elevate earned-first creative concepts into multi-channel campaigns that command attention and drive measurable business impact across both corporate affairs and consumer communications. You possess a deep understanding of today's complex stakeholder dynamics and bring a nuanced perspective on how brands build trust with consumers, media, and corporate stakeholders alike. If you are an inspiring mentor, a passionate builder of client relationships, and a champion of brave, culturally resonant storytelling, we want to hear from you.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Strategic Integrated Media & Campaign Leadership
    • Lead the overarching earned media strategy for major accounts, seamlessly integrating earned, owned, paid, and creator ecosystems to maximize campaign resonance and ROI across both consumer and corporate affairs mandates.
    • Serve as a trusted advisor and senior partner to client leaders and executive teams, providing high-level strategic counsel on brand reputation, media landscapes, crisis communications, corporate affairs, and narrative positioning.
    • Spearhead story mining and creative strategy sessions with client executives and subject matter experts to uncover news-making hooks, corporate and executive positioning opportunities, and cultural entry points.
  • Business Growth & New Business Development
    • Identify expansion opportunities within existing client accounts, introducing agency capabilities across digital, creative, corporate reputation, and analytics to deepen client partnerships.
    • Play a central role in driving new business pitches-from insights, research, and strategy formulation to deck development, team casting, and pitch presentation leadership.
  • Talent Leadership, Coaching & DEI
    • Directly manage, mentor, and coach a team of media professionals (Managers, Senior Associates, Associates), setting performance goals, guiding career paths, and conducting performance check-ins.
    • Champion an inclusive, collaborative team dynamic that embraces diverse perspectives, actively participating in agency DE&I initiatives and inclusive hiring practices.
  • Operational & Financial Management
    • Oversee major account budgets, staffing allocations, fee projections, and SOW developments to ensure program profitability, prevent scope creep, and optimize agency resource utilization.
    • Establish comprehensive campaign KPIs and frameworks that measure earned media impact against overarching client business objectives.


PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:

  • Corporate & Consumer Affairs Expertise: Deep understanding of both corporate affairs (reputation management, crisis/issues communications, executive positioning) and consumer affairs (brand storytelling, consumer media relations, trend integration, lifestyle/culture PR).
  • Client Counsel & Relationship Management: Demonstrated ability to build trust and rapport at all levels.
  • Integrated Media & Cultural Intelligence: Deep understanding of the modern media landscape, digital creator ecosystems, and pop culture trends; strong ability to identify emerging news hooks and leverage media intelligence/influencer platforms effectively.
  • Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving: Asks probing questions, anticipates roadblocks, and exercises sound judgment to resolve complex client or operational challenges swiftly and diplomatically.
  • Operational Excellence & Precision: Proven ability to manage multi-faceted campaigns under tight deadlines; meticulous attention to detail across written deliverables, logistics, budget tracking, and performance measurement.
  • Collaborative Leadership & Energy: A proactive, solutions-oriented team player who brings positive energy to cross-functional teams; skilled at coaching junior staff, resolving cross-team friction, and cultivating a high-performing, inclusive work culture.
  • Written & Executive Communication: Exceptional writing and editing skills across diverse formats-from media pitches and messaging frameworks, client presentations, and influencer briefs.
  • Public relations experience of 7+ years. Agency experience strongly preferred.
  • University degree in Public Relations, Communications, Journalism or related field.


Salary Range: $95,000 - $130,000

Omnicom's policy requires employees to work in the office for a minimum of three days a week, unless additional in-office days are directed by their agency or manager. Our objective is to increase this requirement over time, and many of our agencies as well as Omnicom's corporate group already require five days of in-office attendance.

Omnicom is committed to hiring and developing exceptional talent. We agree that talent is uniquely distributed, and we're focused on developing inclusive teams that can bring the best solutions to everything we do. We strongly believe that celebrating what makes us different makes us better together. Join us-we look forward to getting to know you. We will process your personal data in accordance with our Recruitment Privacy Notice.

Link to Recruitment Privacy Notice: https://www.omc.com/privacy-notice/

About Harrison and Star

Harrison and Star is a healthcare advertising agency that provides marketing and advertising services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The company offers a range of services including brand strategy, creative development, digital marketing, and market research. Harrison and Star was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Learn more about Harrison and Star
Size
500 employees
Industry
Founded
1986
NASDAQ

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