Public Relations Specialist

Since 1984, Curley & Pynn Public Relations has been an agency built around leaders serving leaders. We strive to do meaningful work that makes a difference in people’s lives, providing strategic communications advice, counsel and program management for nonprofits. We are building a “destination firm” – one that is top of the list among prospective clients looking for support, among referral sources who advise them, and among the best and brightest professionals looking for career opportunities. Our clients range from mission-focused nonprofits to innovative companies driving change in their industries. Whether it’s elevating awareness or guiding a brand or organization through a pivotal moment, our work is creating a lasting change.

Curley & Pynn’s public relations specialists are entry-level to midlevel practitioners who support account teams in the execution of strategic public relations and marketing communications programs for our clients. This position reports to various senior team members depending on the project and are expected to be self-starters with ambition to:

• Deliver completed work that needs little or no editing.
• Bring fresh ideas to client and internal meetings.
• Remain knowledgeable on emerging trends, issues and opportunities important to our company and clients.
• Complete assignments on deadline and maintain accountability for how time is spent on behalf of clients.
• Proactively seek feedback and participate in professional development activities.

Responsibilities

• Writing – Clearly communicate through the written word in various formats, including research reports, news releases, feature stories and fact sheets, website copy, email newsletters, business memos, etc. No skill is more important.
• Research – Conduct comprehensive research to support agency and client projects, digging deeply to fully assess and understand the topic.
• Media Relations – Identify and pursue newsworthy story angles. Build relationships with reporters, create media databases and actively pitch story ideas. Manage online monitoring resources, document stories that are important to our clients and develop client-facing coverage reports.
  
• Social Media Management – Monitor social media for mentions of our clients, identify and build relationships with social influencers, and outline content calendars and copy appropriate for various channels.
• Event Coordination – Distribute invitations and manage guest registrations. Liaise with vendors and volunteers, and coordinate operational elements such as seating and staging. Host media and VIP guests.
• Business Development – Represent Curley & Pynn to current and potential clients by providing thought leadership through blog posts and social media content, and through membership in community organizations and professional associations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in public relations or a related field
• 1-3 years of professional experience (including internships; agency experience preferred)
• Portfolio of writing samples
• Experience pitching and securing media coverage

Working at Curley & Pynn

At Curley & Pynn, you will join a team offering decades of collective experience managing award-winning public relations and marketing communications programs for clients in diverse industries. We pride ourselves on hiring the best, growing the best and demanding the best from ourselves and others, so we can be essential to the brands we represent. Professional development is central to our culture and to our work. No one issues or takes orders here. We work together, succeed together, fail together and learn together.

Five values define our culture, including how we hire and manage performance:

1. People First: We have each other’s backs. We work to live, not live to work. We behave as partners, not vendors, and recognize our clients are people, too.
2. Give a Shit:
   Show you care. Learn from mistakes; don’t repeat them. Display pride in your work. Do (and demand) the right thing, always.
3. Hustle: Take the wheel and step on the gas. Quality means nothing when deadlines are missed. Essential = excellence at speed.
4. Win as a Team: We, not me. Credit the assist even if you score the goal. Aim for performance, not pedestals. Be confident and humble in equal measure.
5. Commit to Candor: Counselors tell people what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. No points for shy; ask uncomfortable questions and make bold recommendations.

Curley & Pynn observes a hybrid work schedule, working in-person at our Orlando office Monday through Wednesday and virtually on Thursday and Friday. Our working hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

In addition to medical benefits and 401(k) match, our competitive compensation package also includes:

• Four weeks of vacation time (including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day), and flexibility with personal appointments.
• Casual office dress code requiring employees to “dress up” only when appropriate for scheduled meetings and events.
• When client work is on track, early departures at 3 p.m. on Fridays – a well-earned head start to the weekend.
• Commitment to professional growth by covering the cost of membership to PRSA or FPRA and access to personal development events and programming.
• Reimbursement for earning your Accreditation in Public Relations (APR).
• A supportive environment where career growth is nurtured through regular meetings with senior team leaders.