Public Relations Manager

Salary Range: $70,000–$85,000

Location: Chicago, IL — in office

At Hello Mainland, PR Managers are expected to lead, not just coordinate. This role is for someone who can build strong client relationships, think strategically, keep teams moving, and create momentum across public relations, content, and digital efforts.

You will serve as a lead point of contact for clients, manage day-to-day account strategy, and help direct internal teams to ensure work is strong, on time, and tied to real business outcomes. This is not an entry-level role. It requires judgment, communication skills, organization, and the ability to lead both clients and internal teams with confidence.

The right person for this role knows how to connect strategy to execution. They can run a client call, shape a campaign, push work forward internally, and help a team stay focused on results.

• Manage a roster of client accounts and serve as a primary point of contact
• Prepare for and lead weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly strategy calls with clients
• Build and guide integrated strategies that may include public relations, content marketing, digital marketing, and social media depending on client scope
• Own client communication, follow-up, and overall relationship health
• Act as the internal quarterback across content, PR, digital, and creative teams to ensure work is completed on time and to standard
• Protect client brand standards and ensure deliverables align with strategy
• Help mentor and manage 1–2 media relations team members toward stronger output and results
• Track account priorities, deliverables, KPIs, and reporting
• Identify growth opportunities, stronger angles, and better ways to position clients in the market
• Bring new ideas to the table that improve results for clients and strengthen agency performance

A strong PR Manager at Mainland:

• leads client relationships with confidence
• keeps internal teams aligned and moving
• sees around corners and solves problems early
• can build a campaign, not just react to tasks
• holds a high bar for strategy, communication, and follow-through
• helps create wins for clients across earned, owned, and supporting channels
• contributes to strong retention through service, strategy, and execution

• Strong client management skills and confidence leading conversations
• Ability to think strategically and connect messaging across channels
• Strong writing instincts and communication skills
• High level of organization and follow-through
• Ability to manage multiple clients and priorities without losing control of details
• Comfort giving direction internally and helping others perform at a higher level
• Ability to think critically, move quickly, and bring solutions to the table
• Strong sense of ownership and accountability

• 3–5 years of experience in public relations, media relations, client management, journalism, communications, content marketing, digital marketing, or a related field
• Experience managing client accounts and leading recurring strategy calls
• Experience building campaigns and applying messaging across multiple channels
• Experience writing or shaping press releases, bylines, articles, and other client-facing materials
• Experience mentoring junior team members or helping guide deliverables across teams
• Familiarity with Cision, PRWeb, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Office
• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, communications, public relations, journalism, or a related field is a plus

This role is based in Chicago and is an in-office position. Regular in-office presence is required. This is not a hybrid role.

At Mainland, client management is not about simply keeping things moving. It is about leading strategy, protecting quality, creating momentum, and helping clients feel confident that the right work is being done for the right reasons.

• This role matters because it sits at the center of execution. The right person will help clients win, help teams perform, and help the agency continue to grow with stronger systems and stronger relationships.