What are the responsibilities and job description for the Press Release Strategist position at Ripley PR?
** This is an in-office position at our Maryville office. Candidates who are not currently located in the Knoxville metro area will not be considered for employment.
Who We Are:
Ripley PR, Inc. is an award-winning global public relations agency specializing in skilled trades, franchising, manufacturing and B2B technology. Founded in 2013, Ripley PR has earned national recognition, including being named a Merit Awards’ Best PR Agency in 2025 and appearing on Newsweek’s America’s Best PR Agencies list in 2024. Locally, the agency was ranked as the No. 2 PR Agency in the greater Knoxville area by the Knoxville News Sentinel. These awards reflect our commitment to building strategic PR campaigns that deliver measurable results for clients around the world.
Orange Orchard, a division of Ripley PR founded in 2018, is dedicated to promoting animal welfare organizations, while Adventure PR founded in 2025 supports travel, tourism, RV and outdoor brands through storytelling that inspires action and drives engagement.
What We Do:
Offering a full range of strategic communication services, including traditional media relations and crisis management strategies, Ripley PR uses a blend of strategic business accounting and creative public relations branding to tell compelling stories and deliver measurable results.
How We Work:
At Ripley PR, we are solution-focused, outgoing, positive, and rally around producing high-quality work and results for our clients. We’re different than most PR agencies. Our teams of specialists provide clients with simple, ongoing analytics, showing the true return on investment. We want clients to know what we do on a daily basis to promote and advocate for their brand. We enjoy a fast-paced environment with open communication. With a work hard, play hard mentality, we enjoy a challenge as much as we enjoy our free office snacks, goal incentives, and bi-monthly office massages.
What You’ll Do:
Ripley PR is seeking an experienced Press Release Strategist to lead the development of high-impact press releases and supporting announcement assets for clients across B2B, B2C, and nonprofit sectors. This role is designed for a mid-career communications professional with proven, real-world experience crafting press releases that earn media attention and support broader PR strategies.
This is not an entry-level role. Candidates must have hands-on professional experience writing and distributing press releases; academic coursework alone does not qualify.
As a Press Release Strategist, you must be able to/have:
- Write, edit, and refine press releases for clients in B2B, B2C, and nonprofit industries
- Develop compelling news angles, messaging hierarchies, and headlines aligned with media standards and client goals
- Collaborate with account leads and media strategists to support integrated PR campaigns and announcement strategy
- Manage wire placement and distribution from start to finish, including targeting, approvals, scheduling, and formatting
- Create and analyze wire distribution reports and apply insights to improve future release performance
- Incorporate data, quotes, and supporting context to strengthen credibility and media pickup potential
- Work quickly and efficiently across multiple projects, meeting deadlines with consistently high-quality, client-ready writing
What We’re Looking For:
- 5–8 years of PR or communications experience with a clear focus on press release writing and announcement development
- Proven experience writing press releases that resulted in earned media coverage (B2B, B2C, and/or nonprofit)
- Strong writing portfolio or press release samples demonstrating real-world results (required)
- Excellent editorial judgment, writing, and proofreading skills; agency experience strongly preferred
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative in-office environment
Note: College coursework, internships, or classroom writing samples alone do not meet the experience requirements for this role.
If you are excited about joining an innovative team with plenty of opportunity for growth and advancement, we would love to hear from you. Ripley PR offers a competitive salary, office massages, medical, dental, vision, 401k and paid time off.