Vice President, Consumer

SHIFT is seeking a Vice President to lead and grow our unique consumer practice based in our Boston office. In this role, you will you lead a distributed team of dedicated consumer PR pros; manage a diverse book of business of legacy clients and lead the charge in new business development – from lead generation to winning in the room.

Vice Presidents must have a solid understanding of all facets of performance communications, fundamental business principles and a demonstrated record of developing and executing successful public relations strategies and programs while closely managing budgets.

Strong personnel management skills are vital as Vice Presidents play a prominent role in mentoring and guiding the professional development of a large and continually growing team. A proven track record pitching and closing new business is required, as is a commitment to supporting new business and recruitment efforts through active participation in networking and industry events.

Vice Presidents are also expected to exhibit leadership and initiative through contribution to broader Agency initiatives including training and specialty offerings that generate growth opportunities for staff, clients and/or prospects.

What You Bring

• 10+ years of public relations experience with a track record of success and increasing responsibility in an agency or fast-paced client environment (agency experience is required)
• A deep knowledge of New England’s culture and media landscape
• The ability to be in our Boston office three days a week – some travel will also be required
• Experience in food and beverage, CPG/wellness, travel and hospitality, quick service restaurants, “tech-sumer” and retail is preferred
• A deep understanding of today’s consumer – from micro to macro shifts – and how those trends are impacting people’s purchasing power and the brands they engage with
• Experience creating data-driven integrated campaigns and reporting out how they move business outcomes
• Knowledge of market research and audience insights that should be incorporated into idea generation and client programs
• The ability to form strong client relationships
• A demonstrated record of developing and executing successful public relations strategies and programs while closely managing budgets.
• Experience in influencer marketing, affiliate marketing and social media best practices; with knowledge of what it takes to create earned media campaigns and sponsored opportunities
• Strong personnel management and mentoring skills
• A willingness to actively contribute to making our agency a better place to work

What You’ll Be Doing

• Leading SHIFT’s Consumer Team by guiding multi-disciplinary teams in the design, sell-in and execution of evidence-driven, integrated communications plans and programs that move the needles your clients care about.
• Providing clients with strategic counsel to achieve earned, owned, social and paid results that reach the clients’ business objectives.
• Being an idea generator and creative genius for client programs to reach audiences across PESO channels.
• Collaborating with experts across the network who can strengthen your team’s efforts, and/or whom your team’s expertise can help strengthen theirs.
• Ensuring all clients are kept informed on emerging trends, actively engaged in our relationship and delighted with our work.
• Taking the lead on new business pitches; identifying strategic insights that map back to messaging and integrated creative concepts.
• Identifying and securing upsell/cross sell opportunities with existing clients.
• Broadening our base of relationships within each client organization beyond the day-to-day PR teams into the C-Suite.
• Setting performance standards for your team and tackling performance issues quickly and empathically.
• Coaching and mentoring your team, and actively championing for their continued growth through professional development and goal setting
• Taking an active role in agency culture and the network – participating in committees and trainings that enhance SHIFT and its people
• Contributing to SHIFT’s content engine to help cement SHIFT as voice of authority/credibility and you as a thought leader in the consumer space.
• Building SHIFT’s and your own personal profile through active engagement in relevant industry/trade groups, events and initiatives.

What it Takes to Succeed Here

• Help us improve. Become fluent in the agency’s brand and business; familiarize yourself with our teams, clients, best case work and best proposals. See a missed opportunity along the way? Call it out. Share your thoughts. Make us better.
• Make yourself smarter. Invest any downtime you have in your first six months to become certified in Google Analytics, and to master Google’s keyword tools. Both will help you prepare client-ready work more quickly as requested.
• Know what’s going on. Read/watch/listen to and then analyze and report the news that’s important to you and your clients; provide recommendations for actions that the client can/should take as a result.
• Have a point of view. We’re not looking for people who agree with everything we say. We’re looking for people who think independently, believe in things important to them and can bring and defend that passion to work with them every day.
• Make your team smarter. Get and stay up to speed on the market, competitive and internal business dynamics shaping the worlds and impacting the decisions of the clients to which you’re assigned. Become the go-to resource on your team for this kind of information.
• Learn the agency business. Ask questions of those around you/ attend proscribed training programs to understand how we budget, how we manage projects, how we develop and nurture client relationships and how we measure our own success as an agency.
• Raise your hand. Don’t ever wait for someone to ask you to do something; ask what you can do to help your team, our clients and our agency succeed. Daily.
• Find your passion. Some of our people are expert in certain verticals; others are expert at certain functions. Many have become expert at multiple sectors and multiple functions. What’s important to you, and to us, is that you find something you love to do and do whatever it takes to master it.
• Live our values. Nothing is more important. We’ll hold you to that standard and you can hold us to that standard. It’s that simple.

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