af&co.

Account Manager, Public Relations

af&co., based in the heart of San Francisco, is a full-service integrated communications agency with a passion for the hospitality industry. Our clients include restaurants, hotels, food and beverage brands and special events throughout the West Coast. We specialize in media relations, influencer relations, marketing, social media and launch strategy, as well as concept development and operational consulting. Our goals are to provide personalized and expert guidance, build brand awareness, and generate results for our clients. Our approach for each client is fresh, direct, creative and stylish. We inspire people to love our clients as much as we do! For more information, please see our website at www.afandco.com.

The Account Manager, Public Relations position requires a minimum of four to five years’ experience, with strong public relations expertise, complemented by sharp communication and leadership skills. Account Managers are responsible for achieving and maintaining client satisfaction. A passion for the hospitality industry, food, restaurants and travel, as well as a desire to learn more about marketing and brand strategy, are key to success in this role.

Please note: To better support our clients needs this is a hybrid position that requires residency in the San Francisco Bay Area or LA.

af&co. Fundamentals

We are looking for someone who:

• Possesses a strong portfolio of secured local and national media coverage, particularly focusing on the hospitality industry
• Has strong relationships with West Coast and national media, ideally with a long list of San Francisco Bay Area writers, specifically those that cover hospitality, food and beverage
• Is detail-oriented, creative, empathetic, resourceful, tenacious, strategic, an assertive goal-setter and excellent communicator
• Possesses a keen interest in and passion for food, restaurants, cocktails, travel, and the hospitality arts and culture in general
• Has excellent writing skills, which can be applied creatively and effectively to anything, including an Instagram post, a case study or client newsletter
• Is a natural networker and team player with strong social skills who can juggle multiple projects with finesse
• Is a born story-teller with strong persuasion skills
• Serves as a knowledgeable mentor to junior colleagues
• Fosters a fun, friendly, open, drama-free and efficient work environment
• Brings strategic rigor and a high quality of work to every account or project
• Displays friendliness, courtesy and attentiveness to client needs
• Is highly productive and efficient in time management
• Is adaptable and responds quickly to internal and external communication
• Expertly uses Microsoft Office and Google Calendar, Docs, Sheets and Slides

Responsibilities

A successful Account Manager, Public Relations candidate will be able to do the following for up to seven clients:

• Manage proactive and reactive communication with each client in a timely manner, ensuring their needs and deadlines are met and tasks are assigned to internal team members
• Lead the charge on drafting integrated quarterly communications plans and creation of creative media relations initiatives that drive relevance and revenue
• Run Key Messaging sessions with new clients and create Key Messaging document
• Ideate, write, edit, and execute pitches and press releases that achieve goals for clients and agency
• Build and oversee the creation of targeted media lists for client pitches
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with both traditional and nontraditional media 
• Secure earned media features, mentions and round-ups for clients on a regular basis
• Manage editorial calendar and HARO opportunities for clients, including tracking deadlines, sharing opportunities with other account managers
• Measure ROI and utilize data to make informed strategic or tactical recommendations
• Manage client photo/video shoots as needed
• Oversee creation of timely activity reports each quarter
• Collaborate with account teams on the planning and execution of events for af&co. clients, with oversight by the Leadership Team

Benefits

• Working with a fantastic, tight team of PR and marketing pros who are passionate about our industry and clients
• Medical, dental and vision insurance
• Business development bonus
• Paid vacation with additional comp time
• Work from home four days a week
• Five “work from anywhere” days per quarter (working in Pacific Time)
• Partial reimbursement for cell phone service
• Quarterly dining stipend to conduct industry research
• 401K retirement plan with profit sharing 
• Pre-tax transit benefit
• The thrill of working with and experiencing our amazing clients, which often includes enjoying delicious food and beverages!

The budgeted salary range for this position is $65,000 – $75,000 and is based on experience, accomplishments and skills. Please contact Rose Guiliano at [email protected] with your resume and a cover letter telling us about:

• Why you think you are a fit for this position
• Salary expectations
• Your restaurant/hotel passion and expertise
• Favorite restaurant/chef and why?

Please also include two to three examples of your recent related work as well as links to social media profiles, blogs or other digital content. Finalists will be asked to arrange calls with references.

af&co. is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.

af&co.

We’re Growing!

Seeking a passionate Marketing & PR Account Manager

Please note that this is not an entry level role.

About us:

af&co., based in the heart of San Francisco, with clients from coast-to-coast, is a full-service integrated communications agency with a passion for the hospitality industry. Our clients include hotels, restaurants, food and beverage brands and special events. We specialize in media relations, influencer relations, marketing, social media and launch strategy, as well as concept development and operational consulting. Our goals are to provide personalized and expert guidance, build brand awareness, and generate positive results for our clients. We work hard and we love what we do. Our approach is insightful, creative and makes an impact. We inspire people to love our clients as much as we do! For more information, please see our website at: afandco.com.

The scoop:

Requirements for Position:

This position requires three to five years’ of experience, with strong public relations and marketing expertise, complemented by sharp communication and leadership skills. Account Managers are responsible for achieving and maintaining client satisfaction. A passion for food, restaurants and the hospitality industry, as well as a desire to learn more about marketing, media relations and brand strategy, are key to success in this role. San Francisco Bay Area or Los Angeles residency is required for this role.

af&co. Fundamentals:

We are looking for someone excited to share their public relations and marketing expertise with our team and clients. The ideal candidate:

• Is knowledgeable of Bay Area food, beverage, travel and lifestyle influencers
• Is detail-oriented, very creative, empathetic, resourceful, tenacious, strategic, an assertive goal-setter and excellent communicator
• Possesses a strong portfolio of secured local and national media coverage, particularly focusing on the hospitality industry
• Has experience managing social media accounts, including community management, content creation and advertising
• Possesses a keen interest in and passion for food, restaurants, cocktails, travel, and the hospitality arts and culture in general
• Exhibits excellent writing skills, which can be applied creatively and effectively to anything from a press release or pitch to a case study or client newsletter
• Is a natural networker and team player with strong social skills who can juggle multiple projects with finesse
• Is a born story-teller with strong persuasion skills
• Fosters a fun, friendly, open, drama-free and efficient work environment
• Brings strategic rigor and a high quality of work to every account or project
• Is naturally friendly, courteous and attentive to client needs
• Is highly productive and efficient in time management
• Is naturally courteous, friendly and attentive to client needs
• Adapts easily, is flexible to change and responsive
• Expertly uses Microsoft Office and Google Calendar, Docs, Sheets and Slides

In this role, you will be the central point of communication for six to nine clients. You will build confidence with the client that strategic solutions, project details, process steps, billings and deliverables are well organized, communicated and managed. Additionally, you will ensure all correspondence, materials, presentations, proposals seen by prospective and existing clients are error-free, of highest quality, relevant to the client’s business challenges, and reflective of af&co.’s approach.

Media Relations Responsibilities

A successful candidate will be able to:

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with traditional media
• Lead the creation of creative media relations initiatives that drive relevance and revenue
• Secure earned media features, mentions and round-ups for clients on a regular basis
• Ideate, write, edit, and execute press kits, pitches and press releases that achieve goals for clients and agency
• Build and oversee the creation of targeted media lists for client pitches
• Manage editorial calendar and HARO opportunities for clients, including tracking deadlines, sharing opportunities with other account managers
• Measure ROI and utilize data to make informed strategic or tactical recommendations

Marketing Responsibilities

A successful candidate will be able to:

• Lead client’s integrated marketing communications planning, identifying objectives, strategies and tactics
• Manage content for digital platforms (social media, blog, website, e-newsletters, etc.) for af&co and its clients
• Directly manage client social media profiles, including, but not limited to, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn
• Manage organic and paid influencer campaigns from start to finish
• Use Sprout Social and Klear or another influencer marketing platform
• Create and manage social media ad campaigns through Facebook Business Manager
• Is experienced in facilitating and negotiating paid advertising campaigns with various media and digital outlets, including Hearst Media (San Francisco Chronicle, SFGate), Secret San Francisco, SF Bucket List, DoTheBay and Modern Luxury (San Francisco Magazine and Silicon Valley Magazine)
• Manages and provides creative direction for client photo/video shoots
• Create and manage client email marketing campaigns
• Create reports and analyzes KPIs for each client
• Measure ROI and utilize data to make informed strategic or tactical recommendations
• Collaborate with account teams on the planning and execution of events for af&co clients, with oversight by Managing Director
• Assist in overall digital brand strategy and messaging for all clients
• TikTok knowledge is a plus

Perks:

• Working with a fantastic, tight team of communications and marketing pros who are passionate about our industry and clients
• Medical, dental and vision insurance
• Business development bonus
• Paid vacation with additional comp time
• Partial reimbursement for cell phone and internet service
• 401K retirement plan with profit sharing
• Pre-tax transit benefit
• Bi-annual team retreats at fun client locations
• The thrill of working with and experiencing our amazing clients, which often includes enjoying delicious food and beverages!

Please also include two to three examples of your recent related work as well as links to social media profiles, blogs or other relevant content. Please note that candidates are also required to complete a timed writing test. Finalists will be asked to arrange calls with references.

Salary range for this role is $65,000 – $75,000 and is commensurate with experience, accomplishments and skills. If selected as a top candidate, you will be asked to share professional references for final consideration. Please send your resume and cover letter to Rose Guiliano at [email protected]. 

af&co. is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.

af&co.