San Francisco-- Manager, Public Relations - Pottery Barn

Requisition Number: 90
Job Title: Manager, Public Relations - Pottery Barn
Area of Interest: Public Relations
City: San Francisco 94109
State/Province: California
Requirements: The ideal candidate has a minimum of 6 plus years experience in consumer public relations and the retail sector. This candidate is an excellent communicator with experience serving as a company spokesperson and established relationships with top-level media contacts.

Expertise at media relations, event planning, public relations writing, and budget planning and forecasting is a must. General marketing and advertising experience are a strong plus. Candidate must be a flexible and a creative self-starter who is able to work within an entrepreneurial environment and manage multiple projects at once.

The successful candidate must also have the followings skills and qualifications:
• 6+ years experience, preferably with both agency and in-house teams
• Proven ability to advise internal clients on communications strategy aligned to business objectives
• Comfort and experience working closely with executive management team
• Experience booking and coordinating press tours
• Independent, self-sufficient work ethic
• Exceptional initiative & follow-through skills
• Creative, strategic and analytical thinking
• Thoughtful leadership, both within PR discipline and with the business at large
• Ability to act as primary company spokesperson; comfortable and skilled in both broadcast and print media interviews
• Strong consumer media relations skills, with proven program results
• Event planning experience
• Results-focused approach
• Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously
• Ability to recommend and initiate work and projects with minimal direction
• A skilled user of Microsoft Office including Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint
• Experience with Cision's Media Services, and other proprietary media contact software
• Bachelors degree in journalism, communications, or public relations a plus
Job Description: Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is seeking a public relations manager to service its largest brand; Pottery Barn. The Public Relations Manager for Pottery Barn will be responsible for creating and executing the brands' publicity strategies and acting as the primary contact for all media inquiries. The ideal candidate will be an experienced public relations professional with general marketing and advertising expertise.

• Partner with key cross channel partners to launch the Pottery Barn Social Media initiative to include both Facebook and Twitter. Act as designated team member to post and tweet as agreed upon by cross functional team.
• Creating a PR plan/budget on a yearly basis that strategically aligns to the brands initiatives. This includes product placement in newspapers, magazines and broadcast outlets
• Oversee the creation of seasonal press previews for Pottery Barn and distribute to the media on a timely basis (Holiday, Spring, Summer & Fall).
• Write and distribute all company press releases for Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Bed and Bath.
• Oversee and personally coordinate product loans for approved media outlets.
• Manage Pottery Barn’s key broadcast placements and disseminate all key communication to cross-channel partners.
• Oversee Fall/Holiday Advertising campaign for Canadian market. This includes overseeing creative, media buying agency and schedules.
• Partner with PR agency of record, in Toronto to secure editorial coverage of Pottery Barn’s products in Canada.
• Partner with PR agency of record, in San Juan, Puerto Rico who works on behalf of Pottery Barn on the island.
• Oversee and approve all imagery requests for approved media outlets.
• Evaluate opportunities for partnerships, sponsorships, and advertising on an on-going basis.
• Partner with Director on budgets and budget creation, management, and forecasting for Pottery Barn (09960).
• Act as company spokesperson for media opportunities when appropriate.
• Oversee crisis communication for product recalls, negative publicity, and any other elevated issues on an as-needed basis.
• Foster good relationships with national press, specifically long lead magazines in shelter category and key dailies.
• Plan seasonal press tours to secure coverage of key merchandise for all four seasons.
• Work with cross channel partners as part of global approach to product and/or concept launches. For example launch of eco friendly products, launch of licensed products etc…
• Create and plan PR events for flagship stores, when warranted.
• Communicate PR results to cross channel partners on a quarterly basis
• Create year end reporting to benchmark results to LY.