Publicist (Part-Time)
Description
About NYRR
New York Road Runners (NYRR) was founded in 1958 when a small group of passionate runners vowed to bring running to the people and has grown from a local running club into the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s mission is to help and inspire through running, aiming to empower people of all ages and abilities to improve their health and well-being through the power of running and fitness.
NYRR’s year-round offerings of races, community events, programs, and training resources provide hundreds of thousands of people with the motivation, know-how, and opportunities to start running and keep running for life. NYRR’s premier event, the famed TCS New York City Marathon, attracts the world’s top professional runners and committed amateurs alike, while also raising millions of dollars annually for charity and driving economic impact for New York City. NYRR is equally committed to the runners of tomorrow, passionately providing youth fitness programs that educate and inspire children in underserved communities in New York City, nationwide, and around the world.
Headquartered in New York City, NYRR is a 501(c)(3) organization. To learn more, please visit www.nyrr.org.
At New York Road Runners, we are committed to building an inclusive, diverse workplace by finding the best candidate for the job. We understand that skills come from a variety of different backgrounds. Checking off every single requirement on our job description is not necessary to apply. If you think you are a good fit and have a passion for the work we do, please submit your application. We are eager to learn about your experience and skills! You may be the right candidate for this or other open positions.
New York Road Runners is an Equal Opportunity Employer
About the Department
The Public Affairs Department consists of NYRR’s Media and Public Relations, Government Relations and Community Engagement teams. Media and Public Relations share the stories of NYRR participants, events, and programs to drive awareness to NYRR’s organization and mission, while also enhancing and protecting the company’s reputation. Government Relations & Community Engagement manages NYRR's relationships with local and state elected officials, and governmental agencies, as well as its relationships with community stakeholders, from our runners and clubs to like-minded organizations. Overall, representing NYRR's interests, Public Affairs serves as a centralized bridge and internal partner for the organization and governmental and community partners.
About the Position
Reporting to the Head of Public Relations—with indirect reporting into Director of Public Relations and the Chief Communications and Community Officer—the part-time Publicist/Specialist supports the department’s strategic public relations efforts to tell the whole NYRR story and increase New York Road Runners’ brand awareness and execute event PR efforts at running events ranging from the TCS New York City Marathon to weekly races to youth and community programming. The part-time Publicist/Specialist, through intentional storytelling, amplifies all the organization’s priorities and goals as a nonprofit that is a leader in the sports industry, including, but not limited to its adult/youth/community races/events—as lead and support. The perfect person for this role is a newshound with a strong ability to story tell and a keen interest in amplifying nonprofit and human-interest stories that intersect with sports.
Job Responsibilities (primary and secondary duties):
- Support plan development and implementation for New York Road Runners and its initiatives (races, community impact, et al) with the goal of driving media coverage for all.
- Develop unique and impactful media opportunities throughout the year to highlight NYRR events, programs and initiatives.
- Develop, maintain, support and cultivate relationships with local, national and international media--serve as a media contact, monitor media inquiries and facilitate responses, as needed.
- Manage the Media Runners program, which offers journalists entry to NYRR races and events and fosters deeper relationship-building.
- Support with updating the PR department’s media list, ensuring the database is refreshed regularly to ensure media moves and new contacts are reflected.
Job Requirements:
Experience:
- Strong journalistic and/or public relations background experience (minimum of 5 years); agency experience preferred.
- Experience developing PR plans for programs, events and/or initiatives
- Experience executing PR plans across campaigns, events, and announcements
- Experience pitching and cultivating relationships with journalists
- Experience on-site at events working with media and social teams to ensure coverage
- Experience with nonprofit, community, sports, or events-based organizations a plus
Education & Certifications:
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited college in English, Public Relations, communications, journalism or related field preferred
Skills and Attributes:
- Excellent creative and critical thinking skills
- Exceptional written and verbal communications skills
- A collaborator with strong project management skills
- Self-motivated with strong organizational skills and attention to detail
- Strong ability to multitask, meet and perform under tight deadlines, think clearly under pressure, and exercise good judgment
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook)
- Strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
Other Requirements:
- Ability to work races and respond to media during weekends and evening hours as required
Salary: $30-35/hour
New York Road Runners is an Equal Opportunity Employer