Senior Manager, PR and Influencer Relations

Senior Manager, PR + Influencer Relations

Reports into: VP, Brand Marketing

About Us:

Rent the Runway (RTR)  is transforming the way we get dressed by pioneering the world’s first Closet in the Cloud. Founded in 2009, RTR has disrupted the $2.4 trillion fashion industry by inspiring women with a more joyful, sustainable and financially-savvy way to feel their best every day. As the ultimate destination for circular fashion, the brand now offers infinite points of access to its shared closet via a fully customizable subscription to fashion, one-time rental or ownership. RTR offers designer apparel, accessories and home decor from 700+ brand partners and has built in-house proprietary technology and a one-of-a-kind reverse logistics operation. Under CEO and Co-Founder Jennifer Hyman’s leadership, RTR has been named to CNBC’s “Disruptor 50” five times in ten years, and has been placed on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list multiple times, while Hyman herself has been named to the “TIME 100” most influential people in the world and as one of People magazine’s “Women Changing the World.”

About the Job:

As Senior Manager, PR and Influencer Relations, you bring to RTR a deep understanding of how the media landscape has evolved over the past several years: “press” is just one facet of earned media, affiliate programs increasingly drive editorial decisions and organic brand advocates define a brand’s identity from the bottom-up. In this role, you will be responsible for expanding RTR’s voice across the top of the funnel. This means continuing to grow RTR’s brand awareness and reputation among consumer and fashion media, partnering with the marketing growth team on RTR’s affiliate machine, and growing our organic/brand-accretive influencer and VIP/celebrity communities.  You will lead the RTR consumer press office and develop a consumer media strategy to garner ongoing earned media and social media conversation, generate awareness and drive business objectives.  This is a hands-on role where excellent organizational and time management skills are as essential as experience and network.

What You’ll Do:

• Manage brand-building activities including, but not limited to, earned media strategy development, editorial placement, consumer affiliate program, brand-accretive partnerships, relationship building with media, consumer thought leadership, IRL events, VIP, influencer and celebrity relations and product launches.
• Activate creative consumer campaigns that map to business objectives, while generating media coverage and driving organic site traffic
• Mine for and execute organic storytelling moments based on social media news cycle
• Partner closely with the marketing growth team to drive affiliate media goals
• Cultivate and maintain close relationships with consumer/fashion reporters; proactively pitch story ideas to journalists and follow up with editorial opportunities
• Grow RTR organic VIP advocate community to include stylists and other women of influence
• Develop and implement organic celebrity seeding & stylist seeding program
• Manage IRL brand activations in partnership with agency and cross-functional stakeholders, creating and driving earned media opportunities 
• Write, edit, and proofread materials including but not limited to press releases, pitches, fact sheets, media lists, etc.
• Manage an agency team and keep the team running smoothly which includes being able to manage the team’s budget, track media placements, and media monitoring.

About You:

• You have a passion for translating the cultural zeitgeist and social chatter into earned media and social media impressions.  
• You have a BA or BS with a minimum of 7+ years experience in a public and influencer relations role (either in-house or at an agency). 
• You will have demonstrated relationships, success and expertise in fashion, and/or with lifestyle or disruptive DTC brands. Fashion experience is a must.
• You have strong media relationships with a proven track record of securing feature stories across all forms of media. 
• You have the ability to connect the dots between PR and revenue-driving, priority business outcomes.  You will be able to track earned media and influencer reach to continue to drive brand affinity
• You have the ability  to work independently, exercise good judgment, adapt quickly and prioritize in a fast-paced environment
• You have a bias towards action: takes initiative, anticipates next steps and sets high standards in all they do
• You work well with others and have the confidence to take the lead when necessary while remaining flexible to support team members as needed
• You have a bold, creative, and thoughtful approach to work product and regularly brings forward new ideas
• You have exceptional attention to detail

Benefits:

At Rent the Runway, we’re committed to the wellbeing of our employees, and aim to create a workplace that fosters both personal and professional growth. Our inclusive benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Paid Time Off including vacation, paid bereavement, and family sick leave - every employee needs time to take care of themselves and their family.
• Universal Paid Parental Leave for both parents + flexible return to work program  - because we know your newest family member(s) deserve your undivided attention.
• Paid Sabbatical after 5 years of continuous service - Unplug, recharge, and have some fun!
• Exclusive employee subscription and rental discounts -  to ensure you experience the magic of renting the runway (and give us valued feedback!).
• Comprehensive health, vision, dental, FSA and dependent care from day 1 of employment - Your health comes first and we’ve got you covered.
• 401k match - an investment in your future.
• Company wide events and outings - our team spirit is no joke - we know how to have fun!
• Office centric work - our corporate employees and technical leaders have the option to work remotely on Fridays, in accordance with Company policies.

Rent the Runway is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with applicable law, we prohibit discrimination against any applicant or employee based on any legally-recognized basis, including, but not limited to: race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, lactation, childbirth or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, age (40 and over), national origin or ancestry, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), veteran status, uniformed service member status or any other status protected by federal, state or local law.

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The anticipated base salary for this position is $134,000 - $140,000. The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held. This position is also eligible for equity compensation.