PR Lead

July 2022 | Location is flexible, Minneapolis, NYC, or Washington DC is preferred, remote eligible | Full time

Hello Hello! So you’re interested in joining us? Welcome, we’re happy you’re here.

When you Join Alight, you’ll find…

A team with deep experience in co-designing solutions that create new value around the world. We know we need to always be better, and we believe in the power and abundance of everyday people, everywhere, to change the world with us.

A culture of radical accountability to our customers –as we help build a meaningful life for and with the displaced, we ask them what they want and then deliver on it.

An organization that refuses to settle for anything less than delivering human-worthy services.

If you are looking to be part of a living, breathing, ever-changing organization full of disrupters and doers, then read on! 

The Team

You’re on a team ambitiously advancing the work of Alight by actively engaging donors, supporters, partners and the public in a way that is meaningful to them and promotes Alight’s work worldwide.

We strive to represent the diverse communities we serve. Applicants who contribute to this diversity and those who bring lived experience with displacement are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Role

You’re the person to bring Alight out of its shell.

You have 3,000+ teammates around the world doing incredible things. You work for an organization that understands better than anyone the journey of displaced people around the world, and uses insights and empathy to design remarkable, human-worthy services.

You’re a matchmaker. You find everyone at Alight with a story to tell. You find the platforms looking for all these stories and incredible storytellers. And then you employ a systematic and disciplined approach to bring them together, with the goal of advancing Alight’s strategic plan and reaching new people who want to do important work in the world.

You are preferably located in Minneapolis, New York or Washington, D.C. (also remote eligible), and you’ll operate daily in-line with US media. As you work to unleash and amplify the voices of the displaced, you’ll be guided by and receive support from the CEO and the Campaign Director.

Building a shared organization takes time and intention. We will always be becoming Alight, which means

your work will evolve as well. For now, here’s how you could anticipate spending your time: 
 

Coordinating with PR Teams (35%)

You’ll work closely with Alight’s own PR Agency and with partners’ PR teams, connecting them to the information and assets that will help them shine light on the work we’re doing together and the stories that emerge.

You’re the linchpin between Alight and it’s PR partners:
 

-          You’ll maintain the connection to Alight’s PR team: constantly feed them new stories and information as appropriate; connect them to team members who can provide additional insight; reach out to them with media inquiries

-          You’ll assist the team by creating assets they need in order to position and promote Alight

-          If the need arises, you’ll lead Alight’s process of finding new PR partner: research standout agencies; create a call for proposals/presentations and create Alight’s selection criteria; manage the presentation process; and lead the team in selecting the agency that’s best for Alight

You’re the main point of contact for the PR teams of Alight’s partners, funders, subsidiaries, etc.
 

-          You’ll ensure that our partners have every asset they need to represent and talk about their partnership with Alight

-          You’ll work with field teams to gather insights, stories, images/footage, impact data and more to provide partner organizations

-          You’ll coordinate content creation to aid partners in telling the story – web content, video, one-pagers, case studies, etc.

-          You’ll coordinate joint PR activities like press releases, conferences, and more

-          You’ll actively seek out opportunities and venues to tell stories, jointly

You’ll complete all administrative tasks related to PR partners and any PR and media-related activities

Building Relationships With Storytellers – 20% of time

You’ll reach out, develop and strengthen relationships with storytellers from new and traditional media
 

            Research journalists, influencers and storytellers interested in the stories Alight has to tell

            Work with colleagues to produce press releases, talking points and story pitches

            Get segmented! – sometimes the story you have is for everyone, but also lean into the stories that work for a specialized or niche storyteller/publication/channel

            Reach out to storytellers with pitches and ideas; gather feedback whenever possible to learn what they need or are looking for from a partner

            Use Alight platforms to provide value to storytellers whenever possible, sharing/reposting stories, actively engaging with them on social media, etc.; be creative about how you can provide value to people who are telling or might tell our stories, and co-design new opportunities

            Coordinate closely with social media team to be creative about highlighting Alight stories and voices

            Maintain/build a list/database of all media contacts, traditional and new, that includes relevant details and past partnerships and media hits as well as contact information

            Make Alight a source storytellers turn to

            Create and maintain an incredible media kit

Build and Support Your Colleagues’ Storytelling Muscles - 25% of time

We’re strongest if we have all of Alight telling our story. You make that happen.
 

Manage an Alight Speakers Bureau

• Conceptualize and launch a stable of internal spokespeople and idea leaders;
• Identify voices from within the displaced communities we serve; and help them tell their stories
• Coordinate with the Voice Amplifier to:
  • help them feel confident and ready to talk about what they’re doing in an interesting and relevant way;
  • Prepare talking points and other materials to ensure your colleagues feel prepared and comfortable to handle any question or angle that comes their way
  • prepare decks, presentations or other materials for speaking opportunities; Work with PR agency to provide bureau speakers with media training on a regular basis as well as before interviews or other big moments

            Present stories and content internally to create brand fans and ambassadors; create moments and opportunities to spotlight them and their stories; and give them content in a way that’s easy for them to use/share it, and encourage them to do so

            Work closely with the CEO and Executive Team to prepare and position them for media and storytelling opportunities

Work with other members of the comms team and non-Alight platforms to promote Alight speeches and presentations

Develop A Conference Speaking Outreach Strategy (20%)

Leverage Alight’s Executive Team, Speakers Bureau and others to introduce Alight to new audiences and spark new relationships and partnerships through rich content and first-hand storytelling

• Research conferences that host the conversations, audiences and changemakers the Executive Team has identified and prioritized; Find opportunities to build Alight’s brand and profile regionally, as well as internationally
• Understand which conferences your Alight teammates attend
• Maintain a calendar of conferences, including concept submission deadlines
• Work with colleagues to develop pitches for speaking and leading workshops and breakout sessions; pitch colleagues to talent agencies
• Work with colleagues to develop speeches and presentations; prepare your teammates for likely questions; prepare any other needed collateral materials
• Attend conferences; help colleagues connect with others and develop and maintain relationships
• Work to quantify and qualify the impact of the conference outreach strategy
• Lead the organization and coordination of the first annual Alight conference to showcase Alight’s Speakers Bureau and Executive Team

Emergency Communications – 0-20% of time

-          Be available 365/24/7 when an emergency occurs; Crises are rare, but you must be fully ready and on-board to support the team responding and leverage the moment fully to the greatest benefit of the communities we serve

-          Sometimes it’s ALL HANDS ON DECK. Bring your team spirit and willingness to pitch in where you’re needed in extraordinary circumstances.

-          Prepare crisis communications materials and statements, so we’re ready with quick responses in a crisis or at least have somewhere to build from

Anticipated travel – flexible, but approximately 10% (domestic and international)

Qualifications

These are “must-haves” when you join Alight:

Open heart and open mind. You start by listening. You believe another person’s truth and it changes you. It unlocks your way of thinking in that moment, it opens your world. 

Curiosity. You are always learning. You ask why and why again. You know that change (big and small) is constant, which means your curiosity to learn is matched with adaptability to evolve.

Trust. You believe that people do their best, are disciplined, and care about this as much as you do. You take responsibility for your part and know how to step back and give others the space to shine.

Customer-Service-Minded. Your colleagues have full-time jobs in addition to the work they’re doing with you. You’ll make it easy and as seamless as possible for them to work with you and share their stories.

We’re also looking for the following technical competencies:

            Self-starter, experienced at and excited by organizing people; attention to detail required

            3+ years’ experience in media and public relations; proven track record designing and executing successful public relations campaigns at both a local and national level

            A relationship person, you have experience and understand what it takes to build strong, two-way professional relationships with all kinds of people.

            Deadline oriented and able to keep a cool head under pressure

            Excellent organizational skills: the ability to work productively in a fast-paced environment + the ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously

            Experience in acting as a company spokesperson; comfortable and skilled in both broadcast and print media interviews

            Must recognize captivating copy when you see it; a solid grasp of grammar and strong fluency with social media.

            Flexible, flexible, flexible: we respond to opportunity as it arises, and it rarely fits our schedule

-          The skills and drive to make a transformational difference as part of our team.

-          Creative problem solving skills: the ability to apply sound judgment and innovative ideas to meet challenges presented

            A keen interest in working with people to establish trust and engagement in Alight's mission

            Can grasp details as well as the bigger picture

            Proficient on PC systems, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and Windows Outlook

These are the things we’re aiming to find. However, we’re open to being surprised. If you embody the spirt of Alight, care deeply about the cause, and if you bring something else that’s special, then please reach out.

A cover letter is required as part of the application so we can learn more about you beyond your resume!

Benefits

Borderless Team of 2,500 staff worldwide that sees possibility, celebrates moments of abundance, shares new ideas, and strives to do a better thing every day.

Family Friendly – We know that you are a whole person with a life and a family. We honor this. In return, we expect that you will take ownership of your work and follow-through on your commitments; sometimes that means flexing your schedule and we’re good with that.

Learning & Development – Access thousands of free online learning courses to take at your own pace and tailor to your professional goals.

Health, dental, and MedEvac Insurance – We strive to offer the best-in-class healthcare plans to our staff each year.  We cover 100% of the cost for your health premium and 75% of the cost for coverage for your spouse/dependents.

Retirement – We contribute 6% of your salary regardless of your contribution amount, after one year of service.

Generous Leave Time – Between vacation days, personal leave days, and holidays, you have ample opportunity to take time off when you need it.

Alight

We are on a journey to build Alight, a new platform of amazing people and organizations providing lifesaving services and creating breakthrough solutions for and with the displaced. WeAreAlight.org

Alight is an Equal Opportunity Employer offering employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, citizenship, physical or mental disability, or protected veteran status. Alight complies with all applicable laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.

We strive to represent the diverse communities we serve. Applicants who contribute to this diversity and those who bring lived experience with displacement are strongly encouraged to apply.