Public Relations Specialist

What’s extraordinary about this job:

Visit Seattle is seeking a Public Relations (PR) Specialist to join our prestigious team of hospitality professionals who promote the Seattle area as the best destination for leisure and international travel, meetings and conventions. The Public Relations Specialist must have a passion for storytelling and media relations.

The PR Specialist will work closely with Visit Seattle’s PR Director and PR Managers to provide PR support in the daily operations of the PR Department.

Applicants must have 3-4 years of media relations experience with demonstrated results. Experience working in the travel and tourism industry preferred; this role is based in Seattle and required to be in the office.

The successful candidate will have a strong work ethic, be highly detail-oriented and able to juggle several things at once, all while providing consistently friendly service to everyone who comes to them for assistance.

What You’ll Do:

• Manages and tracks all media coverage, sharing coverage reports internally and externally
• Manages and updates database of all media contacts
• Edits and proofs all press materials
• Writes press materials, which includes but is not limited to: news releases, media alerts, photo captions, media pitches, bios and fact sheets
• Fact checks and researches data to support PR efforts and campaigns
• Assists with organization-wide presentations, and actively contribute to Public Relations programs and strategy
• Assists with planning, implementing and managing media tours and out of market visits
• Understands and prioritizes the objectives of each campaign and project; anticipates needs in advance
• Brainstorms new, fresh story angles and proactively pitches them to relevant media
• Stays up-to-date on travel and meetings news and social media trends to provide recommendations to PR campaigns
• Manages general PR inbox and responds in a timely fashion to incoming media inquiries
• Oversees preparation of meeting agendas, notes and reports
• Stays apprised of destination news and developments by attending industry events and meetings and taking time to regularly explore Seattle.
• Updates Visit Seattle newsroom with press releases, Seattle Good News and press kits in a timely fashion
• Organizes and drafts submissions for award entries
• Champion Simpleview (CRM) for the PR department, providing support to the team to ensure media databases are consistently updated and tools available to PR are being used.
• Focuses PR efforts to reflect the organization’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Who You Are:

• Candidates must have 3-4 years of media relations experience with demonstrated results
• Experience working in the travel and tourism industry; agency experience preferred
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Proficient in AP Style
• Possesses excellent writing skills, with a strong attention to detail
• Passion for the travel/tourism industry and the ability to spot trends
• Highly motivated with a strong work ethic; detail organized, able to multi-task and consistently meet deadlines
• Friendly, approachable, cooperative, and willing to assist others
• Excellent communication skills, verbal and written, required
• Very high proficiency in Microsoft applications, particularly Word, Excel, and Outlook
• Must be able to speak, read, write, and understand the primary language, English, used in the workplace

What Your Benefits Are 

Your experience is our most important asset, so we created an environment for you to thrive. We designed the following benefits package with you in mind.  

Our benefits are always evolving, though here's a peek into your perks: 

• 15 days of Paid Time Off to start, 12 paid office holidays and 1 Personal Holiday.
• 100% coverage for medical, dental, and vision, with 75% of family coverage premiums covered.
• Paid Parental, Bereavement and Jury leave.
• Company-provided ORCA card and subsidized parking (restrictions apply).
• Monthly cell phone expense reimbursement.
• 401k with up to a 5% company match.
• Starting salary range is $56k - $61k with up to an 5% annual incentive.

Who We Are

The Visit Seattle team knows and loves Seattle. By promoting our city for travel and tourism, we helped bring more than 34 million annual visitors in 2022 who spent $7.5 billion in Seattle and King County. The economic power of travel and tourism generates more than 62,000 Seattle area jobs and contributes $690 million in annual state and local tax revenue. Visit visitseattle.org. 

Beyond our sales and marketing vision, you'll appreciate our culture. Visit Seattle has a fun, inclusive culture where everyone is welcome and encouraged to be their authentic selves. We aspire to be as diverse as the city we represent and to honor the unique perspectives of the communities we serve, intertwining them in everything we do. Kindness, respect, and accountability serve as guiding principles for our team at every level. Here, your voice will be heard, and opinions respected as we move toward a more inclusive world together.  

We are grounded and guided in our work together by our Values:

• INCLUSION: We value a safe environment where diversity and lived experiences are embraced, authentic vulnerability is encouraged, and active empathy is practiced.   
• IMPACT: We value the idea of building a legacy that starts today, by committing to being mindful, helpful, and dedicated to a positive ripple effect that we create. 
• COMMITMENT: We value a community where growing, celebrating and embracing each other for a greater future is encouraged, and an appreciation for sacrifice, grit, integrity, and the passion for conquering the unknown is well recognized. 
• EXCELLENCE: We value having pride and passion in the work that we do by committing to always giving it our all and celebrating success in both the big and small tasks.

Join Us!

Visit Seattle is on a journey to become a fully inclusive, multicultural, anti-racist organization. We are actively seeking a diverse pool of candidates from a variety of backgrounds and cultures.