Account Executive

Company Description

A three-time SABRE Canadian Agency of the Year winner North has achieved unprecedented success since launching in 2011. North’s fresh approach to PR, influencer, social and digital has helped cement it as a Canadian agency leader. 

North has found the sweet spot between boutique and large agency: this ‘twelve-year-old start-up’ is running on fresh momentum. 
What’s the secret? While a slew of major new clients are tapping the team for their unique blend of expertise, many of North’s "OG" clients are expanding their work with the agency, fuelling organic growth. 

We're an agency all about taking risks, thinking big and a true belief that good ideas can come from anywhere. 

Job Description

Position Overview:

As an Account Executive, you will be working as part of a collaborative account team that develops and delivers strategic, creative client programs. Your job is to tell the client’s story and relentlessly pursue the best results, with a focus on executing programs and developing client and agency team relationships. 

We’re looking for a smart and curious team player with strong PR, writing and media relations chops who can support and execute on bold campaigns for our clients. Ideally, this candidate will have experience executing broadly integrated communications strategies for a large financial services or corporate communications client. 

Some of the amazing work you’ll do:

• Help build and execute insightful and creative PR-led ideas to drive results and brand influence for our clients
• Craft and deliver targeted communications: Write, edit and proofread a full range of materials, such as press releases, fact sheets, messaging documents, pitch notes, blog posts, client emails/reports, briefing books, status grids, activity reports, etc.
• Be relentless in the pursuit of program effectiveness; build excellent and thoughtful PR approaches with senior leaders 
• Effectively manage well-curated, customized, accurate and thoughtful media lists and related media research opportunities ie, media partnerships or sponsored content opportunities 
• Existing relationships with key Canadian media contacts and a drive to continue broadening media contact network specific to client accounts and industries (written and phone outreach)
• Drive proactive and persistent media relations to land campaign coverage and client opportunities; consistently show smart and proactive thinking about new story angles, pitch pivots, and campaign research 
• Assist in building project workbacks and setting milestones and deadlines; help the team stay on track with schedule updates and attention to hitting key deadlines 
• Proactively manage client relations on assigned project tasks 
• Support campaign logistics including for example sourcing third party spokespeople or influencers, media partners; research and management into speaking opportunities and/or corporate awards; event logistics planning and execution, and more; work with junior peers to handle these logistics, reaching out directly to vendors, getting quotes, sourcing materials, etc. and actively setting up and staying on top of details
• Work with junior team members to help coach, guide and support them within larger account teams
• Support campaign reporting efforts to demonstrate the impact of our work, including coverage monitoring and analysis; taking the lead in compiling and thinking critically about how to build them and uncover new insights and key learnings 
• Work within integrated agency models, alongside creative, media, experiential, etc. brand teams to bring bold ideas to life
• Provide timely feedback to management on progress against goals
• Keep an eye on the pulse of current and trending events or cultural moments to help the team action client opportunities or manage risk 
• Ongoing tracking and knowledge of industry best practices
• Contribute in a meaningful way to a dynamic agency culture by sharing learnings, actively mentoring junior staff, participating in training, brainstorming, agency committees and more 
  

Qualifications

Our successful candidate will possess some of the following attributes below. This is just a starting point – if you feel you don’t meet all of the suggested experience and/or skills, we still encourage you to apply!

Who you are: 

• Experience working on large financial services, tech and/or corporate accounts
• Post-graduate diploma in Public Relations, Corporate Communications or related discipline
• 2-3 years of communications/agency experience
• Consumer and/or lifestyle work experience is an asset
• A self-starter with strong attention to time and task
• Extensive experience in media relations and corporate communications with connections to key financial services and business media in particular; influencer relations expertise is a plus 
• You’re an excellent writer, turning in strong v1 drafts of pitches, releases and briefing books; you’re also a trusted first editor to junior team members, bringing thoughtful proofreading and suggestions to help elevate their work too
• A critical thinker who can deliver thoughtful research and analysis to identify opportunities and/or mitigate reputational risk
• Well-organized; you sweat the details, catching errors from self and junior team members before things go to clients
• Strong expertise in core media relations tools (ie, Meltwater, Cision, MRP) and enthusiasm to research or trial new products / tools 
• A positive attitude when it comes to opportunities and challenges in an ever-changing environment
• A curious, creative thinker who encourage others to think outside the box
• Dynamic team player with the ability to work in a collaborative, creative, entrepreneurial, and fast-paced environment
• An understanding of integrated earned, influencer, social and paid media campaign needs is an asset 
• Some experience with social platform campaign extensions is a bonus, ie LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, etc.

Additional Information

What we’re offering: 

• Meaningful work where you can have a direct impact working on some of the biggest brands out there! 
• A culture of entrepreneurship, creativity, growth and collaboration 
• Work with top talent at an award-winning agency on a serious growth trajectory 
• A focused commitment to career development and personal success – let us help you 
• Highly competitive compensation and benefits package including substantial time off policies (like really. It’s a big deal) 
• All staff meetings so you’re always in the know

Thank you very much for your interest in working with us. We look forward to meeting you! 

NORTH STRATEGIC, MSL CANADA, NOTCH VIDEO, and MSL STUDIOS are committed to workplace diversity and will provide reasonable accommodation upon request to applicants with disabilities throughout the hiring process.