Assistant Account Executive, Sports & Entertainment

We are looking for an Assistant Account Executive to join our Sports & Entertainment team in Chicago!

• Contribute and support media relations programs and activations surrounding campaigns for Zeno Group and Sports & Entertainment clients across numerous verticals, including but not limited to, NFL, NCAA, PGA, LPGA, Brand, Fashion, Lifestyle, etc.
• Be well-versed in the world of celebrities, pop culture, and top-tier creators and corresponding trends
• Assist in earned media outreach and pitch stories to reporters (via email and verbally) across different mediums (IE: print, broadcast, and radio) and verticals (IE: sports, brand, industry trades, entertainment, music, etc.); Identify opportunities, coordinate media interviews, send timely pitch updates, etc.
• Monitor news and industry trends that are relevant to account industries and competitors; Ability to critically think about how trends and news may influence client programming, perceptions, positioning, etc.
• Aid in development of press releases, visuals, media lists, presentations, and additional collateral for a variety of clients alongside the full S&E team
• Support development of talent and influencer agreements/contracts
• Assist in coordination of talent media interviews, including identifying targets, securing interviews, drafting talking points, staffing interviews and managing logistics
• Support and track media efforts surrounding major media and pop culture moments (IE: Super Bowl, NFL Draft, remote media tours, award shows, film festivals, etc.)
• Exercise strategic and creative thinking around activations and campaigns through attending brainstorms for a variety of the agency’s brand clients
• Assist with general background research as needed and assist in vetting sports and entertainment talent
• Lead the charge with monitoring media coverage and compiling client-facing coverage reports surrounding activations/earned media campaigns 
• Lead the development of the monthly Zeno S&E newsletter to highlight the department’s ongoing work and available talent partnerships
• Update status grids and attend/take notes during weekly client status calls
• Participate in new business opportunities for the S&E team and agency as a whole
• Manage time effectively and meet deadlines, communicate project statuses with team
• Work in conjunction with the S&E team to develop and execute short and long-term plans and goals while tracking progress against goals

• At least 2+ years’ experience in Sports & Entertainment PR/communications/journalism -related fields 
• Preferred: previous sports Information or communications experience with a team and/or agency       
• Must be located in Chicago or willing to relocate to the New York or Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas
• Work within the Zeno office at least 2 days a week
• Assisted with communications/marketing team-related administrative tasks, including overseeing agency news monitoring reports
• Consistently produced high-quality internal and external communications content to support communications efforts
• Enjoy building relationships with internal partners, vendors, and third-party stakeholders, acting as a liaison between agency and client
• Bring a positive, collaborative attitude to the agency and a willingness to work well with other Zeno teams and clients