Professional Services Practice Group Leader

Cooksey Communications, a mid-sized, DFW-based public relations firm with a 30-year track record of success, stability and growth, seeks a strong leader for our Professional Services Practice Group – one of our four core practice areas.

Our passion is collaborating with great people and great organizations to produce meaningful, enduring results. Our team proudly embraces our Culture of positivity, our Focus on providing “Strategic Communications Where Expertise is Essential” and our Core Values: invested; integrity; inquisitive expertise; collaborative; compassionate and respectful; fun and team-oriented; impactful connections.

If you’re looking for a satisfying, supportive workplace that nurtures professional and personal growth, we’d love to hear from you!

Where You’d Fit In:

The Professional Services Practice Group Leader is an agency leader, including serving on our 8-member Leadership Team. This position guides and shapes Cooksey’s work on behalf of distinguished professional services (A/E/C + financial/legal services) and other B2B or B2G clients. This role is supervisory while also requiring daily, hands-on involvement in devising high-impact solutions for clients.

Ultimately, this Practice Group Leader is responsible for the oversight of practice group members, as well as the delivery of superior work product and services, ensuring that they are performed efficiently, on time, and within budget, while also maintaining client satisfaction, retention and growth. This role includes being a thought leader both internally and externally, enabling Cooksey’s capabilities to evolve, while also driving new business leads and new client engagements in the sector.

Your Supervisory Duties:

• Provide overall leadership, management and accountability (LMA) for the practice group. Oversee a team of 2-3 members dedicated to customizing and implementing strategic communications solutions that meet clients’ needs and objectives. This includes assigning work, managing staff bandwidth, tracking work progress relative to budgets and deadlines, and ensuring quality control for all work product.
• Supervise the development of practice group members, including conducting and documenting timely, constructive performance reviews and providing ongoing training and mentoring to team members. Coordinate schedules including approval of PTO requests. Coordinate with HR and the partners, as needed, on any disciplinary issues.
• Coordinate with other agency leaders as needed to ensure cross-practice/cross-departmental tasks are appropriately staffed and completed by shared resources.

Your Other Duties:

• Participate in the agency’s weekly Leadership Team meetings.
• Own primary responsibility for the retention and growth of 4-6 retainer and/or project-based accounts in the professional services sector.
• Convene and lead regular practice group meetings to drive development and implementation of client strategy. Help the team identify and overcome obstacles.
• Conduct regular check-ins with clients related to the team’s performance relative to identified goals. Lead discussions about contract renewals and expansions.
• Counsel clients on PR/marketing strategy and ad hoc needs, and provide hands-on assistance with crises, media training and coaching, and other critical issues.
• Develop or oversee the team’s development of a wide range of content and materials including strategic communications plans, community engagement programs, press releases, bylined articles, executive remarks and presentations, award nominations, and advertising/marketing material content, including managing projects in collaboration with Cooksey’s in-house Creative Department.
• Perform sector-relevant thought leadership activities (blog writing, speaking, professional organization involvement, etc.) to support Cooksey’s business development efforts.
• Collaborate and consult, as needed, with Cooksey’s other senior-level practice group leaders on crises, PR strategy and planning, media training and other high-level issues.
• Ensure the group consistently secures high-value media coverage and achieves other important client PR/marketing objectives and KPIs.
• Ensure the group develops and delivers timely, accurate client recaps and reports.
• Review and approve client invoices.
• Keeps and maintains appropriate employee records.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Strong supervisory and leadership skills, including ability to manage and motivate team members, set goals, coordinate resources, delegate tasks, and adjust as needed.
• Ability to build and maintain strong interpersonal relationships with colleagues, clients, target media, civic and business leaders and other high-level influencers within the agency’s and clients’ spheres of operations.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills with a high level of attention to detail.
• Creative collaboration and problem-solving skills.
• Strong work ethic with a demonstrated drive to deliver added value.
• Professional demeanor while conducting agency business.
• Willingness and ability to ask incisive questions for on-target strategic communications planning and execution.
• Ability to connect the dots, linking recommendations to clients’ big-picture communications strategies and business objectives.
• Ability to manage multiple responsibilities and direct multiple client accounts.
• Ability to work under pressure and within tight deadlines, and to adapt on the fly.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Creative Suite, and/or other similar software compatible with job responsibilities. Familiarity with or ability to quickly master Muck Rack, Sharefile, Function Point and other essential agency tools.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in English, Strategic Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, or a related field required.
• Minimum 10 to 15 years of related experience required, either with a PR/marketing agency or in-house with a professional services firm, including at least five years of supervisory experience.
• Familiarity with the DFW business, civic and media community, as well as industry influencers relevant to the practice group’s work and clients.

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Benefits:

On top of a company culture where employees are highly engaged and sincerely appreciated, Cooksey offers a highly competitive compensation and benefits package.

Current benefits include, but are not limited to:

• PTO: 15+ days/year, plus tenure-based additions
• Gold Star Days: Up to 5 extra PTO days/year through employee recognition
• Paid Holidays: 18 in 2024, including Dec. 23 through New Year’s Day
• Hybrid Schedule: 2 days/week in-office + flex hours, 3 days/week WFH
• 401(k) & Profit-Sharing Plan
• Health, dental, vision and life/AD&D insurance, plus STD/LTD
• Accident and critical illness insurance
• Paid maternity and parental leave
• EAP services, programs and discounts
• Professional organization membership dues
• Cell phone reimbursement
• Home office stipend

Salary:

• $105k to $125k annually, paid semi-monthly

Application Instructions:

• Send us your cover letter, resume and representative work samples

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $105,000.00 - $125,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Application Question(s):

• Do you have representative writing samples you can provide?

Ability to Relocate:

• Irving, TX 75038: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Irving, TX 75038