Media Relations Director, Sports

Job Description

Job Description

Praytell is a creative communications agency made up of strategic minds, spirited hearts and people with a strong instinctive recoil from anything remotely boring. We create culture-driven, integrated work that earns attention, sparks conversation and makes people… well, give a shit. But more than that, we’re a team of curious builders, thoughtful challengers and collaborative problem-solvers who believe the best work starts with a simple question: what if we?

What if we pushed the idea further? Solved the problem differently? Built something better?

Our work moves fast, evolves constantly and rarely fits neatly inside a box - which is exactly how we like it. The people who thrive here ask questions, chase ideas, spot opportunities and care enough to go beyond the brief. They don’t wait for a perfect roadmap or a tap on the shoulder - they’re energized by figuring things out, making things better and helping shape what comes next.

We hold ourselves to a high bar, but we’re not pretending to be a perfect agency filled with perfect people doing perfect work 100% of the time. We’re humans. Sometimes the work runs late. Sometimes the process is still being built. Sometimes there isn’t a policy, playbook or perfect answer for every little thing. What we do have is a genuine commitment to getting better - evolving how we work, support our people and build the kind of agency we want to be, together.

So that’s our promise to you. If curiosity drives you, ownership excites you and “what if we?” feels more like a life mantra than a question - we’d love to hear from you.

We're looking for a Director, Media Relations to lead earned media strategy and execution across our Sports & Entertainment practice, while supporting other practice groups as needed. You're a natural storyteller with deep media relationships and a sharp instinct for identifying opportunities that place brands at the center of cultural conversations. From top-tier print, digital and broadcast outlets to emerging platforms including podcasts, Substacks, newsletters, digital video and social, you know how to secure coverage that drives visibility and impact.

In this role, you'll partner closely with influencer, social, creative and analytics teams to deliver integrated campaigns that break through. You'll also mentor and develop junior team members, serve as a trusted advisor to clients and help shape the future of our earned media offering.

Equal parts strategist, connector and leader, you bring creativity, hustle and a results-oriented mindset. With 8+ years of PR and media relations experience, you've developed and executed standout campaigns across sports, entertainment and lifestyle brands, driven new business success and counseled senior-level clients with confidence. You have strong relationships across the media landscape - particularly within sports and sports business - and are constantly expanding your network. You're also excited by the opportunity to leverage AI tools for research, workflow optimization, ideation and creative development, helping clients benefit from modern, forward-thinking approaches to storytelling and earned media.

This role requires candidates to be based in New York City or the greater New York metropolitan area.

As a Director, Media Relations, you will:

• Develop and drive innovative media strategies for sports, entertainment and lifestyle clients, owning all aspects of execution alongside account teams.
• Ensure clients are part of culturally relevant conversations across sports, entertainment, lifestyle, music, fashion, wellness and business media.
• Create compelling angles, pitches and storytelling opportunities that secure coverage across traditional outlets (print, online and broadcast) and emerging platforms (podcasts, Substacks, digital video, newsletters and social).
• Bring a strong roster of sports, entertainment and lifestyle media contacts while continually expanding your network through pitching, press meetings and IRL and virtual connections.
• Partner with creative teams to ensure ideas are press-worthy.
• Staff and support client events, athlete and celebrity activations, press days, red carpets and experiential opportunities. Media train spokespeople and staff interviews to ensure polished execution.
• Serve as the go-to expert on media trends, emerging platforms and target outlets on client calls and in campaign planning. Create forward-looking POVs that translate industry shifts into actionable strategies.
• Manage proactive and reactive media relations while mentoring junior staff in pitching, strategy and client service. Lead staff development initiatives and contribute to broader culture programs.
• Work closely with media, influencer, corporate and integrated teams (creative, social and analytics) to deliver smart, connected work. Contribute to agency-wide media POVs and share learnings from press interactions.
• Partner with account leads to establish KPIs, oversee reporting and monitoring and make recommendations to optimize performance.
• Participate in new business opportunities, travel as needed for client and media engagements and help shape the future of Praytell's Sports, Entertainment and Lifestyle practice.

Beyond the role itself, we’ve built a place that genuinely shows up for its people - and that comes through in how we think about benefits and the overall employee experience. We offer a robust package designed to support your health, wellbeing, growth, future self and life outside of work.

Salary: $105,000 - $125,000 (This range reflects the minimum and maximum compensation for the role. We typically make offers within the 25th to 75th percentiles of the range and do not exceed the listed maximum. Final offers are based on experience, skills and qualifications.)

Benefits & Perks

• Comprehensive health care coverage
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
• 401(k) with company match
• Flexible Time Off (FTO)
• 18 company holidays
• Flex Fridays
• PrayCare wellness stipend and Rebalance Day
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Paid parental leave and fertility support
• Training, learning and professional development programs
• Camp Praytell
• Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
• And more!

Please note: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we're unfortunately not able to respond to every applicant individually. While we review every application, we'll only be in touch with candidates we're moving forward with.

We know how tough it can be to wait and wonder, especially in today's job market, so in the spirit of transparency: if you haven't heard from us within 10 business days of applying, it means we've decided to move forward with other candidates for this particular role. We truly appreciate the time, energy and care that goes into every application, and we'll keep your information on file for future opportunities that may be a fit.

Our interview process typically takes 4-6 weeks and includes:

1. Application Review: Before applying, please review the location requirements for this role. Unfortunately, candidates who do not meet the location requirement will not be considered.
2. Phone Screen (30 minutes)
3. Team Interview (30-60 minutes)
4. Leadership Interview (30 minutes)
5. Take-Home Exercise (TBD): A short, client-agnostic assignment designed to help us better understand how you think, approach challenges and tackle the work. Candidates who complete the exercise will receive a stipend via electronic gift card.
6. Offer
7. Target Start Date: July 2026

We are an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all people and do not discriminate - period. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment in accordance with federal, state and local laws. We prohibit workplace harassment and discrimination of any kind and are committed to building an inclusive workplace in every location where we operate.