Senior Account Executive, Consumer Brand- Sports at Burson

Who we are: Burson is the global communications leader built to create value for clients through reputation. With highly specialized teams, industry-leading technologies and breakthrough creative, we help brands and businesses redefine reputation as a competitive advantage so they can lead today and into the future. When you work at Burson, you are part of a global community of lifelong learners who thrive at the edge of innovation. Burson is part of WPP (LSE/NYSE: WPP), the creative transformation company. For more information visit bursonglobal.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. More about the role: We’re looking for a Senior Account Executive (SAE) to join Burson’s Sports and Entertainment sector within the Consumer & Brand Practice and support an iconic sports brand embedded in culture, lifestyle and entertainment. You’ll play a key role in delivering headline-driving earned media moments, earned influencer storytelling and high-impact activations for a brand that drives conversation in sports and culture. The ideal candidate is proactive, detail-obsessed, and energized by translating cultural moments into smart PR strategies across a fast-paced account. You’ll collaborate across teams to execute campaigns, craft media narratives, support events, and build relationships with reporters, social editors, and earned influencers. This is a great opportunity for an agency-trained PR professional who thrives in a highly collaborative environment and is excited to grow within a high-profile, consumer-focused account. This role can be based in either New York or Los Angeles. What you'll do: • Serve as a day-to-day point of contact, keeping work moving quickly and accurately while maintaining clear, proactive communication with internal and client teams. • Manage press office responsibilities, including responding to inbound media requests, coordinating quick turn product needs . • Draft and distribute press materials, including pitches, press releases, reporter bios, spokespeople briefing books and media briefs. • Pitch stories to journalists and social editors, securing coverage that moves the needle across sports, culture, hype, fashion and consumer lifestyle verticals. • Engage and activate earned/news influencers, collaborating on news-driven storytelling opportunities rooted in cultural relevance. • Build and maintain curated media lists and strong relationships with reporters, social editors, and earned/news influencers. • Expand PR approaches beyond traditional .com and broadcast, incorporating digital and social-first platforms like TikTok and Instagram. • Develop and lead reporting and recapping (weekly and monthly) including monitoring media coverage and social conversation, translating insights into daily updates to clients and actionable recommendations. • Support client communications through consistent content development, including drafting short-form copy and coordinating a weekly newsletter (including building and deploying in tools like Mailchimp). • Support planning and execution of media and influencer events, handling logistics, vendor coordination, and on-the-ground needs. • Provide in-office support for press requests, product seeding, and experiential builds. • Join client meetings, capturing notes, action items, and next steps with precision. • Stay tapped into sports, pop culture, creator trends, and emerging athletes to fuel fresh, future-facing ideas. Collaborate closely with and guide junior team members, providing day-to-day coaching and quality control to keep the team operating smoothly in a fast-paced environment. Experience that contributes to success: • 2–3 years of relevant PR experience, with some agency experience required, and a strong foundation in fundamental PR skills (media list building, media landscape tracking, writing press releases and pitches). • Strong consumer background and experience supporting consumer campaigns across sports, entertainment or lifestyle brands targeting Gen Z and diverse communities and consumers (preferred experience working on communications for a Fortune 100 with a strong consumer focus and/or sports brand). • Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment and manage multiple projects simultaneously. • Experience supporting successful media relations—responding to inbound media requests, pitching, and building/maintaining relationships with consumer, entertainment, lifestyle, and/or sports media. • Strong writing, editing, and research skills with attention to detail. • Comfort with account operations, including coordination of product-related requests (mailers/shipping support as needed), and supporting press office-style activity. • Familiarity with working with celebrities or athletes. • Familiarity with social platforms and how they intersect with media coverage. • Experience supporting events and/or on-the-ground activations (planning, logistics, staffing, and post-event recaps). ...