Manager, Public Relations

Type : Full Time
Location : San Jose, CA

Primary Job Responsibilities This role leads the public relations for PayPal’s merchant services and developer/open platform business. The overall purpose is to define and deliver the PR strategy for merchant services and the developer community in North America and position PayPal’s key messages across these different segments.

Core responsibilities:

1. Merchant Services Strategy & Planning
• Define the PR strategy for merchant services in NA
• Develop and execute quarterly merchant services PR plans
• Identify key business/SMB journalists and build their awareness, understanding and preference for PayPal
• Use social media to engage the SMB community to drive buzz/word of mouth
• Manage merchant services PR budget, prioritising for greatest returns
• Track and measure impact of activities to show ROI
• Provide advice to business heads in conjunction with the PR director on the reputational implications of product and service initiatives

2. Developer Community Strategy & Planning
• Define the PR strategy for PayPal’s new developer/open platform business
• Launch PayPal's new developer/open platform business in Q4 09 including 4 month momentum campaign prior to launch
• Identify key developer journalists and build their awareness, understanding and preference for PayPal
• Use social media to engage the developer community to drive buzz/word of mouth among the developer community
• Develop and execute quarterly developer PR plans
• Manage developer PR budget, prioritising for greatest returns
• Track and measure impact of activities to show ROI
• Provide advice to business heads in conjunction on the reputational implications of product and service initiatives

3. Press Office function
• Contribute to the management of the press office function for North America PR
• Respond to requests from journalists and external communication stakeholders
• Monitor of PayPal merchant services, developer and corporate coverage, and responding where necessary
• Manage PR agencies, both retained and project based
• Media training of PayPal merchant services and developer spokespeople
• Communication and follow up of press releases throughout the year
• Crisis and issues management
• Generate relevant, targeted press coverage in appropriate designed to support business objectives
• Reporting on qualitative and quantitative measurement of coverage
• Create quarterly media newsletters to keep journalists abreast of industry and PayPal updates


4. Manage PayPal blog and social media strategy
• Manage the PayPal blog daily
• Work with team to ensure at least two new blog posts per week at minimum
• Work with the team to ensure regular (at least on eper day) Twitter updates
• Respond to comments appropriately within 24 hours
• Evolve the blog to customer trends and new media usage
• Engage with consumer and corporate team to deliver year-long, measurable social media strategy

5. General Management
• Key member of public relations team

Job Requirements
1. Experience required:
*Proven experience of creating strategic PR plans in B2B and developer businesses and executing tactical campaigns to generate relevant coverage
*An extensive record of driving the news agenda in-house or at an agency, and meeting demanding targets for positive press coverage.
*A strong payments and/ or technology background. Candidates without payments or technology experience will be considered, but only with an outstanding track record of achieving media coverage.
*An extensive network of media contacts, including personal finance editors and deputy editors
*Strong project management skills with experience with work prioritisation, planning, influencing and working in cross-functional teams
*Proven experience working with executives at all levels as media spokespeople

2. Personal characteristics or further competencies required:
*Good team player with collaborative approach
*A highly confident communicator, capable of dealing with journalists and PayPal’s most senior executives.
*Experience of working across multi-disciplinary teams
*High energy and enthusiasm with evidence of being a self-starter
*Demonstrated track record of delivering results – on time


Basic Qualifications
1. Technical skills:
*Strong MS Office skills, particularly PowerPoint
*Top class writing skills, demonstrating the ability to adjust their style to different media audiences in a creative, energetic way. (We will be implementing a writing test as part of the interview process)

2. Qualifications:
*Excellent academic background
*Undergraduate degree


Education BSCS or BSEE or Other Related 4yr Technical Degree