Vice President, OnBoard (Public Relations)

SBS Comms is a communications agency for visionaries. We help ambitious companies break through and own their story. Our approach to communications is built for today's fast-paced media landscape, and favors speed over perfection, quality over quantity, and progress over paperwork. With 60+ strategists coast-to-coast, and hubs in New York, San Francisco, Boston, Southern California and Chicago, SBS partners with venture-backed companies across AI, space, fintech, crypto, defense, cybersecurity, health and more. About OnBoard: OnBoard is SBS's dedicated program for early-stage startups. Our clients are often founders doing PR for the very first time, and they get the same caliber of counsel, creativity and media results as our established brands. At OnBoard, a smaller budget never means a lower bar. We're looking for a VP to help lead the program: a startup whisperer who knows what makes a founder and a company genuinely interesting and can get an unknown startup into the same conversations as the industry's biggest names. Vice President, OnBoard Responsibilities Help lead the OnBoard program, owning a portfolio of startup clients and contributing to the program's strategy and growth Help build, grow and mentor a dedicated team of startup specialists Manage key founder and client relationships, contracts and budgets Guide founders through PR, from setting expectations to preparing them as spokespeople Manage the development of goals/KPIs/business objectives with client Provide strategic counsel on media plans/campaigns Provide analysis of PR objectives and outcomes Drive media results through outreach and creative story ideation Provide strategic counsel on written content (ideation/execution/amplification) Maintain quality standards across OnBoard accounts Spearhead key initiatives, programs and events for agency development i.e. agency marketing, employee onboarding/recruitment, off-sites, etc. Lead skills and professional development across the agency Coach and mentor internal team members, conducting annual performance reviews Champion the agency values/brand both inside and outside the company Act as an integral member of the senior management team, making strategic decisions that set the appropriate direction for the agency, its accounts and its people Vice President, OnBoard Skills & Qualifications Bachelor's degree At least 10 years client or agency PR/communications experience, with significant experience working with early-stage startups and founderse Demonstrated ability to drive meaningful media results, including landing top-tier coverage for companies no one has heard of yet Plugged into the daily tech news cycle, with a sharp sense of what makes a startup or founder newsworthy A trusted advisor who delivers strong, candid counsel (even when it's not what founders want to hear) A patient, resourceful teacher who enjoys guiding first-time early-stage startups and founders through PR Excellent presentation and verbal communication skills Detail oriented and focus on setting and managing to a high bar A creative mindset Brilliant writing skills Demonstrated ability to grow account teams/client relationships and agencies/companies Experience or demonstrated expertise in talent development across all levels - from the most junior to senior leaders Experience or demonstrated ability to manage multiple key stakeholders (clients, partners, customers, other agencies, etc.) Ability to set appropriate client expectations and provide thoughtful analysis on PR outcomes Business acumen with the ability to represent the agency across a range of key audiences We understand that a job description may not capture all of the skills and experiences that can contribute to success in this role. If you have a passion for media strategy and external storytelling, we want to hear from you, regardless of whether you fit neatly into all of the criteria listed above.