Karla Otto is a globally recognized public relations and communications agency, founded in 1982, with offices in 15 key cities across the UK, EMEA, US, and Asia. With a strong presence in fashion capitals such as Milan, London, Paris, and New York, the agency has built a reputation for representing some of the most prestigious names in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle.
In 2017, Karla Otto merged with K2 to form THE INDEPENDENTS, a global marketing, design, and communications group. This collective brings together industry leaders who share a commitment to innovation, excellence, and thoughtful collaboration across the luxury and lifestyle sectors.
At Karla Otto, our team of expert strategists, designers, planners and publicists are dedicated to delivering exceptional results and establishing long-term partnerships with our clients. We are passionate about the world of fashion, beauty, and luxury, with everyone bringing their unique expertise and insights to the table. We are driven by a shared commitment to excellence and a deep understanding of the ever-evolving industry landscape.
The Account Manager is a strategic, client-facing leader within Karla Otto’s Design and Lifestyle team, responsible for translating brand ambition into compelling communications strategies and culturally relevant opportunities that drive visibility, relevance, and impact. This role sits at the intersection of cultural strategy, media relations, and team leadership, serving as a trusted day-to-day partner to clients while providing strategic counsel across launches, campaigns, partnerships, events, and experiential moments.
The Account Manager is both a strategic thinker and hands-on communications lead — someone who can identify the story, shape the narrative, build the right media strategy, and lead its execution from idea through impact. They bring a strong understanding of the design, lifestyle, hospitality, art, and cultural landscape, with the editorial judgment to identify what is genuinely newsworthy and the relationships and creativity to turn those opportunities into meaningful coverage and cultural conversation.
This position is ideal for someone who combines strong editorial instincts, established media relationships, cultural curiosity, and commercial awareness with the ability to lead teams and clients with confidence. They should be proactive in identifying unexpected opportunities for clients, constantly looking beyond traditional PR to find new ways for brands to participate in culture, and capable of developing integrated communications programs that build both immediate visibility and long-term brand equity.
Key Responsibilities
Client Strategy & Leadership
Collaborate on the development and execution of communications strategies that support clients’ commercial and cultural objectives
Serve as a day-to-day client contact, providing strategic counsel across launches, campaigns, and special projects
Ensure all activity aligns with broader brand positioning, cultural context, and long-term goals
Identify opportunities and challenges proactively and communicate them clearly to clients
Demonstrate understanding of clients' priorities and translate them into communications strategy
Media & Cultural Relations
Maintain and grow strong relationships with key editors, writers, and cultural voices across design, lifestyle, art, culture, and business media
Oversee the quality, consistency, and relevance of all external communications
Identify emerging media platforms, cultural moments, and storytelling opportunities that elevate brand perception
Develop and execute proactive media outreach and pitching
Lead story development, angles, exclusives, profiles, features, and announcements
Manage press materials, media lists, briefings, interviews, and follow-ups
Secure meaningful coverage, not just maintain relationships
Team Management & Development
Support the management and development of junior team members, including oversight of workflows and deliverables
Collaborate with line manager and senior leadership on resourcing, timelines, and performance feedback
Events & Experiential
Lead communications strategy around launches, events, cultural moments, and experiential activations
Develop media strategy, guest lists, press attendance, on-site media management, and post-event amplification
Reporting & Measurement
Use qualitative and quantitative insights to assess campaign performance and inform future strategy
Guide teams on reporting frameworks that demonstrate impact, reach, and return on investment
What We Offer
Medical, Dental, and Vision plans
401K Employer Match program
Commuter Benefits
Paid Time Off including Vacation Days, Personal Days, Sick Days, and additional Comp Days
Company-wide closure last week of the year
10 Federal Holidays Observed
Salary: $80,000-$85,000
At Karla Otto, we are always looking for personalities with positive charisma who are enthusiastic, self-motivated, and have a keen sense of aesthetics.
Karla Otto embraces and celebrates diversity, inclusivity, and equal opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. Karla Otto provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.
We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join our team!
Skills Required
- Strong editorial instincts and established media relationships
- Understanding of design, lifestyle, hospitality, art, and cultural landscapes
- Experience developing and executing communications strategies and proactive media outreach
- Ability to provide strategic client counsel and lead client-facing communications
- Ability to manage and develop junior team members
- Commercial awareness and ability to identify culturally relevant opportunities
What We Do
The Independents is a global marketing, design, and communications group serving leaders across the luxury and lifestyle sectors. It brings together specialized creative partners and combines innovation, culture, technology, and collaborative expertise to develop results-driven solutions for ambitious brands. Its capabilities span brand experience, strategy, design, production, and communications, helping clients build distinctive identities and connect more effectively with audiences worldwide.
