Director, Catalyst

Director, Catalyst 

Golin Chicago is looking for an experienced, highly motivated Director, Catalyst to lead integrated teams and client interface for an iconic QSR brand that is synonymous with culture.  

Golin has been on a winning streak of recognition: PRWeek’s Best Place to Work, Provoke Media’s Global Agency of the Year, PRWeek’s Large Agency of the year and winning two Grand Prix at Cannes.   

Riding the wave of recognition and award-winning work, the Director, Catalyst has an incredible opportunity to comfortably lead (with autonomy) a large cross section of smart agency and client teams (at all levels) that helps promote and protect the brand in Chicago and keep Golin on top.   

It’s an exciting time for the agency to continue to deliver impactful earned work that builds brands and reputations, and we know other brands can benefit from the award-winning work we create.  

This person will have the capes and intuitive “know-how” to not only drive strategy and execution, but also create powerful campaigns and programs to create positive impact.  

In addition to leading award-winning consumer brand campaigns, you will also have a critical focus on driving deeper storytelling that breaks through in culture with diverse audiences.  

This person understands what it means to EARN attention and is comfortable rolling up their sleeves on all tactical matters from media to digital to events, and collaborate closely (leading integrated efforts) with other agency partners in the areas of event operations, paid media), sport sponsorship activation(s). With a can-do attitude you will develop and drive strategic and creative initiatives, serve as the daily client go-to and manage multiple members of a top-notch team on a variety of projects. 

What You’ll Do: 

• Serve as client lead on campaign programming 

• Develop comprehensive strategic integrated communication plans 

• Lead day to day counsel to clients on strategic and tactical campaign matters, helping to connect strategic dots across all aspects of the business. 

• Proactively generate new ideas and opportunities for the development of strategic client plans and assist with the creation of related budgets 

• Partner with key team members across specialist communities to develop, sell-in and earned-led creative; traditional media plans and social/influencer works  

• Partner with and lead IAT agencies to develop integrated communications plans 

• Develop an intimate knowledge of your clients’ business and audiences  

• Design and execute mid to large scale client events and PR programs and activations 

• Provide leadership and executional excellence to agency team and clients during program implementation 

• Develop deep knowledge of relevant industry events 

• Manage external vendors 

• Assist with supervision and development of junior team members 

• Work well with a variety of key internal and external stakeholders 

Qualifications:   

• Bachelor's Degree in a related discipline  

• 7+ years of PR agency or related professional communications experience  

• Proven ability to develop work that is client-ready with minimal oversight   

• Experience managing budgets and resources   

• A collaborative spirit, results driven with the capacity to manage multiple priorities and work against deadlines   

• Excellent organizational and planning skills; able to work quickly under pressure, handling and prioritizing multiple assignments   

• Experience working on large consumer brands  

• Experience managing and mentoring junior level team members    

• The ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment   

• Demonstrable experience leading large client projects   

• Excellent writing, copy-editing, and proof-reading skills  

About Us:  

Golin is a global public relations agency that helps companies create change that matters. Together, we discover powerful human truths that bind us, create with bravery and collaborate inclusively and obsessively. Golin’s 1700+ global employees operate across 50+ offices worldwide, allowing us to provide our clients with comprehensive solutions for multi-market, regional and global communications programs.  

Golin is a progressive public relations agency designed to reach a profoundly diverse market. Inclusion is a core value for Golin, and we are focused on establishing a culture that is intentionally inclusive, potently diverse, and uncompromisingly equitable.    

Our expertise ranges from brand-building and cutting-edge digital content to corporate reputation, healthcare advocacy and measurement. Golin aligns earned-first, data-driven creative with the customer journey through our collaborative integrated team model.   

We tend to Go All In, in everything we do. We’re especially committed to going all in for our people, with a comprehensive benefits and time off program. Our culture is built around happy people who are the best at what we do!   

Salary Range: $94,000 – $165,000 

Golin has included the base salary range or hourly rate for this role. Actual compensation offered within the range will depend upon, among other factors: a candidate’s skills, qualifications, and experience; actual ranges for current or former employees in the role; and market considerations.  

Any request to schedule an interview and any legitimate offer of employment will only come from an authorized representative of Golin. We will never require an applicant to provide sensitive personally identifiable information in order to conduct an interview.  

Golin is an Equal Opportunity Employer – M/F/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.