Director of Public Relations

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute an integrated public relations strategy aligned with Rate’s business objectives, brand identity, and growth priorities.
• Build distinct earned media strategies across corporate reputation, business press, trade media, consumer PR, product storytelling, executive visibility, wellness initiatives, and industry leadership.
• Identify and package compelling stories across the business, including product innovation, homeownership, customer experience, community impact, company culture, wellness initiatives, partnerships, market trends, and leadership perspectives.
• Build and manage relationships with top-tier journalists, editors, producers, and media outlets across national business, financial services, real estate, fintech, mortgage, personal finance, lifestyle, consumer, wellness, and trade media.
• Drive executive visibility for Rate’s leadership team through thought leadership programs, media placements, speaking opportunities, awards, contributed content, and timely commentary.
• Own external messaging frameworks, media narratives, press materials, executive talking points, briefing documents, reactive statements, and communications guidance.
• Lead proactive media strategy, including trend commentary, data-driven storylines, executive POVs, product narratives, consumer insights, wellness-adjacent brand stories, and timely responses to relevant industry and cultural moments.
• Manage all aspects of proactive and reactive media relations, including media outreach, interview preparation, inbound press inquiries, issues management, and crisis communications.
• Lead reputation management efforts, including media monitoring, scenario planning, response strategy, cross-functional alignment, and executive counsel.
• Partner closely with Marketing, Brand, Social, Product, Growth, Recruiting, Legal, Compliance, and Executive Leadership to align earned media with company priorities, campaigns, product launches, milestones, wellness initiatives, and reputation-sensitive moments.

Requirements

• 8+ years of progressive public relations, corporate communications, or integrated communications experience, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Demonstrated success securing meaningful coverage across national business, consumer, trade, industry, lifestyle, and/or wellness-adjacent media.
• Experience managing both corporate/business press and consumer-facing media strategies.
• Proven ability to develop and execute executive communications, thought leadership, and media visibility programs.
• Strong understanding of how earned media supports brand trust, consumer relevance, executive authority, reputation, recruiting, and business growth.
• Ability to translate complex business, financial, product, industry, or brand information into clear, compelling stories for different audiences.
• Established media relationships across business, trade, real estate, fintech, personal finance, lifestyle, consumer, wellness, and/or national media.
• Strong crisis communications and issues management experience; you stay calm, move quickly, and communicate clearly when it matters most.
• Exceptional writer and storyteller with sharp editorial instincts, strong judgment, and the ability to identify what is newsworthy, what is brand-building, and what requires restraint.
• Experience advising senior executives and preparing leaders for interviews, speaking opportunities, presentations, and reputation-sensitive moments.

Preferred

• Experience in financial services, mortgage, fintech, real estate, personal finance, technology, consumer brands, wellness, or another highly regulated or complex industry is a strong plus.
• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, or a related field.

Benefits

• The company offers a comprehensive benefits program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k); vacation benefits; eligibility for medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug benefits; flexible benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts); life insurance and death benefits; critical care insurance; personal accidental insurance; commuter benefits; pet insurance; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program); and other supplemental benefits (e.g. legal planning assistance; identity theft protection; pet insurance; wellness resources).
• Please click this link to learn more about our benefit offerings for Washington State: Benefit Offerings for Washington State