Manager, Public Relations

Overview

The Manager, Public Relations is responsible for managing external public relations strategies and initiatives to position Planet Fitness as the leader in health and wellness while helping to support the Company’s reputation. The Manager, Public Relations partners with the Sr. Director, Communications to elevate Planet Fitness’ brand awareness through public relations initiatives, brand storytelling, media relations, and crisis support.

This role follows a hybrid schedule and requires regular, in-person work at our Boston, MA or Hampton, NH office. Our hybrid model is M/T/W in office and TH/F are optional work-from-home. Candidates must reside within commuting distance of one of these locations. Fully remote work is not available for this role.

• Oversees and drives the development and execution of national and local PR strategies to build brand awareness, drive consideration and support key business objectives.
• Collaborates on executive visibility strategies, positioning c-suite executives as thought leaders in the fitness and wellness space through media, speaking and thought leadership opportunities.
• Serves as the primary contact for the national PR agency and manages 15+ local PR agencies to execute key brand initiatives and PR programming.
• Partners cross-functionally with marketing, social, operations and franchisee teams to amplify PR moments across owned and earned channels.
• Leads PR support for key brand moments, campaigns, and events (e.g., High School Summer Pass, New Year's Eve), ensuring strong media engagement and coverage
• Develops and leads strong relationships with national and local media outlets, handling media requests, coordinating press interviews, developing media materials and securing high-impact media coverage, ensuring Planet Fitness is included in relevant news stories and industry trend stories.
• Leads the development, writing, editing, and reviewing of external communications including press releases, media pitches, bylines/articles, briefing documents, award submissions and more.
• Ensures that all materials are communicated clearly from a unified voice and positively positions the Planet Fitness brand.
• Leads crisis communication plans to mitigate risks and protect the brand’s reputation.
• Works cross functionally with legal, operations, and leadership to craft crisis response messaging and provides counsel to franchisees.
• Monitors news cycles, social media and industry trends to anticipate and address potential PR challenges.
• Owns PR measurement and reporting, tracking press coverage, analyzing PR performance metrics and providing thought leadership for ongoing improvement
• Oversees PR budget, agency performance and invoicing.

• Bachelor's degree in Public Relations, Communications, or a related field
• 5+ years of experience in Public Relations/Marketing
• Proven experience developing and executing PR strategies that drive brand awareness and business impact
• Strong media relations experience with a demonstrated track record of securing high-impact, meaningful coverage
• Experience developing executive communication strategies and partnering closely with C-suite leadership
• Experience managing external PR agencies and coordinating efforts across multiple markets; franchise experience preferred
• Experience in crisis communications and issues management, with the ability to navigate complex, high-stakes situations
• Excellent writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with the ability to tailor messaging for diverse audiences and channels
• Strong analytical mindset with experience measuring PR performance and translating insights into actionable recommendations
• Extremely efficient and organized with an exceptional ability to establish priorities and objectives
• Excellent presentation and communication skills along with the ability to communicate effectively across all levels of the organization
• Able to establish and maintain effective, collaborative work relationships with diverse individuals, internally and externally
• Creative, progressive, thought leadership with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization
• Excellent leadership skills including the ability…