Director, Public Relations

Karsh Hagan Madden (KHM) is an independent marketing agency formed through the merger of Karsh Hagan and Madden Media with 5 decades of creative and strategic legacy with 1 unified shop!

We blend bold storytelling with precision media, PR, geospatial targeting, and observation-led strategy to help brands close the gap between how they are seen and how they are felt. Madden built our reputation in destination marketing and tourism. Karsh has spent years building brands in healthcare, banking, higher education, and retail alongside it. Together, we believe the strongest brands build communities, and our goal is to differentiate them in a world where consumers want something that means something to them.

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You're a confident communicator and collaborative leader who knows how to build strong relationships-both internally and externally. You're comfortable representing Madden within the destination marketing and public relations industry and enjoy working alongside a team that supports one another.

You're great leadership isn't just about setting the strategy-it's about inspiring, empowering, and enabling your team to bring it to life. You're energized by helping others learn and grow, contributing your own expertise, and finding ways to make the team stronger and more effective.

Most importantly, you thrive in a dynamic agency environment where priorities move quickly, collaboration matters, and every day brings something new.

As a Director, Public Relations
, you'll play a key leadership role in shaping PR strategy, strengthening media relationships, and delivering meaningful results for our destination clients.

You'll lead client strategy and communications while guiding agile teams through execution, helping our clients connect with travelers and inspire them to experience destinations across the United States. You’ll also help strengthen Madden's broader PR practice through team leadership, corporate communications, business development, and staying ahead of trends across the industry.

• Strategic Leadership: Spearhead end-to-end PR strategy, brand positioning, and execution for a portfolio of top-tier accounts, consistently driving high-impact media placements and client retention.
• Team Scale & Leadership: Direct and mentor an agency PR department of approximately 15 multi-level practitioners, fostering an agile environment built on accountability, professional development, and cross-functional collaboration.
• High-Stakes Relationship Management: Cultivate and leverage senior-level relationships with national media outlets, key journalists, and executive stakeholders to secure tier-one coverage and strategic industry partnerships.
• Business Development & Revenue Growth: Lead PR growth initiatives-orchestrating pitch strategy, scope definition, and competitive pricing models that expanded client retainers and new accounts.
• Operations & Efficiency: Collaborate with team leads to author and standardize departmental SOPs across the agency, streamlining workflow efficiency by elevating consistency in client deliverables.
• Data-Informed Insights: Synthesize media analytics, performance metrics, and emerging PR trends to refine client strategy, quantify ROI, and capture new market opportunities.

• Strong experience developing and leading public relations and media relations strategies.
• Proven ability to lead client relationships, strategy, and deliverables.
• Strong media relations skills with experience building and maintaining relationships with writers and media contacts.
• Demonstrated people-management experience and leadership with a passion for coaching and developing others.
• Excellent written and…