Director of PR

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Role: Director of PR
Location: SmarterX HQ (Cleveland)
Reports To: Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)

About SmarterX

SmarterX is an AI transformation company. We educate and empower leaders to reimagine business models, reinvent industries, and rethink what's possible. 

  • We believe AI will rapidly transform businesses, industries, jobs, the economy, educational systems, and society. 
  • We believe you can build a smarter version of any business through a responsible, human-centered approach to AI.
  • We believe the future of all business is AI native, AI emergent, or obsolete.  
  • We believe AI education and training is the foundation for success in every organization.

Our goal is to Accelerate AI Literacy for AllTM through courses, content and events. Consulting and speaking are also secondary solutions under the SmarterX brand.

SmarterX has three primary public-facing business units and brands:

  • Marketing AI Institute: Media, event and education business founded in 2016 that is designed to make AI approachable and actionable for marketers. The Institute has more than 90,000 contacts, and its flagship in-person conference, MAICON, draws 1,000+ marketers to Cleveland each year. 
  • AI Academy by SmarterX: Originally launched in 2020 under the Marketing AI Institute brand, AI Academy is being spun off as a dedicated site and brand. AI Academy is a high-growth business unit designed to prepare individuals and organizations for the future of work by making AI education accessible and personalized.
  • The Artificial Intelligence Show: The podcast is SmarterX’s fastest growing media channel with 65,000+ downloads per month. The podcast serves as a promotional tool and lead generator for SmarterX and its business units. 

SmarterX also has an internal AI Content Studio that supports audience growth, demand generation, and customer success across all brands / business units. The AI Content Studio produces blog posts, books, blueprints, courses, newsletters, podcasts, presentations, research, videos and webinars.

Role Overview

The Director of PR will be responsible for managing external and internal communications, driving thought leadership, and building SmarterX’s presence across media, government, and industry networks. This role will oversee media relations, spokesperson duties, partner and government relations, and internal communications while advocating for the AI Literacy Project.

Key Responsibilities

Thought Leadership & Spokesperson Duties

  • Position SmarterX executives as leading voices in the AI industry through speaking engagements and media opportunities.
  • Serve as a spokesperson for SmarterX, representing the company at industry events, conferences, and public forums.
  • Secure and manage bookings for speaking engagements, workshops, podcasts, interviews, and panel discussions to enhance visibility.

Media & Community Relations

  • Develop and maintain strong relationships with journalists, media outlets, and influencers.
  • Manage all media interactions, ensuring clear, consistent, and impactful messaging.
  • Oversee community engagement efforts, fostering relationships with key stakeholders and industry groups.

Government & Partner Relations

  • Build and maintain relationships with government agencies, policymakers, and advocacy groups, industry associations, educational institutions to drive AI education initiatives.
  • Collaborate with strategic partners to amplify AI literacy efforts and expand SmarterX’s influence.
  • Support industry coalitions and advisory groups to advance responsible AI adoption.

Internal Communications & Brand Advocacy

  • Develop and implement internal communication strategies that align employees with SmarterX’s mission and initiatives.
  • Work cross-functionally to ensure PR and messaging are aligned with brand and business objectives.

AI Literacy Project Advocacy

  • Building support and engagement for SmarterX’s AI Literacy Project.
  • Serve as a public advocate for AI literacy, positioning SmarterX as a thought leader in AI education and responsible AI adoption.
  • Develop and execute strategic PR initiatives to promote the importance of AI literacy across industries, government, and media.
  • Collaborate with educational institutions, policymakers, and industry leaders to advance AI education and workforce transformation initiatives.
  • Secure speaking engagements, media placements, and editorial opportunities that reinforce SmarterX’s leadership in AI literacy.
  • Drive engagement in AI literacy-focused campaigns, research reports, and public awareness initiatives to expand reach and influence.

AI Agent Management

  • Support AI agent planning, development, management and integration.
  • Oversee and optimize the use of AI-powered PR and media monitoring agents to track industry trends and sentiment.
  • Ensure AI agents are trained to provide accurate real-time insights and reporting on media coverage.
  • Continuously refine AI-driven PR workflows to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

Qualifications & Experience

  • Proven experience in public relations, corporate communications, or media relations.
  • Strong network of media contacts and experience securing high-profile coverage.
  • Exceptional public speaking, storytelling, and executive positioning skills.
  • Experience in government relations, community engagement, or industry advocacy is a plus.
  • Ability to develop and execute high-impact PR strategies aligned with business goals.
  • Familiarity with AI-driven media monitoring and PR automation tools.
  • Deep experience with HubSpot is preferred.
  • Advanced prompting abilities with standard LLMs and reasoning models. 
  • Extensive experience with OpenAI ChatGPT, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini and / or Microsoft Copilot. 

Compensation & Benefits

  • Competitive base salary with performance-based incentives.
  • Profit-sharing and long-term incentive opportunities.
  • Eligible for the company’s Phantom Stock Program, allowing participation in future company growth.
  • Comprehensive benefits package (health, dental, vision, Simple IRA, etc.).
  • Flexible work environment with a strong team culture.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit their resume and a cover letter outlining their experience and vision for PR strategy at SmarterX. Apply here!