Account Director, Corporate Communications

Praytell · Chicago, IL

Posted 7/27/2026 · last confirmed live 8/26/2026

Praytell is a creative communications agency made up of strategic minds, spirited hearts and people with a strong instinctive recoil from anything remotely boring. We create culture-driven, integrated work that earns attention, sparks conversation and makes people… well, give a shit. But more than that, we’re a team of curious builders, thoughtful challengers and collaborative problem-solvers who believe the best work starts with a simple question: what if we? What if we pushed the idea further? Solved the problem differently? Built something better? Our work moves fast, evolves constantly and rarely fits neatly inside a box - which is exactly how we like it. The people who thrive here ask questions, chase ideas, spot opportunities and care enough to go beyond the brief. They don’t wait for a perfect roadmap or a tap on the shoulder - they’re energized by figuring things out, making things better and helping shape what comes next. We hold ourselves to a high bar, but we’re not pretending to be a perfect agency filled with perfect people doing perfect work 100% of the time. We’re humans. Sometimes the work runs late. Sometimes the process is still being built. Sometimes there isn’t a policy, playbook or perfect answer for every little thing. What we do have is a genuine commitment to getting better - evolving how we work, support our people and build the kind of agency we want to be, together. So that’s our promise to you. If curiosity drives you, ownership excites you and “what if we?” feels more like a life mantra than a question - we’d love to hear from you. The Opportunity As an Account Director, Corporate Communications, you will: Client Service Start with “Yes": Inspire confidence and momentum, helping clients navigate complex business challenges with thoughtful, actionable counsel. Spidey Senses in Tune: Anticipate reputational risks, emerging issues and stakeholder concerns before they escalate. No Ego, No B.S.: Lead with humility, putting the success of clients and teammates ahead of personal recognition. Trust & Transparency: Serve as a trusted advisor by providing candid feedback, sound judgment and clear recommendations, even when conversations are difficult. Sense of Humor & Short Memory: Remain calm under pressure, helping clients and teams navigate high-stakes moments with perspective and resilience. Spirit of Partnership: Build enduring relationships with senior client stakeholders, becoming a trusted extension of their team and consistently delivering strategic value. Account & Team Management Business & Reputation Expertise: Lead integrated corporate communications programs spanning executive communications and thought leadership; business and trade media relations strategy; financial, DEI and sustainability communications; corporate reputation and issues management; and internal communications. Time & Budget Tracking: Manage the financial performance of multiple accounts, ensuring budgets, forecasts and scopes align with client expectations and profitability goals. Workflow Management: Drive team workflows and operational excellence, ensuring projects are delivered efficiently and with exceptional quality. Staffing: Partner with leadership to assess resourcing needs, support hiring decisions and build high-performing teams. Employee Development: Coach and mentor team members through regular feedback, career development conversations and opportunities to stretch and grow. Effective Communication Client Communication: Lead day-to-day and executive-level client communications, driving strategic discussions, aligning stakeholders and helping clients make informed business decisions. Executive Counsel: Support agency leaders in advising C-suite executives and leadership teams on messaging, positioning and strategic communications that strengthen reputation and advance business objectives. Written Materials: Develop and refine executive messaging, corporate narratives, speeches, media materials, thought leadership, internal communications and other high-impact deliverables. Deck Development: Build compelling presentations that clearly communicate business challenges, strategic recommendations and measurable outcomes. Presentation Skills: Lead executive meetings, workshops and presentations with confidence, tailoring recommendations for senior stakeholders. Strategy & Planning Corporate Reputation Audits: Evaluate brand perception, stakeholder sentiment, media landscape and competitive positioning to identify risks, opportunities and strategic recommendations. Stakeholder Analysis: Develop communications strategies rooted in a deep understanding of employees, customers, media, investors, policymakers and other key stakeholders. Corporate Communications Strategy: Develop integrated communications strategies that strengthen corporate reputation, support business priorities and align executive, earned, internal and owned communications. Media Relations: Develop proactive media relations strategies that build credibility, strengthen reputation and support business objectives. Executive & Financial Communications: Lead communications surrounding funding announcements, acquisitions, earnings, executive transitions, strategic milestones and other market-moving events, partnering with executive leadership and investor relations teams when appropriate. Issues & Crisis Communications: Develop issues preparedness plans and counsel clients through complex, fast-moving communications challenges with confidence and sound judgment. Internal Communications: Develop internal communications strategies that reinforce business priorities, organizational change and company culture. Narrative & Executive Positioning Corporate Storytelling: Shape compelling narratives around company purpose, innovation, growth and key business milestones. Thought Leadership: Position executives and organizations as trusted industry leaders through bylines, original content and strategic points of view. Executive Visibility: Drive speaking opportunities, media engagements, award strategies and executive platforms that build influence and credibility. Integrated Campaign Concepts: Create reputation-building campaigns that connect corporate storytelling with broader business objectives and consumer-facing programming. Measurement & Reporting Data Analysis, Interpretation and Action: Analyze media, reputation and stakeholder insights to identify trends, risks and opportunities and provide actionable, strategic recommendations that strengthen reputation and support business objectives. Stakeholder Communication: Present executive-ready insights and recommendations that clearly connect communications outcomes to business impact. Goal Alignment & Performance Metrics: Establish meaningful success metrics, evaluate program performance and continuously optimize strategies based on results. Compensation, Benefits & Perks Beyond the role itself, we’ve built a place that genuinely shows up for its people - and that comes through in how we think about benefits and the overall employee experience. We offer a robust package designed to support your health, wellbeing, growth, future self and life outside of work. Salary: $105,000 - $130,000 (This range reflects the minimum and maximum compensation for the role. We typically make offers within the 25th to 75th percentiles of the range and do not exceed the listed maximum. Final offers are based on experience, skills and qualifications.) Benefits & Perks Comprehensive health care coverage Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) 401(k) with company match Flexible Time Off (FTO) 18 company holidays Flex Fridays PrayCare wellness stipend and Rebalance Day Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Paid parental leave and fertility support Training, learning and professional development programs Camp Praytell Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) And more! Interview Process Please note: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we're unfortunately not able to respond to every applicant individually. While we review every application, we'll only be in touch with candidates we're moving forward with. We know how tough it can be to wait and wonder, especially in today's job market, so in the spirit of transparency: if you haven't heard from us within 10 business days of applying, it means we've decided to move forward with other candidates for this particular role. We truly appreciate the time, energy and care that goes into every application, and we'll keep your information on file for future opportunities that may be a fit. Our interview process typically takes 4-6 weeks and includes: Application Review: Before applying, please review the location requirements for this role. Unfortunately, candidates who do not meet the location requirement will not be considered. Phone Screen (30 minutes) Team Interview (30-60 minutes) Leadership Interview (30 minutes) Take-Home Exercise (TBD): A short, client-agnostic assignment designed to help us better understand how you think, approach challenges and tackle the work. Candidates who complete the exercise will receive a stipend via electronic gift card. Offer Target Start Date: August 2026 Who We Are We are an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all people and do not discriminate - period. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment in accordance with federal, state and local laws. We prohibit workplace harassment and discrimination of any kind and are committed to building an inclusive workplace in every location where we operate.

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