Careers
If you bring out-of-the-box thinking with a dash of hustle and a pinch of agency pedigree, but you’re looking for a new agency home that thinks differently, then we should connect.
We are always looking to expand our team with marketing leadership minds and kind, good souls. Come join our spool of marketing leaders.
Open Positions
Internship
Rolling Internship Opportunities
Spool Marketing and Communications is looking for candidates available for a full-time, paid internship to assist our teams in the execution of programs, tactics, planning and the objective of raising awareness for our client’s. We are looking for interns with a good work ethic, strong intellectual curiosity and a desire to work hard and have fun.
What you'll be working on:
- Creating media lists
- Drafting, disseminating and pitching media alerts and press releases
- Identifying and reaching out to social influencers
- Participating in brainstorms and project meetings
- Creation of publicity materials and media kits
- Conducting research
- Media monitoring
- Compiling news summaries and providing general office support
What you’ll need to succeed:
- Impeccable time management and prioritization skills
- Ability to coordinate projects from inception to completion and meet demanding deadlines
- Excellent verbal and written skills
- Strong interpersonal and customer service skills
Education & Minimum Qualifications:
- University/college graduate
- Bachelor’s degree in public relations, mass communications, journalism or related field
- Public Relations experience preferred
- Previous agency experience, including internships, desired
Compensation:
- $15/hour
Senior Account Executive
Senior Account Executive
Join our Chicago-based team at Spool as a Senior Account Executive. In this role, you will manage and support key accounts, primarily focusing on media relations and story development for clientele spanning both consumer and B2B sectors.
We're seeking an individual passionate about media relations. Someone who can craft captivating stories that resonate with media and consumers alike. While managing vital accounts, you will also collaborate with our dynamic team across Spool’s extensive client base. Essential to this role is your ability to provide leadership, present innovative ideas, spot trends, and foster teamwork.
Responsibilities:
- Understand Spool’s clients, their goals and audiences, crafting tailored solutions.
- Monitor and analyze media trends that influence our clients.
- Generate and pitch compelling story ideas and craft impactful media materials
- Develop strategic messaging and integrated media plans.
- Identify social trends and how they play a relevant role in comprehensive PR plans
- Own vendor relationships and responsibilities for large and small-scale events
- Engage with influencers to bolster client brands and objectives.
- Recommend earned and comms strategies across multiple channels.
- Conduct research and deliver executive summaries.
- Participate in and contribute to creative brainstorming.
- Serve as a mentor and role model within the team.
- Ensure vendor relations align with budgets and service expectations.
- Support client and agency financial discussions.
- Contribute to agency growth and new business efforts.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree
- Minimum of 3-5 years of public relations or related experience, preferably in an agency environment.
- Demonstrated success in fostering strong relationships with key media and a track record of securing coverage in various media outlets.
- Proven ability to manage client relationships, understanding their needs, and delivering successful PR campaigns.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication abilities, including crafting press releases, client presentations, and media pitches.
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring timely delivery and adherence to deadlines.
- Proficiency in developing and executing strategic PR plans that align with client objectives and KPIs.
- Familiarity with digital PR tools and platforms, including media databases, social media, and analytics tools.
- Keen eye for identifying industry trends and insights to leverage in PR strategies.
- Experience working collaboratively within a team, guiding junior staff, and contributing positively to the agency's culture.
- Ability to troubleshoot challenges, provide solutions, and navigate crisis communications when needed.
- Established network within the industry, including media, influencers, and other PR professionals.
- Competency in presenting ideas, strategies, and results to clients and internal teams.
- Experience in managing PR campaign budgets, ensuring optimal allocation of resources.
- Commitment to professional growth through attending workshops, seminars, and staying updated with industry best practices.
- Adherence to the highest ethical standards in PR, ensuring transparency and honesty in all communications.
- Understanding of diversity and inclusion, ensuring PR campaigns are sensitive and cater to diverse audiences.
- Familiarity with PR software and tools such as Cision, Meltwater, or similar platforms.
- Ability to brainstorm, conceptualize, and implement innovative PR campaigns.
- Comfortable in a fast-paced environment and capable of adapting to changing client needs or industry shifts.
Thank you for your interest in working at Spool. As you take a look at open positions, if you see any that you may not meet 100% of the qualifications for but believe you could be successful within, please apply anyway.
Data shows men will apply for jobs when they meet approximately 60% of a position's criteria, yet women and other people systematically marginalized tend to apply only if they meet every requirement. At Spool, we want builders, dreamers, workers and curious thinkers. If you believe you can thrive in this role, even if you don't check every box of the position's criteria, please apply. We are committed to considering all candidates including those with diverse employment backgrounds and experiences (and tell you what, we'd hire someone who worked retail or hospitality over a fancy schmancy internship any day).
Whether you're new to PR and marketing or returning to the workplace after a gap, or you're ready for the next chapter in your career, we would love to consider you as part of our team at Spool.
Please send us a note to tell us about your passions, skills and experience. We're out-of-the-box thinkers here at Spool and we'd be fools to not consider people who bring out-of-the-box experiences to the agency.
Spool's Team Pledge
We work each day to ensure we’re not like the last place you may have worked. Part of that entails signing the Spool Pledge, which each and every member of our team accountable. If this sounds like you, we’d love to talk!
As you take a look at open positions, if you see any that you may not meet 100% of the qualifications for but believe you could be successful within, please apply anyway.
Data shows men will apply for jobs when they meet approximately 60% of a position’s criteria, yet women and other people systematically marginalized tend to apply only if they meet every requirement. At Spool, we want builders, dreamers, workers and doers (we’re not big fans of box-checkers and mover-on’ers). If you believe you can thrive in this role, even if you don’t check every box of the position’s criteria, please apply. We are committed to considering all candidates including those with diverse employment backgrounds and experiences (and tell you what, we’d hire someone who worked retail or hospitality over a fancy schmancy internship any day).
Whether you’re new to PR and marketing or returning to the workplace after a gap, or you’re ready for the next chapter in your career, we would love to consider you as part of our team at Spool.
Please send us a note to tell us about your passions and skills; tell us how working at a nonprofit would fit perfectly in the role we’re hiring for. Again, we’re out-of-the-box thinkers here at Spool and we’d be fools to not consider people who bring out-of-the-box experiences to the agency.
Expectations
- We live our values every single day and we will always strive to live and work ‘above the line’ (i.e. to uphold this pledge and all it entails).
- Authenticity
- Curiosity
- Agility
- Impact
- Ego and gossip has no home at Spool and won’t be tolerated. Both create hostility, negativity and are a waste of time and energy.
- We always assume people are doing their best (colleagues and clients alike).
- As a learning culture, we receive feedback with openness, not defensiveness; share feedback with empathy and purpose.
- We embrace the “I have my way, you have your way, there’s not a right way or a wrong way” of working and learn from one another. So long as the work is getting done, people are able to work through their styles.
- We are respectful of everyone’s time and ask questions after we’ve already done work in trying to find the solution.
- We’re not box-checkers and hard workers, but rather, we are thinkers, curious and *smart* workers who do everything in our power to deliver exceptional work each and every time.
- We have our teams’ backs 110% of the time.
- We are accountable for our work and the role we play at Spool.
- Flexibility in our work styles ultimately derives from the accountability of our work and support for our teams.
- We commit to doing our best, every day, both in work and throughout our communities to make it a better place for all.
About Spool
In 2021, Spool was named the fastest-growing agency among over 250 global agencies. Spool was founded on the belief that the world doesn’t need another agency, but perhaps it could use a new type of agency. We embrace a startup mindset that pushes our work and its impact for our clients’ growth. We also have a lot of fun along the way. If you’re ambitious and eager to grow your career, there’s no better time or place than at Spool. We have always offered lots of flexibility (well before Covid), lots of time off, paid holidays (20 in 2023), Summer Fridays, benefits and access to profit sharing.
- Office closures:
- We have both summer and winter breaks in which Spool closes. In 2023 they are the week of July 4th and the week between Christmas and New Years’.
Why Spool?
We put our people before profits. Seriously. We’ve resigned toxic clients and expect as much from them to be partners as we do from every employee at Spool. We also believe in being a positive force in this world and strive to do that through our work, our ideas and how we as an agency run.
We strongly encourage people of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities to apply. As an equal-opportunity employer, Spool is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, and welcomes everyone to our team. We welcome you to note which pronouns you use (For example – she/her/hers, he/him/his, they/them/theirs, etc). Should you require reasonable accommodation at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know.
- Our benefits:
- Generous paid time off
- Medical, dental and vision insurance
- Competitive 401k
- Options for Life Insurance, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability, Critical Illness , Hospital Indemnity Accident and Pet Insurance
- Generous paid time-off
- Hybrid work environment
- Our hybrid approach:
- We believe being together in person drives connection, collaboration and community, while being remote creates flexibility and balance that supports our wellbeing. Our hybrid approach allows Chicago area-based employees to work remotely three days a week, with everyone in the office on Wednesdays and the option to flex the second in-office day on Tuesday or Thursday.