Our Firm
American Century Investments® is a leading global asset manager with over 65 years of experience helping a broad base of clients achieve their financial goals. Our expertise spans global equities and fixed income, multi-asset strategies, ETFs, and private investments.
Privately controlled and independent, we focus solely on investment management. But there’s an unexpected side to us, too. We direct over 40% of our profits every year—more than $2 billion since 2000—to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research. Our ongoing financial support drives the Institute’s breakthrough work and mission of defeating life-threatening diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s. So, the better we do for our clients, the more we can do for everyone.
All 1,400 of us across the globe are inspired every day by the unique difference our hard work can make in so many lives. It shows in the curiosity we bring to every initiative, the deep relationships we build with our clients, and the way we treat each other in the hallway. If you’re excited to learn more about us, we can’t wait to learn more about you.
Role Summary:
We are looking for a Public Relations Director to lead our media relations strategy and team to shape and share American Century Investments’ story with trade, financial and consumer media and influencers. The Public Relations Director will lead the PR function for American Century, reporting to the Vice President of Corporate Communications. The role is responsible for creating and supporting media opportunities, securing coverage that tells our unique and inspiring story to key audiences.
Responsibilities:
The Public Relations Director will lead the team of employees, contractors and international PR agencies to promote, protect, and improve the reputation of our business through building relationships and ongoing engagement with the media and other external partners.
They will use their outstanding interpersonal, teamwork and personal communications skills to engage their team to coordinate across multiple organizations and stakeholders and track timelines, exercising their thorough project management skills with a high level of judgment and discretion. They will be able to handle ambiguity and fluid priorities, gain consensus through influence, change course when warranted and manage multiple and complex priorities efficiently and effectively.
They will have outstanding research and writing skills, with the ability to translate complex financial information into digestible, meaningful communications for multiple audiences across a broad range of communication vehicles, including press releases, media statements and pitches, talking points, presentations, studies, infographics and more.
The Public Relations Director will have advanced communication and presentation skills with an ability to weave a compelling narrative. They will have executive presence and the ability to confidently provide strategic counsel, ask good questions, challenge the status quo, suggest alternatives and articulate pros and cons.
Thinking strategically, analytically and holistically about American Century storytelling, they will be adept at building strategic, measurable communications plans and presenting plans and results to key stakeholders. The Public Relations Director will also perform at a tactical level with a high level of professionalism and discretion in handling confidential information.
In this role, you will:
- Provide leadership and team management to guide and motivate the team of public relations professionals.
- Collaborate with the Internal Communications Director and the Social Media Director as a member of the Corporate Communications leadership team.
- Build relationships with key media.
- Message and media train spokespeople.
- Organize and support media briefings, press conferences and media tours.
- Write content promoting firm news and priorities and pitch reporters.
- Act as spokesperson for the organization, ensuring consistent and effective messaging.
- Develop and execute communications plans for product launches, marketing campaigns and firm news.
- Measure the effectiveness of media relations through regular reporting and analytics. Use data-driven insights to refine and optimize communications strategies.
- Conduct reputation and media monitoring and reporting, including competitor analysis.
- Collaborate with American Century executives, colleagues and subject matter experts to tell American Century’s story accurately and compellingly.
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in journalism, public relations, communications, English or related field.
- At least 10 years of experience leading public relations programs.
- A proven leader, who can develop and manage employees, contractors and agencies, including minimum of 5 years management experience.
- Ability to develop compelling communication strategies with clear and measurable goals.
- Strong project management skills with ability to work on tight deadlines and create integrated communication plans.
- Demonstrated ability to build trust and provide counsel to a variety of stakeholders.
- Experience working with C-level executives to lead large scale communications initiatives.
- Familiarity with crisis communication and issues management, including experience handling reputational crises.
- Understanding of digital marketing and social media trends, with experience leveraging these platforms for public relations purposes.
- Strong writing and editing skills, with the ability to tailor messages to different audiences and platforms and experience using AP Style guidelines.
Preferred but not required:
- Experience in the financial services sector including network of media contacts and relationships in the industry.
- Professional certifications in public relations or related fields.
- Experience in the use of Cision, Factiva, Sharepoint, Workfront.
- Exhibits the American Century Investments Winning Behaviors: Client Focused, Courageous and Accountable, Collaborative, Curious and Adaptable, Competitively Driven, Adheres to the highest ethical standards and business practices, and Supports a culture of compliance.
Additional Requirements:
Employees are required to be in the office on a scheduled frequency. Adherence to this schedule is essential to fulfilling the expectations of the role.
American Century Investments is committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act and all other applicable Equal Employment Opportunity laws and regulations. As such, American Century strives to provide a reasonable accommodation to any qualified individual under the ADA to perform essential job functions.
American Century Investments believes all individuals are entitled to equal employment opportunity and advancement opportunities without regard to race, religious creed, color, sex, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age for individuals forty years of age and older, military and veteran status, sexual orientation, and any other basis protected by applicable federal, state and local laws. ACI does not discriminate or adopt any policy that discriminates against an individual or any group of individuals on any of these bases.
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American Century Proprietary Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
What We Do
American Century Investments® is a leading asset manager focused on delivering investment results and building long-term client relationships while supporting research that can improve health and save lives. It’s how we help our clients Prosper With Purpose™.
Every day people are increasingly focused on investing to make the world a better place for themselves, their families, their organizations, and the world at large. It is possible to live a more meaningful and impactful life and give back something that’s more valuable than money.
When you invest with us, you can also invest in the future of others and have the potential to impact the lives of millions. That’s possible because of the distinct relationship with the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, which owns more than 40% of American Century Investments. Our dividend payments provide the ongoing financial support for the Institute’s work of uncovering the causes, treatments and prevention of life-threatening diseases, like cancer.
Together we can become a powerful force for good…it’s like nothing you’ve seen before from an investment management firm.
