Stride
Media Relations Specialist
🇺🇸 Remote - US
🕑 Full-Time
💰 $57K - $110K
💻 Communications
🗓️ July 28th, 2025
Edtech.com's Summary
Stride, Inc. is hiring a Media Relations Specialist to lead national earned media efforts and support local schools through agency partnerships. The role involves developing and executing strategic media campaigns, amplifying student and teacher stories, and serving as a vital link between the central communications team and PR agencies.
Highlights
- Develop and execute national media strategies to elevate the brand and education initiatives.
- Identify and pitch compelling stories about students, teachers, and school successes to diverse audiences.
- Monitor news trends to insert the brand's voice into relevant media conversations.
- Build and maintain relationships with national, regional, and trade media contacts.
- Use data and media metrics to inform campaigns and measure PR success.
- Leverage media monitoring, social listening, and analytics tools such as Cision, Muck Rack, and Meltwater.
- Partner with PR managers and agency teams to support local school media coverage.
- Collaborate across internal teams and support crisis communications and rapid media responses.
- Minimum 5-7 years of media or public relations experience, preferably with national brands and consumer audiences.
- Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, or related field; ability to travel 20% of the time; salary range $57,000 to $110,000 plus potential bonus.
Media Relations Specialist Full Description
Media Relations Specialist
US Nationwide - Remote
Full time
Job Description
SUMMARY: We’re looking for a media-savvy, results-driven communicator to lead national earned media efforts and support local schools through our agency partnerships. Our brand sits at the intersection of education and the consumer audience, so experience reaching broad consumer media - or connecting education stories to a consumer audience - is highly valued. This role will build and execute strategic media relations campaigns, amplify our student and teacher stories, and serve as a critical link between our central communications team and PR agencies. The ideal candidate is resourceful, collaborative, and ready to deploy a broad PR toolkit to keep our brand at the forefront of national and local media conversations.
What You’ll Bring
- You’re a strategic thinker who sees how media wins contribute to big-picture goals.
- You know how to use a broad mix of PR tactics—from proactive pitching and media tours to thought leadership and reactive statements.
- You thrive on relationship-building and have experience placing stories for national brands.
- You’re a strong, adaptable storyteller who understands how to translate complex ideas into clear, engaging narratives.
- You’re data-driven and skilled at using media metrics to optimize outreach and demonstrate success.
- You have experience reaching a broad consumer audience or telling stories that bridge education and consumer interest.
- You’re highly organized, proactive, and can juggle multiple deadlines with ease.
- You’re collaborative and comfortable working across teams, from senior leaders to local staff.
- You have experience navigating crisis communications and can stay calm and effective under pressure.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.
- Strategic Media Relations: Develop, manage, and execute national media strategies that elevate our brand and key education initiatives.
- Storytelling: Identify, develop, and pitch compelling student, teacher, and school success stories that resonate with national and local audiences.
- Trend Monitoring & Newsjacking: Proactively monitor news trends to find timely opportunities to insert our voice and expertise into relevant conversations.
- Relationship Building: Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key national, regional, and trade reporters and editors.
- Data-Driven Campaigns: Use data to inform media strategies and secure impactful coverage that aligns with organizational goals.
- Platform Proficiency: Leverage social listening platforms, and media monitoring/analytics dashboards to track, measure, and report on PR results.
- Agency & Local Support: Partner with the PR Manager to support local schools and ensure agency partners have the stories, tools, and guidance they need for effective local coverage.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with internal teams across the organization to source stories, coordinate messaging, and respond to media opportunities.
- Crisis Communications: Support the development and execution of crisis communication plans and provide rapid, thoughtful media responses during high-stakes moments.
Supervisory Responsibilities: This position has no formal supervisory responsibilities.
MINIMUM REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- 5-7 years minimum previous experience in a similar role
- Ability to travel 20% of the time
Certificates and Licenses: None required.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- 5–7 years of media relations or public relations experience, preferably supporting national brands.
- Proven track record of securing impactful national media coverage across print, broadcast, digital, and consumer-focused outlets.
- Strong writing, editing, and storytelling skills tailored to diverse audiences — with an ability to translate education topics into compelling consumer stories.
- Demonstrated experience developing and executing data-driven media strategies.
- Proficiency with media monitoring, database, and analytics tools (e.g., Cision, Muck Rack, Meltwater) and social listening platforms.
- Experience monitoring news trends and leveraging them for timely, relevant media opportunities (newsjacking).
- Familiarity with crisis communications planning and real-time response.
- Excellent relationship-building and interpersonal communication skills.
- Proven ability to work cross-functionally with internal teams and external agency partners.
- Strong organizational and project management skills — comfortable juggling multiple campaigns and deadlines.
- Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, or a related field.
- Experience working in or with the education sector and/or brands that reach a broad consumer audience.
WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- This position is virtual and open to residents of the 50 states, D.C.
Compensation & Benefits: Stride, Inc. considers a person’s education, experience, and qualifications, as well as the position’s work location, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value when determining a new employee’s salary level. Salaries will differ based on these factors, the position’s level and expected contribution, and the employee’s benefits elections. Offers will typically be in the bottom half of the range.
We anticipate the salary range to be $57,000.00 to $110,000.00. Eligible employees may receive a bonus. This salary is not guaranteed, as an individual’s compensation can vary based on several factors. These factors include, but are not limited to, geographic location, experience, training, education, and local market conditions. Stride offers a robust benefits package for eligible employees that can include health benefits, retirement contributions, and paid time off.
The above job is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions, and perform any other related duties, as assigned by their supervisor. All employment is “at-will” as governed by the law of the state where the employee works. It is further understood that the “at-will” nature of employment is one aspect of employment that cannot be changed except in writing and signed by an authorized officer.
Job Type
Regular
The above job is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions, and perform any other related duties, as assigned by their supervisor. All employment is “at-will” as governed by the law of the state where the employee works. It is further understood that the “at-will” nature of employment is one aspect of employment that cannot be changed except in writing and signed by an authorized officer.
If you are a job seeker with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to apply for one of our jobs, you can request the appropriate accommodation by contacting stridecareers@k12.com.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
Stride, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants receive consideration for employment based on merit without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law. Stride, Inc. complies with all legally required affirmative action obligations. Applicants will not be discriminated against because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant.
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