Senior Director, Earned Media

Carbondale, CO or Denver, CO. This role requires in-person work from our office 2+ days/week, with remote flexibility the rest of the week.

At Backbone, we live by the mantra that passion drives results. We are insiders of the outside and it’s our job to advocate for the brands we believe in. But to us, it's more than just a job, because we live those brands day in and day out. We've always believed it's possible to bridge the gap between work and personal passions, and our team is full of talented people who share in that vision. Ours is a team of smart, driven marketers, drawn together by a passion for the outdoors and doing great work for great brands. Find out more about us at backbone.media

The Role

Backbone is seeking a strategic, entrepreneurial leader to evolve and steer our earned media practice into its next chapter. This is not a traditional PR leadership role. The Sr. Director of Earned Media will lead and grow Backbone's earned media practice, strengthening integration across PR, affiliate and social, while driving strategy and business impact for clients. This is a builder role focused on transformation, not maintenance.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a senior strategic lead for earned media efforts across social media, affiliate and PR services
• Clarify and articulate Backbone's POV on modern earned media
• Lead narrative architecture and positioning work for clients
• Develop integrated earned programs rooted in cultural relevance and business outcomes
• Redesign and strengthen integrated offerings across PR, social, creator/influencer and affiliate
• Drive revenue growth through new business initiatives and expanded client engagements through organic growth
• Increase earned media pitch competitiveness and improve win rates
• Build market authority and competitive differentiation through thought leadership
• Elevate team performance, standards and strategic rigor
• Collaborate cross-functionally with paid media, analytics and other teams
• Mentor and develop earned media strategists, managers and coordinators
• Represent Backbone and clients in press and industry events

The Essentials

• Deep experience and fluency with social media and cultural relevancy
• Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, journalism, business or a related field
• Minimum 10 years of working experience, including in an agency setting
• Proven track record leading social media strategy, pitches and driving business impact
• Experience growing and mentoring teams
• Live in Denver or Carbondale area, committing to work 2+ days/week in office

Your Capabilities

• Bring a social-first mindset to everything, understanding that culture moves through social platforms, creators/influencers, new types of media and communities before it ever reaches traditional media
• Deep understanding of the earned media landscape, from traditional media relations to influencer, PR and affiliate ecosystems
• Ability to define and execute strategy rooted in cultural relevance and business outcomes
• Strong leadership instincts with experience managing senior managers and cross-functional teams
• Comfort navigating ambiguity and scaling repeatable frameworks and processes
• Excellent communicator, with the ability to influence internal teams, clients, press and partners with clarity and confidence
• Strong analytical orientation for measurement, insights and optimization
• Commercial mindset and comfort with revenue targets

The Extra Mile

• Experience building and growing the strategic footprint of earned media offerings within an agency
• Hands-on experience with affiliate networks, influencer ecosystems and earned-driven commerce models
• Familiarity with Muck Rack, CreatorIQ, Sprinklr, Impact/Avantlink, analytics tools, media monitoring platforms and other industry tools

What Success Looks Like

• Increased pitch win rate
• Organic earned media revenue growth
• Larger, more integrated client engagements
• Elevated team performance and retention

Compensation: At time of posting, $130,000 – $180,000 annual base salary, based on experience

Comprehensive Benefits:

• Medical coverage
• Dental coverage
• Vision coverage
• 401 (k) match
• Wellness benefit
• Home office stipend
• Professional development/education assistance
• Paid volunteer hours
• Parental leave
• Flexible schedule
• Company-wide offsites
• Remote/hybrid workplace

Perks: Our culture creates the vibrant energy that fuels what we do and what we stand for. Flex time, powder days, wellness incentives, flexible work arrangements, team hikes, floats, runs and playtime

Be you, on our team. We seek to build an inclusive team and culture that values diverse lived experiences, backgrounds and skill sets.

About Backbone Media: We are the country's leading active lifestyle media agency. For nearly 30 years, Backbone has partnered with brands big and small to develop and execute effective, integrated media strategies. With offices in Carbondale and Denver, Colorado. Backbone has been consistently included on Outside Magazine’s “Best Places to Work” list.

Everything we do is backed by an internal culture of true believers with passionate, personal connections to the outdoor world. We don’t stand still. We can’t help but protect the environment and access to the outdoors in our actions. And we get stoked on amplifying the brands that want to make big things happen.

Backbone provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. We consider applicants of all backgrounds — if you're excited about what we're doing but don't meet every criterion, please don't let that discourage you from applying.

Please no phone calls regarding job inquiries.