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PR & Communications Specialist

About Skillz:

Skillz is driving the future of entertainment by accelerating the convergence of sports, video games and media for a booming mobile-first audience worldwide. The company’s platform empowers mobile game developers and players with access to fun and fair competition for real prizes, shifting the paradigm to make esports accessible to anyone, anywhere.

Skillz helps developers build multi-million dollar game franchises by turning content into competitive social gaming properties for the world’s 2.6 billion gamers. The company has already worked with 20,000 game developers, leveraging its patented technology to host billions of casual esports tournaments for 30 million players worldwide.

Last year, Skillz was recognized as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies and CNBC Disruptor 50 (for the second time). In 2018, Skillz was listed as one of Forbes’ Next Billion-Dollar Startups and Entrepreneur Magazine’s 100 Brilliant Companies. In 2017, Inc. Magazine ranked Skillz the No. 1 fastest-growing private company in America.

The company is backed by leading venture capitalists, media companies, and professional sports luminaries, ranging from Liberty Global, Accomplice, Wildcat Capital, Telstra Ventures, and a founder of Great Hill Partners to the owners of the New England Patriots, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Mets, and Sacramento Kings.

What We’re Looking For:

PR & Communications Specialists will receive valuable public relations experience in a fast-paced startup environment with an industry-leading company. You should be excited to work alongside our team here, helping to tell the story of the future of entertainment. From media inquiries to our online brand presence, the role of PR & Communications Specialists combines traditional media with new forms of communication.

Ideal candidates should have some public relations, journalism, internal communications, or social media experience, whether in-house or in an agency setting, and be eager to learn and grow their skill set in one of these hands-on roles that will truly impact the business. We’re looking for professionals with a passion for storytelling, excellent organizational skills, and a strong interest in communications.

Public relations and communications professionals at Skillz work on a variety of areas and projects. Based on fit and company need, you will work in domains such as:

• Media Relations – external messaging, press strategy, media outreach, press calendar management, media targets, inbound reporter requests, and press materials (i.e. media Q&As, quotes, briefing documents).
• Content – write timely, compelling content to tell the Skillz story across a variety of channels and mediums, including press releases, byline articles, blog posts, speeches, one-pagers, white sheets, and case studies.
• Internal Communications – employee communications, strategy, distribution channels, stakeholder buy-in, company voice, and internal comms materials (i.e. emails, newsletters, speeches, scripts).
• Social Media – manage and optimize the Skillz online presence (i.e. corporate blog) and social media platforms (including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram), creating and publishing compelling, timely content to grow followers and engagement.
• Speaking & Awards – executive thought leadership, speaking engagements, awards, event organizer correspondence, calendar/deadline management, event/award research, and related materials (speaking event proposals, event submissions, presentation decks, talking points, scripts).

These professionals come from a variety of backgrounds and are placed at an appropriate title and level based on experience and aptitude. As a proven contributor at Skillz, you will ultimately have the ability to focus your path to areas that interest you and where there is a need for your talents.

What You Will Do:

• Work closely with the communications team on projects including strategy, media relations, internal communications, social media/blog, speaking engagements, awards, and content creation.
• Draft materials relevant to your focus area, whether related to media, employee messaging, social media, or speaking/awards.
• Implement innovative narratives through concept development, data mining, creative asset management, content creation, and reporting metrics.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with internal and external partners for any additional assets, including our PR agency, marketing analytics team, graphic designers, etc.
• Proactively identify new opportunities to continually improve our communications programs and initiatives.
• Maintain the Skillz voice across all internal communications, written and verbal.
• Analyze performance metrics for company-wide reporting and increased awareness.

Your Skillz:

• 2-4 years of experience in public relations, journalism, internal communications, social media, or a related field.
• Experience drafting materials and executing on initiatives related to one or more of the concentration areas listed above, whether media relations (i.e. media lists/pitches), content (i.e. press releases/articles), internal communications (i.e. employee newsletters/executive talking points), social media (i.e. social media content/blog posts), or speaking events/awards (i.e. submissions/presentations).
• Extremely detail-oriented and organized, with experience using Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Presentations along with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Self-starter with a proactive approach, analytical mindset, and go-getter spirit.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a knack for creative writing and storytelling.
• Ability to work and collaborate effectively in a fast-paced team environment while maintaining a positive attitude, sense of humor, and desire to learn.
• College graduate with a degree in communications, journalism, English, public relations, marketing, or business preferred.