Senior Manager, Brand Publicity & Influencer (Toronto Hybrid)

We celebrate and support the differences that make each of us unique, striving to create a welcoming workplace that ensures everyone has a voice and is able to do their best work. We welcome all applicants, including those who identify with groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the publishing industry including, but not limited to, Black, Indigenous, people of color, members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community and persons with disabilities.

Join us and share your story.
Responsibilities:
Do you believe in romance ever after? We do! For over 75 years, Harlequin is the leading romance brand with a loyal fan-following all over the world!


We’re looking for a resourceful and creative individual to passionately pursue publicity and influencer initiatives for the Harlequin Brand. Reporting to the Director, Brand Marketing and Communications, you will lead the strategic planning, development and implementation of publicity and influencer go-to-market strategies and initiatives; that support overarching business goals to increase brand awareness, readership and sales of the Harlequin business in North America. You’ll collaborate with counterparts across the business to find new and innovative ways to weave our brand narrative into earned media opportunities. You’ll oversee and grow our influencer program to build an engaged community that strengthens Harlequin’s brand presence.


You have a strong background in media relations with a proven track record of securing earned coverage across traditional and digital outlets. You’re able to take key insights and build them into impactful pitches. You are an excellent communicator with the ability to forge and foster relationships with media, influencers, partners and stakeholders. You possess a strategic and creative mindset that allows you to

develop and implement strategies that respond to and capitalize on the latest trends, cultural moments and social conversations to cultivate new readership and solidify brand loyalty. You are great at staying organized and meeting deadlines with exceptional project management skills. You have experience leading and managing a team, as well as working cross-functionally to achieve shared project goals. You analyze, optimize and evaluate initiatives, tracking against KPIs and identify and share key learnings and best practices with broader teams to drive efficiency for future initiatives.


This role involves:
Leading the development and implementation of a comprehensive publicity and influencer strategy that drives awareness and affinity for the Harlequin brand
Cultivates and nurture strong relationships with media, partners and influencers
Finds new and innovative ways position Harlequin as an industry leader in topical and trending conversations.
Oversees and scale Harlequin’s influencer and brand ambassador program
Identifies emerging trends in publishing, entertainment, and social media and implement new go-to-market strategies capitalize on trending, cultural and seasonal moments.
Oversees the strategy and execution for brand sponsorships and events
Evaluates publicity and influencer initiatives and provide analysis and key learnings to optimize for efficiency
Qualifications:
7+ years of related experience working in publicity/communications and/or influencer marketing.
Post-secondary degree in one of the following is required: Communications, Public Relations, Digital Marketing, Marketing (or related field)
Strong understanding of building and supporting a brand narrative through PR strategies to enhance brand awareness and equity.
Knowledge/experience in book blogging/influencer/content creation spaces an asset.
Proven US and CA media relationships; the ability to forge and foster relationships with media outlets, influencers, partners and stakeholders.
Strong people management skills and experience with the ability to coach and grow talent.
Effective verbal and written communication skills and the ability to work successfully both independently and within a team dynamic.
Creative thinker with a drive for results.
An analytical problem-solver, with the ability to effectively manage multiple projects at once.
Ability to be on top of emerging trends and social conversations, with an understanding of how to effectively integrate brand narratives within.
Experience working collaboratively with cross-functional teams
Proficiency with Office 365
About HarperCollins Canada and Harlequin
Harlequin is a leading publisher of commercial fiction and narrative nonfiction. We publish more than 100 titles a month that reach audiences globally. Encompassing highly recognizable imprints that span a broad number of genres, we are home to many award-winning New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling authors. Harlequin is a division of HarperCollins Publishers, the second-largest consumer book publisher in the world. Through HarperCollins’s global publishing program, Harlequin titles are published in 17 countries and 16 languages.