Vice President of Public Relations

Say hello to Hagerty

Hagerty is a company built by drivers for drivers. We put our members at the center of everything we do, and are dedicated to making it easier and more enjoyable for enthusiasts to drive and celebrate the machines they love. We’re proud to be the world’s largest insurer of collectible and enthusiast vehicles and are home to the Hagerty Drivers Club, the world’s largest car club. Our Marketplace business presents live and digital sales across the U.S. and Europe, we host a number of driving events and concours, and our award-winning automotive journalists produce the most popular car magazine globally, alongside internationally awarded videos. We’re committed to Never Stop Driving.

Ready to get in the driver’s seat? Join us!  

We have an opportunity for a charismatic communicator who is a highly strategic and creative leader, and very critically, a story-driven automotive industry and car culture expert.

As Vice President, Public Relations you’ll:

• Lead our Public Relations practice, with a strong focus on automotive culture, working to broaden what Hagerty is known for, moving beyond insurance to an enthusiast brand that serves the needs of driving enthusiasts.
• Proactively manage online Brand Reputation, with a focus online, building a methodical system that responds to online feedback from consumers, both publicly and then privately, to work to resolve and remedy concern.
• Be a strategic partner of the CEO, concepting and developing thought leadership writing and digital posts.
• Prepare for and lead the deployment of Crisis Communications that reflect the strong values of the business.
• Curate a culture of collaboration and creativity through coaching, talent development, and experimentation
• Set clear KPIs which connect PR performance to the performance of the business.

What you’ll do:  

Public Relations 

• Lead PR planning and strategic vision ensuring alignment with brand priorities, business objectives and broader communications strategy 
• Develop and execute Hagerty’s PR strategy across trade, enthusiast and mainstream outlets
• Oversee proactive story development that reinforces our market position as a brand for driving enthusiasts
• You’ll be well connected in the automotive industry, with a strong rolodex, especially with your peers at OEM automotive brands
• Provide executive-level counsel on reputation, messaging and media approach, prepare them for media interviews, and help them navigate complex moments empowering the PR team to lead execution 
• Collaborate with Insurance, Broad Arrow, HDC and Events teams to maximize PR value from Hagerty activities

Reputation Management 

• Build and deploy always an always-on social listening and rapid-response system to manage, protect and elevate our business’ online reputation, also tracking sentiment and reputational risk
• Develop and continuously evolve best-in-class social safety processes and guidelines, including the development and deployment of crisis management playbooks across channels, platforms and forums
• Establish and own community guidelines, moderation and crisis playbooks, while partnering with Legal, HR and others to manage sensitive issues  

Executive Writing

• Research emerging and current trends and topics to inform the development of Executive thought pieces and social media posts. 
• These will include topics specific to the categories we operate in, but also others that are analogous or influence it, for example, wealth, wealth transfer, and HNW investing strategies.

Crisis Communications

• Develop and maintain Hagerty’s crisis communications framework, playbooks and response protocols.
• Thoughtfully prepare the business, its leaders and team members for a range of crisis scenarios.
• Serve as the primary communications lead during reputational, operational or media cries, working with legal, executive leaders and your team.

This might describe you 

• Cultural Fit: A deep passion for car culture, driving and the automotive enthusiast community across its many genres 
• Agile Collaborator: You partner fearlessly with others to get big things to happen, often at speed
• Experience: 15+ years in public relations and adjacent disciplines, with a portfolio of work that you have led or heavily influences, either in-house or at a PR Agency
• Leadership: Proven ability to lead and motivate cross-functional teams, build alignment and influence senior stakeholders and brand partners 
• Change Management: Excels at launching new initiatives, adopting new tools and processes and guiding teams through change 
• Marketing POV: Demonstrates a member-first mindset in addition to well-formed, strategic point of view on digital marketing
• Creative and analytical; you love fresh, ambitious ideas and engaging storytelling just as much as you pay regular attention to dashboards and analytics
• Think BIG and small: You can see the big picture, but pay attention to the small details

Over and Above 

• A strong network of contacts within the content creator space 

Other things to note

• This position is open to U.S. remote work. However, team members who reside within 20 miles of the Traverse City headquarters will follow a hybrid schedule, working from the office three days per week.
• May require travel for quarterly events.
• Familiarity with public company requirements, including Sarbanes Oxley and key regulations, if applicable. For SOX compliant roles, responsible for designing, executing, and documenting internal controls where they have been identified as owners to prevent errors in financial reporting, processes, and business operations. Including attestation to the completeness, accuracy, and compliance of all financial reporting data, where applicable.

If you reside in the following jurisdictions: Illinois, Colorado, California, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, or Jersey City, New Jersey, Cincinnati or Toledo, Ohio, Rhode Island, Washington, British Columbia, Canada please email [email protected] for compensation, comprehensive benefits and the perks that set us apart. 

At Hagerty, we share the road. We are an inclusive automotive community where all are welcomed, valued and belong regardless of race, gender, age, or car preference.  We are united by our shared passion for driving, our commitment to preserve car culture for future generations and our desire to make a positive impact in the world.

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US Benefits Overview

Canada Benefits Overview

UK Benefits Overview

If you like wild growth and working with happy, enthusiastic over-achievers, you'll enjoy your career with us!