Duration: Short-term contract (Pre-event briefing + full on-site coverage for ISTE Live 26).
Location: Remote preparation / On-site Orlando, FL for 1-2 days at the event.
Role Overview
We are seeking an assertive, media-savvy Senior PR Consultant to orchestrate and execute our media strategy for ISTE Live 26 - our biggest event of the year. Your primary objective is to maximize our established media list to book high-impact interviews, while fiercely protecting and positioning our C-suite executives in front of hard-hitting tech and education journalists.
This is not an administrative role. You will act as our on-site "Press Secretary" - managing the clock, dictating ground rules (on/off the record), briefing executives, and physically stepping in during high-pressure media situations if necessary.
Key Responsibilities & Roles
1. Media Scheduling & Logistics
Own the master media schedule, pitching out our existing media list to secure dedicated interview slots.
Manage the end-to-end logistics of booking interviews, coordinating time slots around a packed C-suite schedule.
Secure and manage the physical environment for the interviews (e.g., booking the media room, quiet corners, or booth spaces).
2. Executive Briefing & Media Training
Develop hyper-specific Journalist Dossiers for the C-suite, detailing the reporter's recent coverage, writing style, potential biases, and likely "trap" questions.
Conduct rapid-fire, on-site media training and mock-interview prep with executives prior to their slots.
Align C-suite spokespeople on core company talking points, key product announcements, and strategic messaging.
3. On-Site Media Guarding & Strategy
Accompany executives to every single interview; act as the physical and verbal gatekeeper.
Establish firm ground rules with journalists before microphones turn on (e.g., establishing what is strictly on the record, off the record, or on background).
Active Intervention: Step in immediately to redirect conversations, pivot away from hostile lines of questioning, or gracefully handle "no comment" scenarios without creating a negative headline.
Expanded Responsibilities
To ensure this event is an absolute success, we have expanded the scope to include these critical elements that often get overlooked in the chaos of a major conference:
Crisis & Reactive Messaging Prep: You won't just prepare for the good news. You will collaborate with our team pre-event to draft reactive statements/FAQ blocks for potential "hot button" industry topics (e.g., AI in education data privacy, student screen time, budget cuts).
Embargo & Exclusives Management: If we are breaking news at ISTE, you will handle the delicate timing of breaking embargoes with Tier-1 journalists to ensure fair, coordinated coverage.
The "Buffer Zone" (Schedule Slippage): You will build and manage a strict 10–15 minute buffer between interviews. Journalists run late and C-suite meetings run over; you will manage the friction so neither party feels slighted.
Media Assets Management: Ensure a localized digital press kit (b-roll, headshots, product fact sheets, press releases) is updated and instantly deliverable via a quick link or QR code to journalists on the spot.
Post-Interview Extraction & Follow-Up: Debrief with the executive immediately after the journalist leaves to note any promised follow-up data or items. You will own orchestrating or delivering those assets to ensure we control the final narrative before the article goes to print.
Required Experience & Attributes
USA EdTech/Tech Footprint: Proven track record of working within the K-12/higher-ed tech landscape or enterprise tech sectors.
C-Suite Gravitas: Confident instructing, correcting, and guiding chief executives. You must be someone they respect and listen to under pressure.
Thick Skinned & Quick Footed: Ability to maintain absolute calm and professionalism in a high-intensity, noisy expo environment.
Journalistic Literacy: Deep understanding of modern media ethics, editorial standards, and the functional differences between "off the record" and "on background."