Director, PR & Thought Leadership Marketing

The Role:

We’re seeking a strategic, highly collaborative Director, Public Relations & Thought Leadership to lead our external communications efforts and elevate our presence in rapidly evolving anti-ransomware market. In this role, you will be the primary owner of our PR strategy, managing our PR agency relationship to ensure consistent, high-impact media coverage, thought leadership content, and executive visibility.

This is a high-visibility role ideal for a communications leader with deep experience in cybersecurity or B2B tech PR, exceptional storytelling skills, and a strong understanding of how to drive brand credibility in a rapidly evolving threat landscape.

Key Responsibilities:

PR Agency Leadership

• Serve as the day-to-day lead for our PR agency, ensuring alignment on strategy, messaging, priorities, and deliverables.
• Set clear goals and KPIs, manage budgets, and drive accountability for media results and narrative development.
• Collaborate with the agency to secure proactive coverage, manage press releases, and support reactive media inquiries.

Media Strategy & Execution

• Partner with the agency to build and maintain strong relationships with top-tier tech, business, and cybersecurity journalists.
• Oversee execution of announcements, embargoes, thought leadership placement, and press engagement.
• Guide media messaging during sensitive topics, including industry news.

Thought Leadership Development

• Own the executive visibility strategy: develop compelling storylines, ghostwritten bylines, op-eds, and interview prep materials.
• Collaborate with internal experts (e.g., CISO, researchers, product leaders) to create timely and credible points of view on cyber threats, resilience, and industry innovation.
• Identify and manage opportunities for speaking engagements, panels, podcasts, and guest appearances.

Analytics & Reporting

• Set and track clear metrics (e.g., share of voice, coverage volume, media sentiment, backlink quality) to assess PR performance.
• Provide regular reporting to executive stakeholders, with insights and recommendations for improvement.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with content marketing, analyst relations, product marketing, and social media to ensure consistency across all external messaging.
• Integrate PR into major product launches, campaigns, threat/research reports, and corporate milestones.

Experience:

• Experience managing PR around security incidents, breaches, or product vulnerabilities.
• Familiarity with analyst relations, influencer outreach, and social amplification of PR content.
• A proactive mindset with the ability to anticipate media opportunities, respond to fast-moving events, and shape narratives under pressure.
• Collaborative and comfortable working in a matrixed, high-growth environment.

Qualifications:

• 8–10+ years of experience in public relations or communications, with at least 3+ years managing an external PR agency.
• Strong background in cybersecurity or enterprise B2B tech.
• Demonstrated success securing earned media coverage in outlets such as WIRED, Bloomberg, TechCrunch, SC Media, Dark Reading, CNBC, and others.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and editorial skills—capable of simplifying complex security topics for broad audiences.
• Deep understanding of the cybersecurity threat landscape, buyer personas (CISOs, SOC leaders, etc.), and news cycles.
• Experience working with executives on media training, speaking prep, and message development.
• Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, PR, or related field.

Benefits:

 Halcyon offers the following benefits to eligible employees:

• Comprehensive healthcare (medical, dental, and vision) with premiums paid in full for employees and dependents.

• 401k plan with a generous employer contribution.

• Short and long-term disability coverage, basic life and AD&D insurance plans.

• Medical and dependent care FSA options.

• Flexible PTO policy.

• Parental leave.

• Generous equity offering.

The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.​

Base Salary Range: $180,000 - $230,000