Director of Public Relations & Reputation Management

Company Overview

Our firm is a dedicated leader in the highly sensitive field of art restitution, assisting families, estates, institutions, and governments in recovering looted, stolen, or unlawfully appropriated cultural property. Operating at the complex intersection of history, law, fine art, and global ethics, our work frequently attracts international media attention and intense stakeholder scrutiny.

We are seeking a full-time Director of Public Relations & Reputation Management to protect our corporate brand, strategically position our successful recoveries, shape public sentiment, and manage complex, high-stakes narratives.

Position Summary

As the Director of PR & Reputation Management, you will be responsible for our public narrative. You will act as the chief brand protector and strategic storyteller. This is not a standard promotional marketing role; it is a high-utility position requiring an expert in corporate communications, crisis mitigation, and Search Engine Reputation Management (SERM). You will ensure that when journalists, clients, and adversaries search our firm or our cases online, the narrative is accurate, authoritative, and ethical.

Key Responsibilities

1. Media Relations & Narrative Building

• Media Placement: Pitch complex, multi-year restitution investigations to top-tier international media, art publications, and legal journalists.
• Press Assets: Draft all high-stakes public communications, including litigation statements, press releases, holding statements, and crisis briefs.
• Monitoring & Analytics: Establish advanced media monitoring and social listening infrastructure to track industry sentiment, global provenance policy shifts, and emerging threats.

2. Search Engine Reputation Management (SERM) & Digital PR

• Search Engine Engineering: Proactively manage our Google Search presence; deploy content strategies to ensure brand-controlled assets and positive case resolutions rank prominently, insulating the firm against targeted smear campaigns or adversarial press.
• Strategic Link Building: Secure high-authority backlinks from elite news outlets, academic journals, and legal publications to strengthen our digital domain authority.
• Knowledge Graph & AI Optimization: Optimize our digital footprint so that AI search engines and aggregators surface accurate, factual summaries of our work and success rates.

3. Crisis Communication & Issues Management

• Mitigate Backlash: Develop rapid-response communications strategies for high-profile, contested restitution cases involving museums, private collectors, and international jurisdictions.
• Executive Advisory: Act as a trusted advisor to the C-suite and legal counsel, providing direct guidance on public positioning and risk assessment prior to case announcements.
• Media Training: Prepare and brief internal art historians, researchers, and legal experts for media interviews and public panels.

Required Skills & Experience

• Experience: 6–10 years of experience in Corporate Communications, Reputation Management, or a PR agency. Experience handling high-stakes litigation, investigative journalism, or sensitive cultural/political issues is highly preferred.
• Reputation SEO Expertise: Proven track record of using SEO principles to manage first-page search results. Proficiency with tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Google Search Console to track and shape keyword narratives is mandatory.
• Media Intelligence Tools: Hands-on mastery of platforms like Meltwater, Cision, or Muck Rack for sentiment analysis, tracking media mentions, and building targeted journalist lists.
• Technical Agility: Experience managing Content Management Systems (e.g., WordPress) to instantly publish corporate statements, and wire services (e.g., PR Newswire, GlobeNewswire).
• Soft Skills: Exceptional emotional intelligence, absolute discretion, and a calm demeanor under intense public or journalistic pressure.

Preferred Qualifications

• Background or deep familiarity with the fine art market, art law, provenance research, or international cultural property disputes.
• Established relationships with journalists covering the art world, culture, and high-profile legal affairs.

How to Apply:

Please e-mail your résumé and cover letter to [email protected]. Please include your remuneration expectations and advise on your preferred start date.

Mondex Corporation is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We thank all applicants for their interest, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.