Media Relations Strategist

Job description

Who is Forcepoint? Forcepoint simplifies security for global businesses and governments. Forcepoint’s all-in-one, truly cloud-native platform makes it easy to adopt Zero Trust and prevent the theft or loss of sensitive data and intellectual property no matter where people are working. 20+ years in business. 2.7k employees. 150 countries. 11k+ customers. 300+ patents. If our mission excites you, you’re in the right place; we want you to bring your own energy to help us create a safer world. All we’re missing is you! Who is Forcepoint? Forcepoint is the first AI security company that stops risk before AI touches the data. Based in Austin, Texas, Forcepoint serves over 8,500 organizations across 150+ countries — aware of every AI and data interaction, adapting in real time and enforcing automatically. AI moves fast. Forcepoint moves first. About the Role Forcepoint is hiring a sharp, driven Media Relations Strategist to join our Corporate Communications team, a career path with purpose at a global leader in AI Data Security. This role brings the Forcepoint story to life for journalists, podcasters, influencers and other audiences around the world. You will own media relationships, craft compelling pitches, help drive global media strategy and extend our thought leadership and AI Data Security category voice across trade, business and broadcast outlets, while growing Forcepoint's presence on relevant podcasts targeting C-suite to practitioner audiences. You have a nose for news and know how to work across teams including internal stakeholders, regional teams and global PR agencies to ensure every market tells a consistent yet locally resonant story. Forcepoint values the influence of earned media, particularly in the age of AIO, AEO and GEO. As Muck Rack reported, earned media drives roughly 84% of AI-generated search citations, far outpacing brand-owned websites and paid advertising. Location: Austin, Texas Key Responsibilities Media Strategy Define global media strategy as part of an integrated annual media relations plan with quarter-by-quarter thematic narratives aligned to emerging industry trends, competitor moves as well as Forcepoint's product roadmap, global event calendar and key industry moments. Define priority audiences, story angles and measurable KPIs for earned media performance. Monitor the competitive media landscape and advise communications leadership on emerging trends, risks and opportunities with particular emphasis on competitive de-positioning. Partner with content, demand generation and social teams to amplify earned coverage — including podcast placements — across owned, shared and paid channels. Media Relationships Build, maintain and own relationships with an active global roster of cybersecurity, enterprise tech and business media contacts across print, digital and broadcast — keeping beats, outlets and regions current. Serve as primary point of contact for media inquiries, coordinating timely and accurate responses with subject-matter experts. Track reporter beats and coverage trends to surface proactive storytelling opportunities for Forcepoint spokespeople. Media Pitching Actively pitch stories directly to media contacts utilizing existing relationships and cultivating new relationships across business, tech and trade media Develop creative, news-driven pitches for product launches, executive thought leadership, research reports and corporate announcements — tailored to each reporter and outlet audience. Ideate strategic and creative media storytelling that pulls together all needed elements to package up media ready stories – including relevant business proof points, customer references, analyst references, etc. Translate complex cybersecurity topics into accessible, compelling business narratives. Secure earned coverage through reactive and proactive commentary, contributed articles, trendjacking and corporate strategy interviews across top-tier business, trade and channel media outlets. Global Media Regionalized Strategy Develop global and regional media toolkits — messaging frameworks, press materials and spokesperson bios and briefs — that can be utilized for media engagements, trade show events Equip regional teams with a steady cadence of storytelling pitch angles localized by market. Ensure regional campaigns balance global brand consistency with culturally nuanced storytelling. Podcast Pitching & Forcepoint Podcast Support Maintain a database of cybersecurity, enterprise tech and business podcasts — including host contacts, episode cadence and audience demographics. Pitch Forcepoint executives and subject-matter experts as guests on external podcasts, negotiating appearances that reinforce strategic messaging priorities. Manage end-to-end guest booking for the Forcepoint podcast: outreach, scheduling, pre-interview briefings and post-recording follow-up. Track podcast performance metrics and use data to refine outreach and booking strategy over time. And other duties as assigned. Qualifications Required 5–7 years of media relations or communications experience, with current or recent tenure at a PR or communications agency serving cybersecurity or B2B technology clients; former technology journalists are also encouraged to apply. Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations or a closely related field preferred. Demonstrated ability to build and maintain strong relationships with journalists, editors and media contacts. Strong network of existing technology, cybersecurity and business media relationships and a track record of securing top-tier business and trade placements. Experience executing media pitches independently, from research through follow-up. Familiarity with regionalized campaign execution. Hands-on experience with podcast outreach, guest pitching or show production support. Strong writer who can translate technical cybersecurity concepts for general business audiences. Proficiency with media monitoring and database tools such as Cision, Meltwater, Muck Rack or similar. Critical thinker with strong business acumen and a passion for brand journalism and media storytelling. Cultural curiosity and a global mindset to communicate effectively with regional audiences across the company. Experience leveraging AI platforms such as Claude, ChatGPT and others to augment research, ideation and KPI measurement. Preferred Experience supporting awards and executive thought leadership programs, including conference speaker submissions. Forcepoint is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The salary range and variable compensation for this role is 90,000.00 - 113,000.00 and represents the low and high end of compensation for this position. Actual salaries are determined by various factors including, but not limited to, location, experience, and performance. The range listed is just one component of Forcepoint’s total compensation package for employees. Other rewards may include bonuses, paid time off policy, and many region-specific benefits Don’t meet every single qualification? Studies show people are hesitant to apply if they don’t meet all requirements listed in a job posting. Forcepoint is focused on building an inclusive and diverse workplace – so if there is something slightly different about your previous experience, but it otherwise aligns and you’re excited about this role, we encourage you to apply. You could be a great candidate for this or other roles on our team. The policy of Forcepoint is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, citizenship status, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status and to affirmatively seek to advance the principles of equal employment opportunity. Forcepoint is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Empl