Public Relations & Strategic Partnerships Intern

Public Relations & Strategic Partnerships Intern

• Location: Remote / Hybrid (MD/DC Region preferred; NYC Area considered)

• Duration: 3 Months

• Time Commitment: 10–15 hours/week

• Weekly Cadence: Mandatory weekly 1-on-1 sync (virtual or in-person)

• Mentorship & Guidance: Founder & President

• Compensation: Unpaid

Role Overview

At Houstory, we are on a mission to eliminate "The Zero Data Decision" across the rental market by bringing transparency, empowerment, and data-backed clarity to housing.

As a Public Relations & Strategic Partnerships Intern, you will work directly with leadership to build brand visibility, execute grassroots campaigns, and establish strategic partner pipelines. Moving away from rigid administrative channels, this role focuses on community-led outreach, ambassador networks, and project-based campaigns targeting students, recent graduates, and young alumni across key East Coast markets.

Weekly Cadence & Mentorship Structure

• Weekly 1-on-1 Call: You will participate in a mandatory weekly 1-on-1 meeting with the Founder & President to review deliverables, align on weekly priorities, and receive structured feedback.

• Weekly Marketing & Strategy Call: You will participate in a weekly marketing call led by an experienced marketing professional who specializes in teaching, training, and team development. During this call, you will learn foundational marketing concepts and discover how to cross-reference and apply those principles directly to PR, events, and strategic partnership campaigns.

• Feedback Loops: Continuous touchpoints and co-stewardship throughout the week ensure you receive ongoing support and mentorship to meet your professional growth goals.

Educational Learning Objectives

Through structured weekly feedback loops, strategic co-stewardship, and practical execution, you will develop actionable skill sets in:

• Cross-Functional Marketing & PR Integration: Learning how to adapt core marketing frameworks from an experienced mentor and cross-reference them into PR tactics, community activations, and event management.

• B2B & B2B2C Campaign Strategy: Constructing PR and strategic outreach campaigns for proptech, advocacy platforms, and community-led initiatives.

• Media Curation & EPK Compilation: Building high-signal Electronic Press Kits (EPKs) and curating media lists for tech, real estate, and civic journalists.

• Grassroots Partner Workflows: Managing strategic outreach pipelines targeting student, alumni, and community housing safety resources.

• Brand & Project Management: Hands-on experience reviewing brand guides and executing project-based public relations assignments.

Key Responsibilities & Expected Projects

1. Brand Guide Review & Project-Based Work

• Conduct comprehensive reviews of Houstory brand guides to ensure alignment across all external messaging, media kits, and pitch materials.

• Execute project-based deliverables focused on PR strategy, campaign tracking, and rental literacy rollouts.

2. Media & Press Kit Building

• Assist in assembling polished Electronic Press Kits (EPKs) and executive bios targeting proptech, real estate, and entrepreneurship outlets.

• Research, curate, and maintain up-to-date media databases covering regional tech, civic, and real estate journalists.

3. News & Podcast Pitching Campaigns

• Draft and distribute targeted media and podcast pitch emails under guided mentorship.

• Deploy outreach across Houstory’s core narrative tracks:

  • "The Sage" Track: Data-driven narratives centered on rental transparency and housing market realities.

  • "The Leader" Track: Founder storytelling focused on transitioning from corporate HR to housing advocacy.

4. Strategic Outreach & Pipeline Development

• Map and initiate strategic outreach to student and alum housing/safety resources across NYC, Baltimore City, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.

• Support community-led expansion tactics to engage recent college graduates, young alumni, and local renters directly through ambassador and grassroots networks.

• Maintain organized contact logs and follow-up schedules to nurture ongoing strategic relationships.

Qualifications & Eligibility

• Weekly Commitment: Ability to commit 10–15 hours per week.

• Mandatory Sync: Availability to attend a weekly 1-on-1 meeting (virtual or in-person) with executive leadership.

• Education: Current enrollment or recent completion of a degree in Public Relations, Journalism, Communications, Business Administration, or a related field.

• Location: Based in or deeply familiar with the DMV region (DC/Maryland/Virginia) or the NYC metro area.

Ideal Skills & Mindset

• Clear & Versatile Writing: Able to craft concise, engaging, and grammatically precise copy adapted for different media and community audiences.

• Research & Detail Orientation: Strong organizational habits when managing contact databases, tracking outreach metrics, and reviewing project guidelines.

• Brand Narrative Alignment: Ability to mirror Houstory’s core values—Transparency, Empowerment, Community, Support, and Trust—in all written communications.

• Collaborative & Self-Driven: Open to constructive feedback, active during regular check-ins, and comfortable operating within a supportive environment.