Are you a strong IR operator ready to run Tier 1 accounts with real autonomy, build relationships with the influencers who are harder to reach, and help shape what a scaled IR practice looks like as it grows?

About the role

Spotlight’s Influencer Relations practice is growing fast, and this is the seat for someone who wants to be in the middle of that momentum. The Senior Influencer Relations Specialist owns the full IR lifecycle on our highest-priority client accounts — from influencer identification through payment — operating with the speed, judgment, and independence that Tier 1 accounts demand. The work moves quickly, no two weeks look the same, and the relationships you build are with some of the most well-known voices in B2B tech.

This is a senior individual contributor role with no direct reports. You already know the IR playbook; you’re here to run it at a higher level of complexity and stakes. You’ll partner closely with IR leadership and client teams, serve as a go-to resource for Specialists navigating trickier situations, and have a natural runway into strategy work as you build your track record in this seat. The role is well-suited for someone with hands-on AR or IR experience from an agency, in-house, or somewhere adjacent.

Those effective in this role…

· Lead the search for influencer partners across target topics for our highest-visibility client programs, vetting candidates against program criteria — subject matter depth, audience fit, engagement quality, and potential conflicts of interest — and making the final call in ambiguous cases.

· Help expand and maintain Spotlight’s influencer community database, keeping it current and flagging gaps in coverage before they become a problem.

· Build and maintain real relationships with in-demand influencer voices, including the ones who are harder to reach or need more nuanced handling.

· Run outreach and communication across the full program lifecycle without needing a script, from initial contact through post-campaign wrap-up, representing Spotlight’s brand and our clients’ programs with professionalism and authenticity.

· Serve as a point of reference for Specialists working through tougher influencer conversations or edge cases.

· Define influencer deliverables directly with the client team and IR leadership, taking the first pass at scope on bigger programs. Negotiate fees and manage the full contracting process from first ask through executed agreement, handling most negotiations independently.

· Maintain clean, audit-ready documentation across all active engagements, including the highest-volume and highest-value accounts on the team.

· Track influencer spend across your accounts, flagging variances early and keeping financials tidy without needing reminders. Contribute informed input on new program budgets before they’re finalized.

· Set up tracking infrastructure including UTM codes and reporting frameworks, knowing when a standard setup needs to flex for a nonstandard program. Lead post-campaign analysis on your accounts and contribute practical, tested ideas for how the team measures impact.

· Coordinate with IR team members to ensure the right metrics are captured, and help junior team members troubleshoot when something looks off.

What you bring

IR execution experience. You have 3–5 years of hands-on AR or IR experience and a track record of running influencer programs with limited oversight. You already know the lifecycle — identification, outreach, contracting, payment — and you’re ready to own it on the accounts that matter most.

Relationship instincts. You build genuine connections with influencers, including the ones who are harder to reach. You’re a steady, credible presence in high-stakes conversations, and you know how to lead external communications — including the harder ones — without a script.

Operational rigor. You manage multiple demanding workstreams at once without dropping anything. Your documentation is clean, your budgets are tracked, and your accounts run without anyone having to ask for a status update.

Curiosity and range. You’re genuinely interested in how the B2B influencer landscape is evolving and energized by helping build a practice that’s still taking shape. You’re comfortable operating in ambiguity and helping define what good looks like, not just executing against a defined playbook.

You’re excited to go deep on execution now, with an eye toward growing into strategy work as you build your track record in this seat.

Where this role can take you

The IR team is built with growth in mind — progressions reflect real milestones, not arbitrary timelines. From here, the natural next step is IR Strategist (leading strategy development for midsize client accounts, 3+ years), followed by Senior IR Strategist (strategy and oversight for key accounts, 4+ years). Beyond the Specialist track, team members can pursue either a people management path (IR Manager) or a senior individual contributor path (Lead IR Strategist). Both are valued and intentionally supported.

For Spotlight team members

This role is just as open to people already on the Spotlight team as it is to external candidates. If you’re a Senior Client Partner or Client Partner with strong Analyst Relations experience who’s ready to deepen into a specialized discipline, this role is designed with you in mind. We’re looking for 2–3 years of AR experience for internal candidates from the Client Partner track, and we’ll invest in teaching you the IR side. You already know how Spotlight works and how our clients think — we’ll help you build the rest from there.

Details

Experience: 3–5 years of AR or IR experience, including meaningful hands-on time in an IR execution role

Work style: In-office, Kansas City, MO

Travel: Occasional travel throughout the year

We are a fun, smart, growing firm based in Kansas City’s Crossroads neighborhood — and a consistent recipient of the KC Business Journal’s Best Places to Work award. Learn more at spotlightar.com

Spotlight is an equal opportunity employer. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.