Senior Public Affairs Officer

Responsibilities

• Provide expert counsel to senior leadership on public positioning and long-term communication strategies aligned with agency goals.
• Serve as a primary speechwriter and content creator for senior leadership, drafting high-impact remarks, digital products, and internal messaging.
• Oversee the full media lifecycle, including drafting press releases, managing inquiries, providing executive media prep, and tracking performance metrics.
• Direct the development of AP Style deliverables—including articles, podcasts, video scripts, and social media—across all public and internal platforms.
• Lead the planning and execution of high-level external campaigns and conferences (e.g., GEOINT Symposium) for industry, academia, and DoD stakeholders.
• Manage end-to-end logistics for domestic and foreign VIP visits, including dry runs, briefing books, and formal agency tours.
• Provide senior-level copy editing and quality control for all public affairs products while maintaining comprehensive media logs and trend analysis.

Requirements

• 10+ years of demonstrated experience in public affairs or journalism, in a leadership capacity, managing complex communication initiatives and advising senior executives.
• Bachelor's Degree in Public Relations, Public Affairs, Journalism, or a related field. In lieu of a bachelor’s degree, the candidate must have 8+ years of direct public affairs or journalism.
• Proven ability to develop and execute sophisticated, multi-faceted strategic communication plans.
• Extensive experience and demonstrated success in public affairs or journalism.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and verbal communication skills, with a proven track record in speechwriting.
• Demonstrated ability to lead effectively during high-pressure crisis situations.
• Strong understanding of digital and social media platforms as tools for strategic engagement and reputation management.

Qualifications

• Completion of formal DoW public affairs training (Defense Information School coursework) preferred.

Pay

Competitive salary commensurate with experience.

Schedule

Full-time, 40 hours per week.