Senior Public Affairs Officer

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement long-term strategic communication plans in alignment with the agency’s goals.
• Provide expert counsel to senior leadership on communications strategies, messaging, and public positioning.
• Lead the development and execution of internal and external communication campaigns.
• Oversee the creation of press releases, media advisories, provide media prep, help develop responses to media inquiries, and other materials for the media.
• Direct the content strategy and management of the agency’s public website and social media channels along with providing media measurements and metrics for both.
• Develop, execute, and publish a high volume of public affairs deliverables written in AP Style with minimal errors.
• Support the monthly government agency communicators meeting, offer expert recommendations on emerging communication trends, and assist with tracking and maintaining media and public affairs logs.
• Serve as a speechwriter for senior leadership, preparing remarks for a variety of public and private events.
• Internal Collaboration & Oversight: Provide copy editing and quality assurance for public affairs products.
• Engagements: Prepare visit specific presentations, briefing books, slick sheets, and agendas. Manage visit dry runs, read ahead materials, prep packages, placemats, presentations, and briefing material. Track and manage both internal and external engagements for Senior Leadership to include schedules, agendas, and planning materials.

Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI is REQUIRED.
• Willing and able to obtain a Polygraph.
• A 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.
• Completion of formal DoW public affairs training (Defense Information School coursework) preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of demonstrated experience in public affairs or journalism, in a leadership capacity, managing complex communication initiatives and advising senior executives.
• Proven ability to develop and execute sophisticated, multi-faceted strategic communication plans.
• Extensive experience and demonstrated success in public affairs or journalism.
• Demonstrated ability to lead effectively during high-pressure crisis situations.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop and execute sophisticated, multi-faceted communication plans that align with organizational objectives.
• Communication Proficiency: Exceptional writing, editing, and verbal communication skills, with a proven track record in speechwriting, press releases, and strategic messaging.
• Stakeholder Relations: Superb interpersonal skills with a natural ability to build and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders, including community partners, government entities, and internal teams.
• Digital Fluency: Strong understanding of digital and social media platforms as tools for strategic engagement and reputation management.

Pay

Target salary range $160,001 - $200,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.