Associate Director

Milltown Partners is a global advisory firm working with influential organizations and individuals on the communications and public policy challenges that define their reputations. We are looking for an Associate Director to join our New York team, who has leadership experience, corporate communications experience and a desire to take a hands-on role in advising both clients and colleagues. As an established media handler, you will scale those skills in the team and have a network of journalists and peers that you are eager to build and convene for the benefit of our continued growth in the US.
THE ASSOCIATE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR ROLEAssociate Directors are responsible for the quality of everything we produce. They ensure every team has an agreed strategy, clear priorities, and consistently exceeds client expectations. Associate Directors work in partnership with the senior management to set the scope, agree the fees and design the structure of our teams to ensure we have the right resources to deliver our best work. They give brilliant advice to our clients and coach their teams to do the same. Associate Directors are instrumental in the growth of the firm, helping to build external networks and lead on new business opportunities, while also supporting the design and delivery of plans for quality, talent and growth.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ROLELeadership: defining direction and inspiring others to meet a common goalCollaborating with senior management to set clear goals and priorities for your teams and holding everyone, including themselves, to account for meeting themBuilding trust with your client in order to give the most impactful advice and supportTaking responsibility for the strategic direction and tactical choices for clientsSharing your insights and experience in a way that allows the rest of the team to replicate your successDrawing on the full expertise and resources of the firm to develop and deliver advice that helps our clients build and protect their reputationsCoaching individuals both in line management and on teams to identify opportunities to meet their goals
Innovation: pushing the boundaries of the work we do as a firmBeing a role model and leading by example in both managing and delivering exceptional workEnsuring research, data and insight underpins all work that we deliver Seeking expertise from outside the firm - media, business, policy, academia, research - and using it to improve the quality of our advice and analysisIdentifying operational efficiencies that enable us to deliver our best workIdentifying opportunities for collaboration, knowledge sharing and growth for the business beyond your own client teams
Growth: Contributing to the future of the business beyond the boundaries of client workIdentifying and leading on converting new opportunities into work and extending our work with existing clientsCultivating an external network that enables us to deliver impactful results for our clients (e.g. with journalists, subject matter experts or other advisers)Developing and building your external network in order to attract new clients and reach potential referrersShowing entrepreneurial thinking internally by identifying opportunities for collaboration, skills building and knowledge sharing
Contributing to a collaborative and inclusive work environmentLine managing outside client teams, including setting development goals that enable individuals to perform at their best and stretch into new development opportunitiesGiving and receiving regular feedback to people at all levels in the firmActively seeking input or assistance from others and reflecting their contributions in the workDemonstrating allyship to all colleaguesSupporting the wellbeing of everyone on the team

Must-have skills and experiences

• At least 8 years of corporate communications experience - either/or consultancy or in-house roles - including time in the technology and/or investor space
• Demonstrable ability to take a strategic approach to reputation, rooted in research, data and insight
• Experience engaging with different audiences and channels across the communications landscape
• Experience building advisory relationships with senior stakeholders in order to deliver strategic counsel and insight, often on a short timeframe
• Experience developing media strategies and adapting them in response to a changing media environment 
• Ability to build and maintain a media network for the benefit of multiple clients and colleagues 
• Experience managing complex and high-performing teams with diverse experiences
• Willingness to play a hands-on role within client teams and across the firm
• Commitment to learning and developing new skills and subject matter expertise, including seeking out feedback from colleagues
• Ability to pla