Principal Associate, Corporate Issues & Crisis Communications

Center 1 (19052), United States of America, McLean, Virginia

Principal Associate, Corporate Issues & Crisis Communications

At Capital One, we’re building a leading technology company. Founder-led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard Fairbank, Capital One helps our customers succeed by bringing ingenuity, simplicity, and humanity to banking. We measure our efforts by the success our customers enjoy and the advocacy they exhibit. We are succeeding because they are succeeding.                                               

Guided by our shared values, we thrive in an environment where collaboration and openness are valued. We believe that innovation is powered by perspective and that teamwork and respect for each other lead to superior results. We elevate each other and obsess about doing the right thing. Our associates serve with humility and a deep respect for their responsibility in helping our customers achieve their goals and realize their dreams. Together, we are on a quest to change banking for good.

About the Role:

Capital One is looking for a strategic, results-driven communications professional to join a talented group of communicators on our Corporate Reputation team within our Corporate Communications team. 

Working for one of the world’s most recognized brands that is ranked #106 on the Fortune 500 and #15 on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For, Capital One provides multiple opportunities to learn and grow while engaging across the enterprise to both bolster and protect the company’s reputation. 

Our work demands diverse skill sets including experience in creating and executing crisis communications plans; developing communications plans to build reputation; engaging with top tier media; coaching peers to mitigate risk; supporting strategies with analytics and insights; and more.

As a key member of the Issues and Crisis communications team, this person will provide real-time, strategic counsel to executives, gain alignment with stakeholders and support execution in a well managed manner. This person will partner within our broader External Affairs team and with business leaders throughout the enterprise, to build and lead issues and crisis communication programs that are proactive and reactive in nature and focus on both internal and external audiences. 

This position requires exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills; solid understanding of and experience working to build and protect corporate reputation; experience working with top tier media; experience leading projects and programs to meet team objectives; and the ability to build trusted relationships - with both internal and external stakeholders - while operating in a fast-paced, matrixed environment and an ability to successfully build in white space.

Primary Responsibilities:

Exhibit a deep understanding of the business and potential issues

• Work closely and engage with key stakeholders to build trusted relationships 

• Identify reputation building themes, topics and content that resonate with various audiences and meet timely objectives

• Leverage data and insights to inform proactive and reactive engagement and measure success 

• Advise comms teams on effectively navigating potential risks and sensitivities

• Ability to work seamlessly as part of a team, in an open and collaborative environment

Develop and drive communications strategies that mitigate potential reputation risk

• Operate in cross-functional teams advising on communications strategies and providing real-time counsel

• Reinforce engagement strategies through providing perspective of the current media environment

• Develop comms strategies that advance and protect corporate reputation including, supporting messaging and materials

Partner and collaborate within Corporate Communications and External Affairs 

• Tell a unified story to enhance Capital One’s reputation, ensuring all efforts reflect and bolster the enterprise

• Connect the dots to ensure all key teams are engaged and key audiences are taken into consideration in managing and mitigating issues

Embrace research, measurement and analytical thinking as a means to drive Impact 

• Ensure all work is executed through a lens of strategic impact and measurement, leveraging the latest tools and technology to showcase how communications is driving business outcomes, brand awareness and engagement