Senior Manager, External Communications (Hybrid)

Senior Manager, External Communications (Hybrid) 

ICF (NASDAQ: ICFI) is a $1.8 billion global consulting and technology services provider, but we’re not your typical consultants. We combine unmatched expertise with cutting-edge technology to help clients solve their most complex challenges, navigate change, and shape the future. With 9k+ people in 70 countries, we are proud to be one of Forbes’ 2023 Best Management Consulting Firms and best employers for diversity and women. We are a mission-driven company filled with people who care deeply about building a more prosperous and resilient world for all. Our core values include Embracing Difference; we seek candidates who are passionate about building a culture that encourages, embraces, and hires dimensions of difference.  

Our Corporate Marketing and Communications team is looking for an experienced, motivated Senior Manager, External Communications to help us create more visibility and excitement around our inspirational, mission-driven work by owning our ambitious external communications program.  

You will have 6+ years of communications experience in corporate, in-house, or agency settings. If you’ve worked for large, multi-faceted organizations, that’s a plus. You’re highly detail-oriented and an excellent writer. You’re equal parts analytical, strategic, and creative. And you communicate ideas in creative and concise ways while adapting messages for all mediums and audiences.   

In this role, you’ll develop and execute a measurable and impactful PR, external communications plan and corporate branding campaigns that enhance ICF’s visibility, awareness, and prominence among key audiences.  

A true communicator with a marketing mindset, you’ll bring a passion for leveraging business strategy and industry acumen to drive a full external communications program, including executive visibility opportunities, events, awards and speaking engagements, social media, brand reputation management and more.  

This is a hybrid position based from our global headquarters in Reston, VA.

What You Will Do:

Lead our external communications strategy and execution.  

• Manage various external communications activities such as public/media relations, social media, crisis communications, reputation management, executive speaking opportunities, awards, and more. 

• Share our corporate vision, growth story, and key market differentiators with external audiences.  

• Lean into purpose-driven storytelling, drawing from our global teams and projects, to share how ICF is making meaningful, global impact.  

• Create and oversee the development of external corporate communications content, such as press releases, award nominations, remarks, bylines, media backgrounders, and more.  

• Develop, implement, and monitor external communications processes working in partnership with our marketing operations team.   

• Leverage metrics, technology, and industry best practices to develop and implement innovative communication mediums and tools to increase communication effectiveness.  

• Manage a team of external communicators, monitoring team performance, development needs, and career growth. 

• Manage external agency relationships, ensuring earned media content is identified, pursued, and placed.  

• Establish a cohort of media-trained executives and subject matter experts and oversee all media interviews.  

• Partner with internal communications and marketing campaigns teams to define external communications needs and ensure key corporate messages and stories are consistently being delivered across all ICF channels.   

Partner with leadership to develop and implement an executive communications strategy.  

• Manage executive industry communications, media engagements, thought leadership, executive board placements, awards, speaking/event appearances, and more.   

• Establish close working relationships with top level executives, learn their voice, and craft communications recommendations based on their strengths.  

• Collaborate with leaders to define communications needs and preferences.  

• Regularly report on progress to goals.  

Identify, design, and lead corporate-level external events strategy and planning.   

• Implement best practices and share across the business to help elevate our overall external events presence.  

Support leadership in external crisis communications situations.  

Support a highly active M&A program through comprehensive communications plans and outreach. 

Manage ICF’s community relations efforts in and around the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.  

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