Director of Communications And Public Relations

Job Overview

Responsible for creating and driving strategic communications and public relations strategies that yield top results for clients.

The Director of Communications and Public Relations leads their team and works collaboratively with departments across the agency to develop messaging frameworks and high-quality communications, earned media, and outreach plans.

They also lead the Communications and Public Relations department to promote personal and professional growth and satisfaction among the team.

Who You Are

You are a seasoned comms and PR professional with 15+ years of experience across multiple clients and industries. You are a trusted leader, a quick and strategic thinker, and a strong writer who thrives in an agency environment and knows how to deftly bring ideas to life.

You are energized by wearing multiple hats and serving in multiple roles. You have a demonstrated track record of developing effective and innovative approaches to crafting compelling messages, generating earned media, and shaping public opinion.

You know how to effectively lead a team, including developing talent, mentoring, providing backup support, and managing staffing and workloads.

Who We Are : Marketers For Good

We are proud to be recognized as one of Ad Age's Best Places to Work 2024. Civilian is not your typical marketing communications agency.

For starters, we are a Certified B Corporation, which means we are part of a global network of companies using business as a force for good.

We take on clients and projects that align with our mission to improve lives, strengthen communities, and better the world.

Our work includes supporting mental health and wellness, preventing youth suicide, and reducing the impact of adverse childhood experiences.

It also includes advancing environmental sustainability, promoting the value of education, and driving economic development.

We call it marketing for good. From our headquarters in San Diego to our offices in Sacramento and Washington DC, we are dedicated to tackling challenging issues and creating positive change in the world.

We are a dedicated group of innovators and problem solvers who come to work every day grateful for the opportunity to make a difference.

We support our employees’ professional and personal development with a rich set of benefits, humane working hours, and a culture that rewards embracing challenges and having a great time doing it.

The success of our approach shows in our average employee tenure of nearly five years (vs. the industry average of 2.5) and in the number of Civilians that return.

We offer a truly unique balance of professionalism and heart and an office full of free snacks, a dog or two, and the occasional afternoon happy hour.

Responsibilities

Client Services (60%)

Oversee the development and implementation of high-quality integrated communications, earned and shared media, and outreach plans with effective short- and long-term strategies to support clients’ objectives and increase campaign visibility.

Ensure that all activities complement and support the services being provided by other agency departments.

Develop strategic communications plans, messaging frameworks, and content that educate, engage, and inspire the intended audiences to take the desired action.

Facilitate engagement with and input from clients and stakeholders to align on campaign messaging, and ensure messaging is consistently applied across all communications activities.

Lead and / or oversee the strategy and execution of earned media for clients , including conducting media outreach and generating earned media;

planning media tours, press conferences, and / or launch events; providing media training and interview / presentation coaching, and providing talking points and other materials as needed.

• Identify and cultivate partnership opportunities with key community-based organizations and like-minded brands to advance client and agency goals.
• Collaborate on the development of influencer marketing programs that tie in with and maximize the impact of client campaigns.
• Measure, analyze, and report on the effectiveness of communication initiatives . This includes assessing the value of earned and shared media advertising, conducting sentiment analysis, and evaluating the impact of influencer campaigns.
• Cultivate strong and productive relationships with clients, serving as a reliable advisor with strategic advice on various challenges, including political, regulatory, and organizational issues.
• Stay up to date and push the agency forward with creative and innovative communications and public relations strategies and tactics .

Agency Marketing, Communications, and Business Development (20%)

• Contribute to and support the agency’s external marketing initiatives to promote Civilian’s culture, services, and success stories, including writing feature articles / blog posts, submitting awards, and presenting at conferences.
• Oversee Civilian’s communications and public relations approach for business development proposals, including contributing to campaign strategy, proposing earned, shared, and owned media approaches, drafting content for proposals and work plans, and providing timelines and budget estimates.
• Help prepare for and participate in business development pitches .

Department Development, Management, and Support (20%)

Manage an effective and high-performing team. Delegate department assignments; outline expectations of and communicate effectively with team members;

leverage the strengths of team members and provide coaching around areas for growth; navigate variances in workload and time requirements for both yourself and your team members.

Mentor and develop department team members using a collaborative approach based on clearly defined development goals and regular systems for feedback.

Provide coaching to assist in each team members’ professional development. Conduct performance reviews, and make merit increase and / or and title change recommendations as appropriate.

Serve as an ambassador for both the agency and the department. Contribute to a positive, productive, and supportive working environment that lives into the agency’s Core Values.

Communicate effectively and proactively with other department heads to address any performance issues and identify opportunities for improvement.

Supervise high-level subcontractor scopes of work, as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum 15 years of experience in strategic communications and public relations within a marketing, advertising, and / or PR agency
• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or equivalent business experience preferred
• Expert knowledge of and experience developing strategic communications plans and messaging frameworks, ideating and executing high-impact earned media programs, and communicating and building trust with both internal and external stakeholders
• Knowledge of the California media market required
• Experience with the nuances of public sector, government, or CA local, regional, and state politics preferred
• Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills
• Exceptional interpersonal, leadership, supervisory, and organizational skills
• Proven ability to develop and implement communications and public relations plans that achieve specific, measurable results
• Able to develop and tailor communications to effectively connect with diverse audiences; capable of adapting strategies and tactics to respond to client or audience feedback
• Able to manage people and multiple projects with competing priorities
• Sound judgment, self-confidence, and professionalism that equate with a Director-level position
• Self-motivated, proactive, and entrepreneurial; demonstrated ability to work independently
• Strong working knowledge of technology, digital, and social media
• Agile problem-solver, ability to navigate complex situations and manage ambiguity; excellent attention to detail
• Good listener who includes and engages others and inspires colleagues to their best performance
• Volunteerism, environmental awareness, diversity and inclusion awareness, and a commitment to social justice are all highly preferred candidate traits
• Committed to upholding the agency’s core values and DEIB mission

Location

This position is a hybrid role based in San Diego, California. Remote working options with in-office Wednesdays and biweekly Fridays for collaboration and team building.

Compensation & Benefits

This is a full-time salaried position with a comprehensive benefits package.

Salary Range : $130,000 - $140,000, depending on experience.

• Medical Coverage : Tiered with 100% employer-paid option after 4 years.
• Company Benefits : Life Insurance, AD&D, Legal Support.
• Dental & Vision : Included.
• Voluntary Benefits : Additional Life Insurance, Hospital, Critical Illness, Accidental Death & Disability, Pet Insurance
• Work-Life Balance : Generous PTO, Flexible Hours, Parental Leave, Paid Holidays, Volunteer Time Off.
• Financial Benefits : 401(k) with Match.
• Employee Assistance Program : Support for personal / professional challenges
• Career Development : Professional Development
• Office Perks : On-site parking, Fitness Center, Dog-friendly
• Social Events : Happy Hours, Company Events
• Additional Perks : Cell Phone Reimbursements

CIVILIAN’S CORE VALUES

Civilian expects every employee, regardless of role or responsibility, to uphold its core values :

• Seek First to Understand
• Practice We Over Me
• Operate With Integrity
• Rise to the Challenge
• Make Things Better

Let’s Get to Know Each Other

Are you the one? Are we the one? If this sounds like a fit, let’s talk more. Please email careers@civilian.com to tell us why we absolutely, positively need you on our team.

Don’t forget to attach your resume. And, check out the Civilian Careers page for more information on how talented, smart, and delightful we are.