Associate Director, Media Relations (Remote or Hybrid)

The Company

ICF is a mission-driven company filled with people who care deeply about improving the lives of others and making the world a better place. Our core values include Embracing Difference; we seek candidates who are passionate about building a culture that encourages, embraces, and hires dimensions of difference.

@ ICF Next, we are fearless in finding new ways to solve problems, relentless in making sure it pays off for our clients and committed to making a positive change in the world.

Join our community of mission-driven creatives, communicators, strategists, and technologists to challenge the status quo.

We're currently hiring an Associate Director, Media Relations to join our award-winning team of communicators, creatives and strategists, driving media-relations efforts for incredible clients for some of the world's best known and most admired food, beverage and lifestyle brands.

The Team

ICF Next's media-relations team is a driving force behind some of the industry's most progressive and impactful communications and marketing campaigns. Our work shows up everywhere from Food Network () to Fast Company () . We help our clients win the Super Bowl () , launch groundbreaking products and stay relevant () .

We're pretty good at it, too: In the last few years, our team has won Agency of the Year recognition from PRWeek and PRovoke Media, as well as a spot on AdAge's "A-List Agency Standouts." In 2022, we've won eight SABRE Awards.

And we do this industry-leading work with a deep respect for work-life balance. Our teams enjoy highly flexible work arrangements (either remote or hybrid) and a full suite of competitive benefits. So, if you're looking to work on campaigns your friends will see, alongside genuinely talented, kind and collaborative people, look no further.

The Work

ICF Next is hiring an Associate Director, Media Relations to help some of the world's most admired food, beverage and lifestyle brands tell compelling stories that build upon their brand purposes. You will a function as the earned-media lead for a select group of accounts, working closely with account managers and internal teams to develop strategies and execute programs that help our clients meet their goals.

This role is for an experienced media-relations professional who wants a role in shaping strategies as well as sharing news. The ideal candidate thrives while collaborating with teams to solve client challenges, possesses a knack for crafting the perfect pitch and is passionate about mentoring junior team members.

Key Responsibilities:

As an Associate Director, Media Relations, you will:

• Play a critical role in partnering with both senior leaders and the junior team to build earned-media strategies and drive campaigns for large consumer clients.
• Serve as a true subject matter expert for our teams and clients, staying apprised of and communicating and explaining the actionable impact of key shifts to clients and teammates.
• Embrace opportunities to mentor and develop junior talent and grow media-relations aptitude throughout all account and creative teams with which you interact, via direct management of junior media-team members and mentoring and guidance of account teams.
• Ensure that messaging and materials are consistently clear, compelling, and complete.
• Demonstrate strong client-communication skills, both via strategic and tactical counsel and strong presentation skills.
• Partner with creative teams to maximize each campaign's earned-media potential.
• Show tenacious problem-solving skills and a curiosity for what's possible, always thinking of new ways to break through while meeting client's marketing challenges.
• Build strong relationships with internal teams while maintaining a positive, can-do attitude and championing great work.
• Handle organizational change and client shifts with grace.
• Be inspired by and excited to work on needle-moving campaigns like this () and this ()

Required Qualifications:

• A bachelor's degree.
• 6+ years of relevant work experience at a PR agency, client-side communications team or as a journalist.
• Ability to travel as required

Professional Skills:

• A track record of success in media relations and/or demonstrated mastery of the earned-media landscape.
• Proven ability to manage projects, including overseeing and managing partners.
• Proven ability to work both independently and as part of a team and collaborate regularly with team members at all levels.
• Understanding of the agency business model.
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal

Preferred Qualifications:

• Chicago location preferred, but not required.
• Leadership instincts and the ability to identify and elevate great work from junior team members
• Consumer brand experience strongly preferred. (Past experience with tech, healthcare or auto is nice but not necessary.)
• Experience managing direct reports and working with cross-functional teams.

Working at ICF

Working at ICF means applying a passion for meaningful work with intellectual rigor to help solve the leading issues of our day. Smart, compassionate, innovative, committed, ICF employees tackle unprecedented challenges to benefit people, businesses, and governments around the globe. We believe in collaboration, mutual respect, open communication, and opportunity for growth.

We can only solve the world's toughest challenges by building an inclusive workplace that allows everyone to thrive. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to hiring regardless of any protected characteristic, such as race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability status, or military/veteran status. Together, our employees are empowered to share their expertise and collaborate with others to achieve personal and professional goals. For more information, please read our EEO & AA policy () .

Reasonable Accommodations are available, including, but not limited to, for disabled veterans, individuals with disabilities, and individuals with sincerely held religious beliefs, in all phases of the application and employment process. To request an accommodation please email and we will be happy to assist. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations. Read more about non-discrimination: Know Your Rights () and Pay Transparency Statement () .

Pay Range - There are multiple factors that are considered in determining final pay for a position, including, but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications and competencies that align to the specified role, geographic location, education and certifications as well as contract provisions regarding labor categories that are specific to the position. The pay range for this position is :

$66,658.00 - $113,319.00

Nationwide Remote Office (US99)

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About ICF

ICF is a global consulting and technology services company with approximately 9,000 employees, but we are not your typical consultants. At ICF, business analysts and policy specialists work together with digital strategists, data scientists and creatives. We combine unmatched industry expertise with cutting-edge engagement capabilities to help organizations solve their most complex challenges. Since 1969, public and private sector clients have worked with ICF to navigate change and shape the future. Learn more at () .