External communication & Public relations

Ahura Workforce Solutions; Gurugram District; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 6,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Ahura Workforce Solutions in Gurgaon seeks an Associate Director – External Communications & PR to lead global brand visibility through media relations, CEO branding and strategic PR programs. The role requires hands-on experience managing PR in the United States and building influential media networks.

The candidate will report to the Head of Marketing, collaborating with HR and marketing teams to drive thought leadership, content, events and digital PR initiatives across India and the US.

Qualifications

• MBA degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or a related field.
• 12-16 years of experience in B2B external communications and PR with leadership roles.
• Hands-on experience managing PR programs, media relationships and US press strategy.

Responsibilities

• Drive a comprehensive external communications and PR program to elevate brand in the US.
• Own relationships with media, journalists, analysts, and influencers across India and the US.
• Develop CEO thought leadership, bylines, interviews and speaking engagements.
• Monitor CEO reputation and manage issues to protect corporate image globally.
• Lead crisis communications and ROI-focused PR measurement across markets.
• Lead US-focused PR strategy, agency relationships, and media outreach.
• Oversee corporate events, media briefings and external content creation.
• Leverage AI tools to enhance speed, quality and measurement of PR outputs.

Skills

External Communications

Public Relations

Media Relations

CEO Communications

Branding

Digital Marketing

Social Media

Content Marketing

Corporate Events

Education

MBA in Marketing/Communications

Tools

AI Tools for PR

AI-based media monitoring

Job description

Candidates Only from reputed IT companies (not from PR agencies)

* Strong US marketing experience is a must

* Strong Corporate experience is a must

* Candidates from PR firms/agencies are not acceptable

* Notice period: Candidates NOT serving up to 90 days are acceptable.

* inperson interview is Must

* Strong experience in External Communication, and Public Relations must be clearly highlighted in the resume.

Position: Associate Director – External Communications & PR

Location : Gurgaon

Experience Range: 12-16 years

About the Company

A global AI and data transformation specialist empowering companies to realize sustainable business impact from their digital investments by delivering ROI from AI@Scale.

As a long-term partner for strategy to execution, we operate at the intersection of business and technology. Our integrated services and platforms are built on the foundation of AI & Data, digital engineering, and operations transformation, bringing deep domain expertise and full stack capabilities together.

With over 4,000 people in the US, Canada, Latin America and India and a large, diverse portfolio of Fortune 500 enterprises and fast-growing clients worldwide, we work across banking & payments, wealth management, telecom, hi-tech and life sciences

Role Overview / Position Summary

The Associate Director – External Communications & PR is a critical leadership role in the marketing function, responsible for building the brand, promoting our CEO's brand, and sharing the story globally through a strong external communications and public relations lens. This role will drive the external visibility through media relations, CEO branding and reputation management, CEO communications, thought leadership, analyst relations, social media, corporate events, and impactful, coherent content and messaging. The ideal candidate will be a driven and engaged senior professional with a proven track record of building and leading brand and PR programs globally, including hands-on experience managing PR in the United States. The position will report into the Head of Marketing and will work closely with the CEO's office, HR team and marketing team.

Key Responsibilities:

• Drive a comprehensive and high-quality external communications, media and public relations program that will catapult brand awareness, visibility and positioning in the US.
• Own and manage relationships with key media, journalists, industry analysts and influencers across India and the US, securing high-impact press coverage and speaking opportunities.
• Develop and execute strategies to enhance the CEO's thought leadership, including speaking engagements, bylines, and interviews with top media and influencers in India and the US.
• Monitor and manage the CEO's reputation, addressing any issues that may arise and ensuring a positive public image across markets.
• Lead crisis communications and issues management, developing proactive PR strategies and rapid-response plans to protect and strengthen corporate reputation.
• Build and execute a US-focused PR strategy and press strategy, leveraging prior hands-on experience managing PR agencies, journalists and media relationships in the United States.
• Develop and manage relationships with PR agencies (India and US), negotiating scope, tracking deliverables and measuring ROI on external communications spend.
• Lead the marketing efforts for the CEO's books, including launch strategies, promotional activities, publisher coordination, media & influencer outreach and event planning.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive social media and digital PR strategy to increase brand awareness, engagement and share of voice.
• Oversee the creation of high-quality external-facing content (press releases, media kits, thought leadership articles, bylines, award submissions) to enhance the corporate brand.
• Plan and execute external corporate events, conferences, award ceremonies and media briefings that elevate brand presence in India and the US.
• Leverage AI tools and platforms (e.g., generative AI writing assistants, AI-based media monitoring, sentiment analysis and social listening tools) to improve the speed, quality and measurement of PR and communications output.
• Champion the adoption of AI-driven workflows within the communications team — including AI-assisted content drafting, press release generation, media list building and coverage analytics — to drive efficiency and scale.
• Track and report on PR and external communications effectiveness using AI-powered analytics and media intelligence tools, translating data into actionable insights for leadership.
• Mentor the marketing team, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture. Provide guidance and support to team members to achieve marketing objectives.
• Manage the marketing budget and allocate resources effectively to maximize ROI.

Qualifications and Skills:

• MBA degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or a related field.
• 12-16 years of experience in B2B external communications and PR, with a proven track record of success in leadership roles.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience managing PR programs, media relationships and press strategy in the United States is required.
• Strong understanding of external communications, media relations, PR, CEO communications and branding, digital marketing, social media, content marketing and corporate events.
• Working knowledge of AI tools for communications and PR (e.g., generative AI for content drafting, AI-based media monitoring and social listening platforms) and a demonstrated interest in applying AI to improve PR outcomes.
• Excellent strategic thinking and analytical skills.
• Proven ability to lead and inspire a team.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication and content skills - a solid writer, content creator and skilled in articulating complex concepts in a simplified way.
• A doer, an ambitious and positive professional with strategic thinking.
• A curious, creative, data-driven, detail oriented individual with strong analytical capabilities.
• Ability to work independently and drive multiple initiatives simultaneously at speed.
• Excellent people and management skills to interact with staff, colleagues, cross-functional teams and third parties.