Account Director, Crisis and Issues Communications

Weber Shandwick; New York (NY); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Weber Shandwick in New York seeks an Account Director to join its Global Crisis and Issues Practice. You will lead high-profile crisis and issues programs, guiding clients through complex reputational challenges with data-driven insights and digital analytics.

You will mentor junior staff, collaborate across disciplines, and drive new business while delivering strategic counsel and robust crisis capabilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent required.
• 5+ years of experience in an agency/strategic consulting firm, political campaign, or similar setting.
• Experience counseling clients/senior executives through crises and issues.
• Expertise in corporate reputation and brand management.

Responsibilities

• Manage projects and client relationships as a key team member for complex crisis/communications situations.
• Serve as day-to-day client contact, provide account support and triage issues.
• Lead data-driven industry and topic analysis to inform strategy and issues management.
• Develop crisis plans, media strategies, reactive statements, trainings and talking points.
• Collaborate with senior leads and practice group leaders to achieve client success.
• Mentor and grow emerging talent in the practice.
• Provide regular counsel to clients and coordinate with global partners.
• Keep programs on schedule and within budget.
• Participate in new business development for the team.

Skills

Crisis communications

Issues management

Digital analytics

AI awareness

Data analysis

Strong writing

Clear communication

Judgment

Attention to detail

Problem solving

Team leadership

Media training

Education

Bachelor's degree

5+ years relevant experience

Tools

Analytics tools

Media monitoring tools

Job description

Job Description

The Weber Shandwick New York office is seeking an Account Directorin New Yorkto join its Global Crisis and Issues Practice. Weber Shandwick’s Global and Issues Crisis team, part of the Weber Advisory group, helps leading organizations across the world both manage breaking negative issues and events affecting reputation and develop the internal culture and infrastructure needed to predict, prepare, and navigate them effectively.

Agency

Weber Shandwick

Job Function

Communications and PR

Job Subfunction

Public Relations

Job Description

The Weber Shandwick New York office is seeking an Account Directorin New Yorkto join its Global Crisis and Issues Practice. Weber Shandwick’s Global and Issues Crisis team, part of the Weber Advisory group, helps leading organizations across the world both manage breaking negative issues and events affecting reputation and develop the internal culture and infrastructure needed to predict, prepare, and navigate them effectively.

From conspiracy theories, environmental incidents and multinational bankruptcies to executive controversies and sweeping product recalls to high-profile litigation and fake news, we live at the front lines of media, culture, and conversation. Whether it is a program affecting internal stakeholders or an external effort to protect or defend an organization’s reputation, we work together with colleagues from around the country and globe daily, supplying crisis counsel to clients across industries and sectors, making deep curiosity a requisite for this position.

Candidate Qualities

We are looking for a change agent to help us grow our Global Crisis and Issues Practice and support a wide array of high-profile clientswith crisis preparedness, reputation management and live crisis/issues counsel and support. You should haveextensive crisis communications and issues management experience, preferably across multiple industries and across the spectrum of public and private companies.

You will play an important role on our team, leading a broad range of projects, developing new business opportunities, and helping to mentor and grow the skill sets of emerging talent in our practice. You should bedigital analytics-savvy, have strong writing skills and thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment. Previous agency experience is a must. An additional plus: experience working in public affairs or media role.

Our Team

Our team is a group of smart, analytical and hardworking people who care deeply about helping lead our clients through a crisis to make a positive impact on society. We are on the front lines of some of the biggest, most complex issues – and the nature of our work requires an ability and eagerness to juggle multiple responsibilities and work on multi-office client teams. You will have the opportunity to play a leading role in driving both ongoing client engagements and discrete projects.

What You Will Be Doing

• Manage projects and client relationships as key team member to navigate a range of complex, high-profile corporate issues /crisis communications situations (i.e., cybersecurity issues, product safety issues and recalls, executive leadership changes, natural disaster response, culture change, societal issues etc.)
• Serve as the day-to-day client contact – providing account support and counsel, flagging, triaging, and directly managing client issues as they arise.
• Lead data-driven industry and topic analysis to inform business strategy and issues management approach, including leveraging AI, media monitoring and social analysis tools.
• Develop and draft crisis plans, media strategies, reactive media statements, media trainings, talking points, FAQs, memos, crisis simulations and other deliverables as needed.
• Work directly with senior team leads and other practice group leaders to achieve client success and deliver industry-leading perspectives on topical issues.
• Train and motivate emerging talent and help create opportunities for their growth and development.
• Provide regular counsel to clients and colleagues and liaise with global partners to provide global market insights.
• Keep client programs on schedule and ensure all deadlines are met within budget parameters.
• Participate in new business development for the team and collaborate among practice areas at the agency in support of broader new business pitches that include a crisis and issues component.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field and/or 5+ years of relevant experience in an agency/strategic consulting firm, political campaign, or similar setting.
• Experience directly counseling clients/senior ranking executives through a broad range of crises, issues and special situations.
• Experience with corporate reputation, brand management and protection through integrated communications programs.
• Expertisewith the latest digital management, trends and strategy, tools, and analytics and ability to turn insights into actionable recommendations.
• Familiarity with AI, next gen programs and data aggregation with large datasets to inform strategy.
• Thrives under pressure and can handle multiple projects in a demanding, deadline-oriented environment,including live crisis situations that may require significant working hours.
• Exercises exceptional judgment when working with clients, team members, and vendors.
• Communicates clearly, analytically, and persuasively both orally and in writing.
• Pays close attention to detail and quality of work product.
• Adept at solving problems and resolving conflicts.
• Capable of mobilizing and motivating teams, anticipating needs, and instilling confidence.
• Experience delivering media and crisis training.
• Solid understanding of markets and issues affecting the financial and reputational well-being of companies

About The Global Crisis And Issues Practice

Weber Shandwick’s Global Crisis and Issues Practice helps leading organizations both manage breaking negative issues and events affecting reputation and develop the internal culture and infrastructure needed to anticipate, prepare and navigate them effectively. From cyberattacks, environmental protests, high-profile litigation and misinformation defense to sweeping product recalls, multinational bankruptcies and executive controversies, we live at the intersection of business, media, policy, culture and society.

$100,000 - $130,000

Omnicom’s policy requires employees to work in the office for a minimum of three days a week, unless additional in-office days are directed by their agency or manager. Our objective is to increase this requirement over time, and many of our agencies as well as Omnicom’s corporate group already require five days of in-office attendance.

Omnicom is committed to hiring and developing exceptional talent. We agree that talent is uniquely distributed, and we’re focused on developing inclusive teams that can bring the best solutions to everything we do. We strongly believe that celebrating what makes us different makes us better together. Join us—we look forward to getting to know you. We will process your personal data in accordance with our Recruitment Privacy Notice.

Link to Recruitment Privacy Notice: https://www.omc.com/privacy-notice

For US Job Seekers

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$100,000 - $130,000