Associate Director

Velocity Partners; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Velocity Partners in Washington, DC seeks an Associate Director with 4–6 years in strategic communications, media relations, or related fields to move from execution to ownership and lead high-impact client work.

You will own client relationships, set communications strategy for a portfolio, develop earned media programs, mentor junior staff, and contribute to new business efforts while partnering with leadership on practice development and technology integration.

Qualifications

• 4–6 years of experience in strategic communications, media relations, or closely adjacent field.
• Move from execution to ownership.
• Ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder strategies.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the day-to-day strategic lead on a portfolio of client accounts, setting communications strategy and ensuring value delivery.
• Develop and drive earned media campaigns, executive visibility programs, and stakeholder engagement strategies.
• Manage and develop junior team members, including reviewing work, delegating, and building team capability.
• Assist the senior team in new business development efforts as relevant.
• Partner with firm leadership on practice-building and process development.

Job description

Velocity is a boutique strategic communications firm founded by the team that launched

Axios. We’re built for the modern era—where stakeholder convergence, format evolution, and

AI disruption demand a fundamentally different approach.

Since launch, we've attracted some of the most high-impact, high-influence clients in the

market, including Fortune 500 corporations, growth-stage disruptors, and cause-based

organizations. We’ve moved major policy decisions, vaulted transformative executives into

top-tier news cycles, and been publicly lauded as an industry disruptor.

Role Description

We’re looking for a seasoned communications professional ready to step into a leadership role at one of DC’s most dynamic firms. You have 4–6 years of experience in strategic communications, media relations, or a closely adjacent field—and you’ve moved from execution to ownership.

You Are:

• A strategic operator who can manage complex, multi-stakeholder strategies from concept to execution
• Confident leading client relationships independently and earning trust at the senior level
• A mentor and multiplier—someone who makes junior colleagues sharper and more effective
• Deeply fluent in the policy, business, and media ecosystems that drive our clients' worlds
• Entrepreneurial by instinct: you build processes, not just follow them
• Genuinely curious about AI and willing to help lead our technology integration efforts
• Comfortable holding both the 30,000-foot view and the ground-level detail simultaneously
• High-throughput, low latency: you operate with natural metabolism and speed, while knowing when to slow down and seek input
• Discerning in judgement; you can readily identify what works, what doesn’t, and what a given moment demands
• Available to work in-person in Washington, DC 4–5 days a week

Job Responsibilities

As Associate Director, you will own client relationships, drive strategy, and help shape the direction of the firm. You will:

• Serve as the day-to-day strategic lead on a portfolio of client accounts, setting communications strategy and ensuring consistent value delivery
• Develop and drive earned media campaigns, executive visibility programs, and stakeholder engagement strategies
• Manage and develop junior team members, including reviewing work product, delegating effectively, setting operational standards and practices, and building capability across the team
• Assist the senior team in new business development efforts as relevant
• Partner with firm leadership on practice-building, process developme